Accelerate WV

Program Information and Benefits

Through 2026, Accelerate WV will work in 16 selected communities in Southern WV to support local leadership teams as they advance their communities’ revitalization goals. Six communities (Fairfield, Princeton, Ronceverte, Town of Wayne, West Side, and Webster County) were selected for Cohort 1, and 10 new communities will be selected for Cohort 2. Accelerate WV communities will have access to professional coaching services to support diverse leadership teams, predevelopment services for sustainable green development projects, entrepreneurial development + training services, brownfields site assessments, and so much more. These resources will be used to help each community create its own economic resilience plan and determine how it can best adapt to a shifting energy economy.

Communities eligible to apply for Accelerate WV Cohort 2 must be located in one of the following 21 counties:

Boone, Logan, Pocahontas, Cabell, Mason, Putnam, Clay, McDowell, Raleigh, Fayette, Mercer, Summers, Greenbrier, Mingo, Wayne, Kanawha, Monroe, Webster, Lincoln, Nicholas, Wyoming

Communities participating in Accelerate WV Cohort 2 will have access to 

  • Professional leadership coaching services led by The Hub;
  • Up to $45,000 in technical assistance funding to support predevelopment of 1 (one) green building development project;
  • Support to create defined Economic Resilience Plans, an action plan to identify ways to move a community through incoming shifts in the energy sector;
  • Entrepreneurial support for local business development with a focus on preparing businesses for shifts in the energy sector, including implementing green business practices, and developing economic resiliency led by Advantage Valley, The WV Hive, and AFV Educate;
  • Locally prioritized site assessment through BAD Buildings Inventories, environmental site assessments, asbestos inspections, remediation cost estimates, and related environmental services led by the Brownfields Assistance Centers at Marshall University and West Virginia University;
  • Connections to communities throughout West Virginia to share ideas, resources, and learning opportunities.

If selected, communities will receive: 

  • Support to develop community teams made up of a diverse set of 7-10 community leaders. 
  • Program support, resource connections, and project-specific training will occur across four group sessions, and monthly community-based meetings.
  • Professional on-the-ground coaching services to work through goals and obstacles.
    Peer learning opportunities with other communities in the cohort.
  • Brownfields site assessment and building revitalization strategies: 
    • Technical support for building reuse and revitalization; provide direct assessment and analysis services for sites, evaluating buildings for renovation and remediation opportunities and providing technical assistance to complete environmental studies, structural analyses and other related reports needed for site development
  • Entrepreneurial development and training services:
    • Support for businesses; provide targeted services on green business practices, new business development opportunities in natural resource, technology and energy sectors, and cohort based technical assistance in targeted growth sectors
  • Access to funding opportunities to support community resilience projects and green development projects.
  • Support to create Economic Resilience Plans.

Who Should Apply

Any county, city municipality, neighborhood, community or nonprofit organization is eligible to apply for Accelerate WV Cohort 2 that is located in one of the following 21 ACT Now counties:

Boone, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Putnam, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, Webster, Wyoming 

Team Composition + Requirements

Critical to the success of Accelerate WV is the development of a diverse, collaborative, and representative community leadership team dedicated to growing and creating a lasting impact on the economic well-being and quality of life of their fellow residents. Teams must include at least seven (7) individuals, ideally from various organizations, businesses, and sectors. Strong team diversity includes cross-sector partnerships (e.g., local elected officials, nonprofit organizations, community development organizations, city or local government representatives, real estate professionals, property/building owners, individual community members, etc.). Up to two (2) representatives from a given organization may be selected as core team members. Team members must be willing to attend and engage in monthly meetings with the Accelerate WV coach.


Suggested team members include local government officials, EDA/RPDC members, local business owners, leaders/members of local organizations, community leaders, and/or anyone who is passionate about building their community. Team members should be highly motivated to work together to revitalize their community; have different skill sets, experiences, and technical expertise; and be diverse in age, gender, race, and time spent/lived in the community.

