Our Impact in 2023

At The Hub, we understand that community development is the foundation of locally-driven economic development. We know that a vibrant economic future is possible for all communities in our state. Through our work supporting dozens of communities and hundreds of local leaders across the state every day, we see the growth potential of West Virginia, and the many projects that are underway building strong, vibrant communities where locals can live their best lives and visitors are excited to explore.

Building strong communities starts with local leaders coming together to dream, vision and launch projects that lean into the many local assets that exist across our state. The potential for community improvement is unlimited when people work together and take advantage of the hundreds of resources that are available to support local community economic development.

Our work at The Hub is rooted in a deep belief that community development springs for investing in leadership development. The more we build and support individual leadership development, the more opportunities for community growth we see throughout the state.

2023 was a remarkable year of growth for The Hub in supporting community and leadership development. We launched new community development programs and partnerships, built new relationships with emerging leaders through our fellowship programs, and convened hundreds of local thought and project leaders through our trainings, conferences, and virtual community conversations.

I have never been more optimistic about the potential for West Virginia – from the smallest towns to our largest cities. I am inspired every day by the leadership we are privileged to support at The Hub.

If you care about West Virginia and want to be connected to an inspiring network of innovators across the state and the region, The Hub is the place for you. I invite you to join us in the work this year, to reach out for support when you are stuck, and to plug in to a vibrant network of learning, development, and partnership.

Our goal is to support you in your work to improve West Virginia every day. We’re excited to continue deepening and strengthening the community development field in 2024.

Executive Director

How Our Work Works

Everything we do is grounded in four focus areas built up over the past 14 years to maximize impact.

INVEST

Invest in community leadership, teams, and community-identified projects.

BUILD

Build impactful partnerships across the diverse groups working on community development in the state.

TACKLE

Tackle the systems-level challenges that communities face through creative policy engagement.

DRIVE

Drive forward a new story about West Virginia about how positive change is possible, and it is happening today.

Where We Coached in 2023

  • Communities Coached:
  • Charleston
  • Cowen
  • Cumberland Plateau
    Planning District, VA
  • Durbin
  • Elkins
  • Floyd County, KY
  • Franklin
  • Huntington
  • Kingwood
  • Lewis County
  • Marlinton
  • Meadow River Valley
  • Montgomery
  • Monticello
  • New Martinsville
  • Oak Hill
  • Parsons
  • Petersburg
  • Perry County, OH
  • Princeton
  • Richwood
  • Ronceverte
  • Smithers
  • Wayne
  • Webster County
  • Weston
  • White Sulphur
    Springs

Total: 27

Impact By the Numbers

Outside Funding Leveraged

$ 0
Program-Funded
$ 0
Mini-Grants Awarded
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Non Program-Funded
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TOTAL

Community Projects Initiated

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program-funded
0
Non Program-Funded
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Total

Community Projects Completed

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program-funded
0
Non Program-Funded
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Total

Community Members Actively Engaged

0
Core Team Members
0
Volunteers
0
Volunteer Hours INvested

Media Mentions

0
Media Hits

Resource Training Events

0
Participants

Community Members

0
Meeting Attendance

Population Reached

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TOTAL

Impact Snapshots

Strategic Wins

One original purpose of the Hub was as a connector for community development organizations and local leaders working to effect change in their communities. James Birt, founder of Housed-Up, Inc., utilized information he received at a Hub federal training event to advance his organizational mission. Housed-Up, Inc. was awarded a $50,000 ARC INSPIRE planning grant.
Our fellowship programs develop grassroots community leaders and equip them with the tools to create change in their communities. Jamila Jones's experience in the Coaching for Transformation Fellowship developed her community building leadership skills. She is transforming her community through an amphitheater development project with multiple partners at Fisherman Hall in Charles Town, WV.
Projects across the state are in need of technical assistance to reach their full potential. With leveraged funds, community development practitioners, like John and Michelle Connor in Franklin, WV, have been able to push projects forward. The Connors are using architectural plans created through The Hub’s technical assistance as part of DARRE to bring a historic building into its next era.
In 2023, we launched the Accelerate WV program as part of the ACT Now Coalition with 6 communities participating to create resilience plans.

Words from Our Partners and Communities

“After a conversation with Franklin’s coach, Amanda Workman Scott, we decided that a study would be the perfect use of our (technical assistance) funding,” said Laura Brown, the Executive Director of the Pendleton County Economic Development Authority. “We are not only gathering current existing rock formations that are open for public use, but also gathering the data for private rock formations for future use. The study will give us a map to use internally as well as provide the state tourism office with information regarding tourism assets.”

