The WV Community Development Hub is thrilled to announce the inaugural cohort of the Advanced Track of our Community Coaching Fellowship Program! Ten individuals from throughout the state of West Virginia will take part in the program, which is designed to grow leadership, advance collaborative coaching skills, and help participants advance a project they’re working on in their community.
When the program kicks off in October, each of the fellows will be paired with a coaching expert from The Hub to assist with their development journey.
“We are excited to launch this program and go through this process,” said Stacy Thomas, Community Coaching Associate and Coaching Fellowship program lead. “We have an incredible cohort and they are already doing amazing work around the state.”
The application process for the Fellowship was very competitive; though we received many amazing applicants, the goal of the program is to provide individualized attention to a small group of Fellows. Learn more about the ten community changemakers who will soon begin their coaching journey below.
Kelley Burd-Huss is the Community Development Coordinator for Preston Trail Towns (PTT), a project of Friends of the Cheat. PTT bridges the communities of Preston County through outdoor recreation, placemaking and community development. Originally from Harrison County, Kelley earned her BA from West Virginia University and a JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School. She developed a keen interest in community development after leaving corporate tax and meeting her neighbors in Houston’s historic Third Ward. Kelley thrives on finding creative solutions and means to overcome community challenges, and is happiest when engaging her communities and moving ideas toward action. After ten years away from home, Kelley has been blessed to live in the Cheat River Valley since 2019. She currently lives in Stewartstown with her husband David, three children, and three dogs.
Reed Byers is the Change Agent and Creator of the How to Save a Life program at GiveMore Connections. He is a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, a Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Certified Race Director, and a Community Coordinator at Healthy Kids Running Series. He uses his lived experience with mental health and addiction to empower others to find their unique road to recovery, while promoting health and relationship building throughout the community. Reed stays active in his community by serving as a member of the Board of Directors for: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (WV Chapter), The Suicide Awareness Alliance of Washington County, Ohio, The Boys and Girls Club of Pleasants County, WV, and Generation Mid-Ohio Valley.
Candice Helms may not be native to West Virginia, but upon moving here from Austin, Texas in 2015, she quickly found herself deeply in love with the mountains and a huge desire to do better 2015, she quickly found herself deeply in love with the mountains and a huge desire to do better by her community, Hinton. After serving on the Hinton HubCAP team, in May of 2019, she enthusiastically signed on as the Hinton Historic Landmarks AmeriCorps member. Her focus during this term and beyond, is to empower the locals, preserve Hinton’s history, and be an example of what little we can do to make a huge impact.
Sherri L. James is currently the Program Director for the Kelly Miller Community Center, as well as the Community Engagement Coordinator for Monticello On-going Revitalization Effort (M.O.R.E.), both non-profit organizations in Clarksburg, WV who focused on providing services and support to improve the lives of children, families, elderly and homeless folks in our community. She currently writes grants to secure funding for programs and infrastructure, as well as, coordinates programming and events throughout the year. She currently is a member of the West Virginia Black Heritage Festival Board and the Chairman of the Fundraising Committee, as well as a member of the The WVU United Hospital Center Board. She loves gardening, large family get-togethers and exercising.
Jamila Jones-Fleet is founder and President of Innovative Community Solutions, a non-profit focused on minority economic development and diversity in technology. She is also CEO of Innovative Solutions Technology. She also currently volunteers as the Jefferson County NAACP Economic Development Committee Chair, on the Board of the United Way Eastern Panhandle, and on the Advisory Board of the Bank of Charles Town (BCT). She enjoys hiking, cooking and gardening in her free time..
Amy Loomis, MPA, is a community development professional working in member services and neighborhoods revitalization for the Morgantown Area Partnership, a coordinated alliance to pursue holistic strategies for the betterment of economic, business, and community development. Amy believes the world is a better place with facilitation, consensus planning, creative placemaking, conflict transformation, and swing dancing!
Olivia Morris is a West Virginia native who resides in the hills of Fayette County. She works for Generation West Virginia, whose mission is to attract, retain, and advance young people. She enjoys a myriad of hobbies including rock climbing, swimming, performing arts, and binge watching YouTube videos. She is passionate about the future of the Mountain State and is excited to grow her leadership in order to support community members as they bring their visions to life.
Museum Director Mackenzie (Kenzie) New-Walker is a young community organizer, museum professional, local historian, and advocate for historic preservation in and across southern West Virginia. Kenzie graduated from Marshall University in 2018. She is committed to sharing the stories of her ancestors, and leading and collaborating on community-based projects that celebrate diversity and invoke the public’s collective memory. Kenzie serves as the Project Coordinator for the 2021 Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial. Kenzie grew up in the southern coalfields of WV as a daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of union coal miners.
Caroline Smith is the Program Director for Stewards Individual Placements, based out of Beckley, WV. As Program Director, she is afforded the opportunity to support, collaborate, and create change with communities, organizations, and national service members across the country. Caroline holds a BFA from Ohio University and an MPA from West Virginia University. When not working, she enjoys reading, hiking, creating, and spending time with her partner, daughter, and furry friends.
Ray Smith is from Jane Lew, located in Lewis County, West Virginia. He was a general manager for a travel complex for over 30 years and changed career paths to being Executive Director of the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce. He is involved in many community organizations and events, and takes great pride in supporting, working with everyone, and serving his community.
You can learn more about the Community Coaching Fellowship Program and the application process here.
If you have questions about the Fellowship, reach out to Stacy Thomas at s.thomas@wvhub.org.
In May, The Hub’s leadership team–Heather, Amanda, and myself–traveled to Chicago, Illinois, to join other changemakers, bridge builders, and leaders from across multiple sectors who are seeking what many of us feel deep in our bones: “How do we build, repair, and restore trust in a deeply divided and polarized time in our country?”
Stephanie Tyree shares 5 powerful lessons from 13 years of leading WV’s community development movement and building lasting change across small towns.
People often get involved with community development due to a desire to make their community better. This desire is rooted in bringing
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
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.
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.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Watch their community documentary.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.
Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.
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,