The WV Community Development Hub is thrilled to announce the third cohort for the Coaching for Transformation Fellowship program. Nine people from across the state will participate in this leadership development initiative to catalyze growth and make a positive difference in West Virginia communities.
Fellows will focus on their individual leadership and growth, collaboration on community or economic development-focused projects, and resource development as part of this intensive nine-month fellowship. With support from professional coaches and peers, fellows increase cross-sector knowledge and build up a personal network through a range of partner engagements, learning opportunities, community visits, and peer relationships. Through the fellowship, the cohort will identify funding sources, collaboration opportunities, overcome challenges, and develop partnerships. This fellowship is rooted in uplifting West Virginia leaders and communities that align with The Hub’s Core Values. They will also increase their knowledge of the community development field and build up their personal networks.
“These fellows are West Virginians who are focused on building up our state’s communities using innovative, collaborative leadership. We are honored to be a part of their journey,” said Stacy Thomas, Community Coaching Program Coordinator and fellowship program lead.
As an experienced leader and dedicated community advocate, Laura Anderson is committed to positively impacting her community. Throughout her career, Laura has honed her project management, strategic planning, and partnership-building skills, allowing her to effectively collaborate with community organizations and stakeholders to achieve shared goals throughout West Virginia.
Currently, she serves as the AmeriCorps Program Director for the City of Weston, responsible for building and creating a new, unique AmeriCorps Program. In this role, she has leveraged her expertise in program development and management to establish a comprehensive and impactful program that addresses the needs of her community. Driven by a deep sense of purpose and a desire to make a difference, she constantly seeks new opportunities to serve and support her community. She is excited to continue her journey as a community leader and make a lasting impact on the lives of those around her.
As an eclectic fiber artist, Kristina Culp is currently volunteering as Executive Director for the Tygart Artisans Guild in Grafton, West Virginia. Serving as an employee of the Taylor County Public Library, Kristina can combine her passions for reading and genealogy research regularly. Kristina and her husband have raised five children, welcoming her first granddaughter in the summer of 2022. She is looking forward to meeting two new grandchildren in the spring. In her spare time, Kristina enjoys any opportunity to gather with other knitters, spinners, and weavers.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Jenna Grayson has a passion for community service, economic development, manufacturing, and building strong communities through workforce development and fair housing. With experience in private industry, higher education, and regional economic development, Jenna shares an appreciation for intentional and community-driven growth. Jenna received her Bachelor of Science in Environment, Economic Development, and Sustainability from Ohio State University. Jenna is currently working on a “Micro Masters” program in Supply Chain Management through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Jenna was introduced to West Virginia as an AmeriCorps VISTA with West Virginia University Science Adventure School and she and her husband purchased a home in Fayette County in 2020. In Jenna’s free time, you can find her paddling the New River or serving at Love Hope Center for the Arts.
As the Executive Director of the Hampshire County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Tina Ladd is passionately dedicated to not only attracting tourists to our beautiful region but also instilling a deep sense of pride and community among the residents. Her role involves overseeing major local events, such as the Hampshire County Farm Crawl and the Potomac Highlands Sportsman & Outdoor Show, which showcase the area’s unique character and offerings. A career highlight was orchestrating the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree’s visit to Romney, an event that brought national recognition to the community and exemplified the collaborative spirit.
Tina strongly believes in the power of teamwork and inclusivity, striving to make every member of the community feel involved and valued. Her job extends beyond traditional tourism promotion; it’s about building a community where everyone feels they are part of something greater. Tina is eager to further develop my leadership skills, deepen community impact, and continue to foster an environment where everyone in Hampshire County can thrive together.
Erica Marks is the founder and director of the Yew Mountain Center in Pocahontas County where she lives with her three daughters and husband. Drawing on her experience as a science teacher in the classroom and nontraditional educational settings as well as her love of nature and the arts, she works through the organization to build a community centered on learning and appreciation of the land and the biodiversity and varied human culture it supports.
Evan McWreath has several years of experience working with nonprofits. He currently serves as the Director of Conservation Research at the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia and is a grant writer for the Human Animal Bond, both based in Morgantown, West Virginia. Evan holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geoscience (2016) and a Master’s degree in Geography from West Virginia University (2019). Originally from Washington, PA, he previously worked as a GIS Manager at the Washington County Department of Public Safety and served on the Board of Directors for the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission.
Having dedicated recent years to working as a wildlife biologist for Ventana Wildlife Society in Monterey, California, Evan has returned to West Virginia with his wife, DVM Amanda McWreath. He continues his role as a remote GIS Specialist, overseeing critically endangered California condor GPS data, developing educational materials, and contributing to conservation outreach efforts. Evan is passionate about creating opportunities for the community to engage in and appreciate wildlife conservation, seeing it as a crucial component for the restoration and preservation of healthy ecosystems, and he looks forward to fostering such opportunities in his new positions.
Robert Moore’s current position with West Virginia State University’s Extension Service, in partnership with Tamarack Foundation for the Arts, makes Moore the first Art Extension Educator in the state of West Virginia. His new role in the organization allows Moore to work statewide, strengthening community and economic development in West Virginia’s Arts industry. Moore is a mixed media artist, exhibiting, curating, and teaching since 1999. Moore also has over 20 years of experience in Arts administration, working in art galleries, theaters and nonprofit organizations. He graduated with a Bachelor of Art in Studio Art with a concentration in painting, from Concord University in 2003. Moore lives in his hometown of Beckley, WV.
Beth Salvo is a dedicated entrepreneur and community advocate who found a new home in Frametown, West Virginia, after hailing from the vibrant streets of Southern New Jersey. As the proud owner of “Bigfoot Braxxie’s Bikes” in Gassaway, Beth seamlessly blends her business acumen with a deep commitment to community well-being. Actively engaged with the Town of Gassaway and the Elk River Trail Foundation, Beth dedicates time to enhancing the town’s charm and preserving its natural beauty. Beyond the business realm, Beth nurtures a farm in Frametown, volunteers with senior citizens in Braxton County, and fosters connections through membership in the Sutton Moose Lodge. Beth Salvo’s biography unfolds as a compelling story of meaningful contributions to a community that has become an integral part of her journey.
Courtney Summers is originally from the greater Seattle area and came to WV from Maryland to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA for two years starting in 2021. She is now the Family Resource Network Manager with United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties covering Monongalia County working to improve the lives of children and families. Before working in the nonprofit sector, she taught special education and served as an AmeriCorps VISTA.
Her two years of VISTA service inspired her to continue in the nonprofit field. She loves being able to make a difference in her community and helping others. She applied for the fellowship to refine her leadership skills to better involve families in her community.
Greater Peoria, Illinois is part of The Hub’s second Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) cohort and the team is getting
Emma Byrne, Director of Impact We at The Hub are thrilled to announce the newest addition to our team, Emma Byrne. Emma
The West Side neighborhood of Charleston participated in the recent West Side Health Fair in Charleston. Lined up along the Kanawha River
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,