“One of our biggest hurdles is overcoming negative perceptions about the cleanliness of the river and how focusing resources on this project will ultimately benefit the community,” Elkins City Recorder Jessica Sutton says. “Community leaders recognize the potential and desirability of reframing the river into a usable asset. Community members have been equally receptive and excited in the prospect. Our hope is to improve alternative transportation to better connect our community,; to offer easily accessible recreation options that will improve the health and well-being of our residents,; and to increase our presence as a recreation tourism destination. Each of these will improve our economic and community viability.”

“I’m thankful for HubCAP for bringing me out of the tourism and marketing work that I do into a different side of the work focusing on outdoor recreation economy through things like fostering business and community development,” Chelsea Faulknier, vice president of the Marlinton Chamber of Commerce, said. “I’ve heard a lot of folks say in the past that there is so much planning and not enough action. HubCAP has been great for Marlinton to give us this push to take our action plan and really push the ideas and make things happen.”

”We are so grateful for the support that we received from our community partners. We were new to the historic renovation and tax credit process which created additional challenges. Thankfully these partners were able to provide us with resources to help us be successful.” Carla Kaposy, Conventions and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Director of Petersburg, said about the work on The Hermitage Inn.

“The Hermitage Inn project in Petersburg not only transformed a prominent historic property into a remarkable visitor venue, it brought forward another valuable economic asset in a community on the rise,” Ray Moeller, the Economic Redevelopment Specialist with West Virginia Brownfields, said. “It was a pleasure to play a small but vital role in the success of this effort.”

“The WV Hive is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such an impactful group of partners on this transformational project and deeply appreciate the trust of the U.S. EDA on this award,” comments Judy Moore, Executive Director of WV Hive and Deputy Director of New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) about participating in the CBRI work. “The work will not only allow us to provide more entrepreneurs and business owners with support, but it will also allow us to work alongside partners to truly transform the business climate for southern West Virginia.”

“Advantage Valley is a very proud partner in the ACT Now Coalition,” Terrell Ellis, the Executive Director for Advantage Valley, says. “With the award of Build Back Better funding we look forward to expanding FASTER WV, our entrepreneurship program, to serve more counties and entrepreneurs with technical support and access to capital.  We look forward to building a more resilient economy for our communities.”

“West Virginia continues to see the benefits of the critical American Rescue Plan investments that drive economic development and create good-paying, long-term jobs, and today’s announcement is great news for our entire state,” said Senator Joe Manchin. “It is a testament to our hardworking fellow West Virginians and forward-thinking communities that West Virginia was one of just 21 recipients of the EDA’s Regional Challenge program. I’m pleased the EDA is investing nearly $63 million in communities across southern West Virginia to strengthen local economies, support our energy industries and expand job opportunities. This is an incredible opportunity and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of this funding for years to come.”

​​“For decades, we’ve known the economy of southern West Virginia needs diversification. Some progress has been made on this goal, but not nearly enough,” said Brandon Dennison, CEO of Coalfield Development. “ACT Now constitutes a tangible opportunity to take a major leap forward in this generational challenge to become a vibrant, growing, diversified economy. In the wake of continued coal-job losses, nothing could be more important for our region.”

“The in person sessions were the best part of this program. Being able to work together with like minded community advocates really helped me see that my community is not alone but that other struggle with the same barriers and it takes working together to bring change. I enjoyed meeting all of the incredible people that are out there working so hard to help our state meet its full potential!”

“Having in-person and virtual meetings gave different aspects of how meetings can go and how we can facilitate them differently. The High 5 Strengths test was interesting, learning to work with your own strengths and how to use your strengths was very helpful.”

“I was surprised to find an organization that leads its people with the appreciative/positive psychology framework so intentionally. I have been aware of it and used it with stakeholders but never been ‘supervised’ or poured into in quite the same way.”

“So, for The Hub, we really see community development and economic development as a straight line, connected together,” Stephanie Tyree said about the ACT Now Coalition work during the Small Communities, BIG Solutions conference. “The Community and Business Resilience Initiative is the first time that we’ve ever been able to take a comprehensive approach to community engagement, locally based leadership development, planning and project development, small business development and support, brownfields redevelopment, and construction development. So that sounds like a lot of different things, but when you’re talking about small community revitalization, those are the pieces of the pie. This is really a transformational opportunity for us to be able to take a whole pie approach to the work rather than have to cut off little pieces of it.”

