The Hub is excited to announce Cohort 2 of the Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) Action Challenge! In partnership with the National Association of Counties (NACo) three of our Hub coaches will support five coal-impacted communities in developing economic diversification strategies over the course of a year. Cohort 2’s communities include Forest County, PA; Grant County, WV; Greater Peoria Region, IL; Monroe County, GA; and Somerset County, PA.
Meet some of the team members:
Forest County, PA: Cynthia Crytzer is the Borough Manager for Tionesta in Forest County. She describes the County as a “must-see destination in North Western Pennsylvania” with numerous outdoor recreation activities and “beautiful scenery, warm and inviting people, and fun festivals and events.” Forest is also designated a distressed county and economically disadvantaged community. Crytzer says that in applying to BRECC, “Our goal is to effect a positive economic change by bringing business and development opportunities to our community. The Action Challenge provides us with guidance to make that happen.”
Forest County has assembled a team of diverse expertise ranging from economic development directors, to school superintendents and educators, to outdoor recreation professionals. Just as they hope to learn from one another, Crytzer says, “We are looking forward to learning from our counterparts across the country–what has worked for them might work for Forest County. We are also hoping to create an actionable economic development plan and learn how to implement that plan successfully.”
Grant County, WV: Carla Kaposy serves as the Executive Director of the Grant County Community & Visitors Bureau. She says, “Our community is special because we have very friendly people, great outdoor recreation, and are just a short drive from D.C. and Northern Virginia.” While Kaposy and Grant County have been engaged with The Hub through HubCAP, the Challenge offers them the opportunity to engage with other coal-impacted communities across the country. Like Crytzer, Kaposy says, “I am looking forward to collaborating with other communities to discuss challenges and ideas.”
Greater Peoria Region, IL: Kathleen Brown is the Director of Rural Outreach and Development for Greater Peoria Economic Development Council (EDC). Brown states that throughout her years of economic development work, she has “focused on stakeholder-defined outcomes and building community,” both in theory and practice. She says what is appealing about Greater Peoria’s counties is that it’s an “innovative region with a qualified and diverse workforce.”
Three impending coal power plant closures in their Economic Development District and a neighboring closure have led the EDC to explore economic diversification opportunities–and ultimately to join the Challenge. Because they serve five counties in Central Illinois, Brown explains that the team hopes to create “a community-specific economic diversification plan that will inform local and regional economic development strategies.”
Monroe County, GA: Tammy Selman is the Grants Specialist for the County Board of Commissioners and moved to Monroe in the fourth grade. “I taught middle school math and English here for approximately 10 years before moving away for six years. My family returned back to Monroe County in 2017, and I retired with the Georgia Department of Education in 2021.” Of her community, she says, “While Monroe continues to experience significant growth, it still very much has a small-town appeal…think Friday Night Lights.”
Like many coal-impacted communities, the steady closure of coal-fired power plants motivated the Monroe team to think creatively about economic diversification. Units of Plant Scherer are shutting down or are scheduled to do so, and the plant is the largest contributor to the county’s tax revenue. “This significant shortage of funds has placed an economic burden on the county. All of this while our county also continues to experience significant population growth,” says Selman. Through BRECC, the Monroe team hopes to “grow any and all networks related to economic development, community affairs and financial support.”
Somerset County, PA: “I have served as a Somerset County Commissioner for twenty years, now starting my sixth and final term,” says Pamela Tokar-Ickes. She, like her parents, grew up in the county and returned to raise her own family after college. Tokar-Ickes firmly believes that the best is yet to come for Somerset. She also believes that the county offers some of the best right now: “It retains a small town atmosphere where residents still care about their neighbors, but we literally play host to the world at our wonderful hiking and biking trails, the Flight 93 National Memorial and our four-season resorts.”
“BRECC provides us with the opportunity to develop a shared local vision while introducing us to other communities in transition,” explains Tokar-Ickes. “With a new economic development agency in the lead, and a new generation of leaders, this process will enable us to work with national experts and coaches to better define our objectives and craft a strategic plan for the future.”
If you want to learn more about The Hub’s teams from Cohort 1 of the BRECC Action Challenge, you can read some of their stories here.