Selection Criteria 

A review panel will evaluate submissions based on the following criteria:

  • Preference will be given to communities who demonstrate need and a readiness to participate in this program;
  • Preference will be given to teams with diverse representation of their community;
  • Preference will be given to teams that demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively with project partners, community stakeholders, and residents;  
  • Preference will be given to distressed communities and/or communities of color located within the 21 counties identified above;
  • Preference will be given to communities that are located in or near other active ACT Now Coalition projects (see a full list of projects at https://actnowwv.org/)

Important Dates

  • March 1 Application launches
  • March 1, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Info Session #1 (recommended but not required)
  • March 14, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Info Session #2 (recommended but not required)
  • April 15, 11:59 p.m. Application deadline
  • May 20 – June 7 Semi-finalist site visits
  • June 17 Final communities announced
  • July 16, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Virtual Kickoff Meeting (required)
  • August Monthly community meetings start
  • October 24-25 Group Session #1 (required; location TBD)
  • Early Spring 2025 Group Session #2 (required; location TBD)
  • Early Fall 2025 Group Session #3 (required; location TBD)

Contact Information  

For additional information about the Accelerate WV project, please contact Brianna Hickman, CBRI Project Director (304) 709-3511 | [email protected]).

Frequently Asked Questions 

  • Why should my community apply?
    • Accelerate WV is an opportunity to advance a community’s revitalization goals while addressing incoming shifts in the energy sector. By developing strong, diverse leadership teams who create an economic resilience plan to navigate the shifting economy, community teams will be equipped with resources and connections to transform their communities.
  • If my community has participated in other Hub coaching programs, should we still consider applying?
    • Yes! Accelerate WV is a planning program focused on building community capacity through leadership development, monthly workshops and trainings, focused technical assistance support, and economic resilience planning. Applicants should submit with their application any previous plans completed through a Hub program, as well as comprehensive plans and similar documents.
  • Who should be on the team?
    • The only requirement is to have 7-10 dedicated community members who wish to transform the community through the Accelerate WV process. We encourage participation by local government officials, EDA/RPDC members, local business owners, leaders/members of local organizations, community leaders, and/or anyone who is passionate about building their community. If you’re having trouble identifying potential team members, please contact Brianna Hickman at [email protected] or 304-709-3511.

Accelerate WV is a component of the Community + Business Resilience Initiative (CBRI), one of eight projects in the ACT (Appalachian Climate Technology) Now Coalition. This work is made possible through the support of the US Economic Development Administration, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and the Just Transition Fund, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Support for CURRENT grantees

We have community and economic development experts on-call to support West Virginian recipients of POWER funding. The Hub’s WV POWER Coaches are independent contractors working through The Hub and coaching conversations are confidential. 

Learn more about coaching for current grantees, meet the coaches, and get connected »

VIEW THE 2021 POWER SUMMIT

Click here TO VIEW

At the 2021 WV POWER Summit, recipients and teams working on Appalachian Regional Commission POWER projects in the Mountain State connected with peers, stakeholders, and funders; learned new skills; and built resilience for their work.

Three groups of panelists spoke to key topics current and prospective POWER grantees face: planning a successful POWER application; strategies to kickstart success when launching a project; and how to successfully sustain a project once it is in progress.

You can view recordings of the discussions online. View the panels here »

How This Program Makes a Difference

The Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow and diversify West Virginia’s economy. It is rare that our state sees such a significant funding opportunity that is specifically devoted to trying new approaches to build up and diversify the economies of rural communities.

In 2016, a group of people approached our team at The Hub when they noticed that West Virginia groups were not taking advantage of this funding opportunity. At the time, just $800,000 in POWER funding was invested into West Virginia communities.

Through bringing groups together, talking about collaborative strategies, how to take advantage of this opportunity, and raising visibility generally, our team working in partnership with many other groups was able to increase that investment to $35.4 million the following year.

Since that time, we have tested and refined our services to help ensure a steady stream of federal funding for innovative community and economy development is flowing into West Virginia communities. 

Get Involved

If you have questions, are interested in accessing services, or want to be plugged into The Hub’s WV ARC POWER Initiative, please contact Stephanie Tyree at [email protected].

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Weekly Newsletter

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.

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