“Into 2023 and beyond, we really want to work to build relationships and trust across the community development system,” Alecia Allen said while introducing the Steering Committee at the SCBS Conference. “We want to identify system-wide gaps and create a collective impact in those spaces of need. We want to increase the capacity within the community development system and we want to engage young people and new people.”

“You don’t need a lot of people in the room to start something great, you just need the right people,” Sandy Hunt, Mayor of New Martinsville, said during the SC panel.

“Everyone is an expert in their own communities,” Bryan Phillips, Policy Engagement Coordinator for The Hub, said during the policy working group session at SCBS conference.

Thank you!

We would like to thank our private philanthropic and federal partners for supporting The Hub’s work: Appalachian Regional Commission, BHE GT&S, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, Corporation for National and Community Service, Equitrans Midstream Foundation, FirstEnergy Foundation, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, Just Transition Fund, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, One Foundation, Truist Charitable Fund, US Department of Agriculture-Rural Development, and US Economic DevelopmentAdministration.

We also deeply appreciate the sponsorships for our federal funding training and Southern WV Rural Partners Network events from the Alliance for the Economic Development of Southern WV, Appalachian Power, EQT Foundation, and The Thrasher Group.Lastly, we couldn’t do this work without the dedicated financial and volunteer support of individuals across the region; you are the heartbeat of The Hub and we deeply appreciate your ongoing support. If you are interested in supporting The Hub, please consider donating to support our work and the work of community leaders across the state.

Read More Stories of Impact

*Blueprint Communities is a registered service mark of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh. The Blueprint Communities program was created by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLBank) in 2005 to support the development of local leadership, collaboration across sectors, and strategic planning to make a lasting impact on the economic well being and quality of life for residents. In 2007, our team at The Hub began administering this program in West Virginia with generous support from FHLBank.

Message from our Executive Leadership Team

It has been a year of abundant opportunities and partnerships across the state, and a year that has pushed all of us to work harder, faster, and smarter – together.At The Hub, we say that “the work works when you put in the work.” This means that our approach to community-based development, and individual leadership development, really does transform local communities, especially when we all work together for the same goal, and stay committed to working together for the long haul.In 2023, we continued to be amazed at the local leadership, drive and innovation we saw in communities throughout the state that are building locally-driven development from the ground up. Our network of community leaders, partners and opportunities keeps growing and shows no signs of slowing in 2024!

We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone for being part of the larger Hub community as we reflect on this year’s deep impact in West Virginia communities through our work. We are thrilled to have champions who believe in our mission that every community in West Virginia can achieve economic growth when they are supported with the tools and training they need to lead and spark positive change.

We believe strongly in the fact that putting in the work yourself to improve your neighborhood, your town, and our state is where true transformational change happens. With strategic partners and thought leaders like you in the work with us, we continue to be able to walk alongside community teams as they do the work to uplift their communities.Thank you to all of the community teams and leaders who are brave enough to keep showing up every day, and putting in thousands of hours of volunteer time to support your communities and the entire state. Your determination in the face of difficult work and far-off successes is something to applaud yourself for – and to celebrate.Whether you’re volunteering on the ground in your community, sharing our stories of hope with your friends and neighbors, or attending a virtual event with The Hub, your participation in our work is what keeps it going. Thank you for all your work and support this past year, and we are excited to continue in the work with you in 2024!In Continued Accompaniment,

– WV Community Development Hub
Executive Leadership Team

Stephanie Tyree

Executive Director

Amanda Workman Scott

Director of Community Engagement

Katie Loudin

Director of Strategic Development

Partner Feature:

Our work is made possible thanks to incredible partnerships with other community development organizations across the state. From local economic development authorities (EDAs) to state level nonprofits working to uplift communities, all of our partners are crucial in making West Virginia the best it can possibly be by working together.One partner that made our work truly profound this year is Coalfield Development. For years, Coalfield Development has worked to rebuild Appalachian communities by inspiring the courage to grow, activating the creativity to innovate, and cultivating communities of opportunity in central Appalachia.We are proud to be part of Coalfield Development’s ACT Now Coalition, a broad network of organizations working hand-in-hand to uplift communities throughout Southern West Virginia. The ACT Now Coalition is infusing more than $63 million into programs to help communities using business development, building revitalization, and so much more.The Hub is leading the Community and Business Resilience Initiative as part of the larger ACT Now Coalition to bring other partners with us to build up community and business resilience in the Coalition’s footprint.“For decades, we’ve known the economy of southern West Virginia needs diversification. Some progress has been made on this goal, but not nearly enough,” Brandon Dennison, CEO of Coalfield Development, said about the ACT Now Coalition. “ACT Now constitutes a tangible opportunity to take a major leap forward in this generational challenge to become a vibrant, growing, diversified economy. In the wake of continued coal-job losses, nothing could be more important for our region.”Our partnership with Coalfield Development is giving us a chance to take our work to new communities and to build upon our years of experience. Working alongside Coalfield Development in this large undertaking to bring $63.8 million to communities in Southern West Virginia is validation that the work happening to uplift West Virginia communities continues to grow.

Community Feature:

The Hub works alongside communities across West Virginia coaching community teams as they come together to make transformative changes in their towns. In 2022, one town stands out for its continued work and unwavering commitment to making its community a place where people want to live, work, play, and visit.Petersburg, located in Grant County at the northernmost point of the Mon Forest, is filled with community members who want to make their town a destination. Not only have businesses opened, and stayed open, the town has transformed the way they present to the world through rebranding and outdoor recreational development.As part of the HubCAP IV program, Petersburg utilized its technical assistance to push forward with projects to bring transformative change to its community. Part of the work Petersburg worked towards was creating plans to pave a hike and bike trail that runs along the Petersburg dike. The proposed trail will run approximately three miles along the Petersburg dike and will include multiple entrances for walkers and bikers. The group secured a $25,000 grant from Senator Hamilton, which was matched locally by the City of Petersburg, the County Commission, and the Board of Education, each adding an equal share to bring the total to $50,000.This year, Petersburg witnessed a major upgrade to one of the town’s most iconic and historic structures: The Hermitage Inn. The hotel, which dates back to 1841, has been renovated and once again welcomes guests to stay the night and have a nice dinner in the restaurant.The Hermitage Inn is the first project initiated and completed as part of the Downtown Appalachia: Revitalizing Recreational Economies (DARRE) program. Seeing the old hotel returned to its majesty has been an incredible development for Petersburg adding another jewel to the downtown area.Seeing Hub communities come together to create transformative change thrills us. Community members are the subject matter experts on what their towns need. Our commitment to accompaniment and walking alongside communities as they do the hard work guides us in our work. Celebrating their victories with them gives us a moment to uplift those making the work happen.

DEI Journey:

Since 2018, The Hub has been working diligently to bring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into our work. For years, the organization has been working internally to expand on one of our core values: “We believe diversity creates strength.”We believe that now is a time when we must work from the ground up to commit to long-term efforts to build power through leadership development, programmatic strategies, and partnerships that commit to building power and advancing racial equity.Looking back at our organizational history, we acknowledge that our work in rural communities with populations of less than 15,000 has not reached a diverse cross-section of people in West Virginia. Because of this, we began to ask, “Who isn’t here?” when examining our involvement in communities. The social unrest in 2020 led us to examine our role in white supremacy, ableism, classism, and gender discrimination, and the ways we have perpetuated unjust systems in our communities and across West Virginia.Since 2020, our equity journey has included a staff racial equity learning series, making internal commitments to increasing our hiring and retainment of diverse staff including creating full-time Racial Equity Fellowship and VISTA positions, committing to increased coaching for rural communities of color across the state, and tackling the inherent challenges of advancing equity across the community development field within a highly rural, majority white state where Black and brown leadership has been historically marginalized and under-invested.Our belief in the power of local people to see the value and the potential of their place, and of each other, is at the core of our belief in the potential we have to build power in West Virginia to advance racial equity, inclusion, and accessibility while disrupting systems that have historically excluded some communities.We are committed to engaging in conversations to uplift communities and leaders of color to move from talk to action on why race matters in West Virginia as we work to disrupt these systems. We will support investment in Black-led organizations and rural Black leadership. And we are committed to driving public and private investments into these spaces, both organizational and geographic.

Grafton

A core team led by Unleash Tygart, Inc participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.

Huntington

Core teams led by Thundercloud, Inc. and the City of Huntington participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support community development projects located in Opportunity Zones.

Charleston

A core team led by Crawford Holdings, LLC participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.

White Sulphur Springs

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Petersburg

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Marlinton

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Franklin

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Elkins

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies. 

A core team led by Woodlands Development Group also participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.

Cowen

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies. Read their community case study.

Parsons

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.

New Martinsville

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.

Monticello Neighborhood of Clarksburg

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Watch their community documentary.

Meadow River Valley Region

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.

Lewis County

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.

Kingwood

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.

Smithers

Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.

Montgomery

Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.