Engaging Traditional Leadership

“How do I get my elected officials engaged in my projects?”

In most small communities, the officials elected to serve in city and county roles are expected to be involved in community projects with community groups. These are often people who hold some power in the direction or resources that can be accessed. Maybe you already have a great relationship with these people in your community, but if not, you can always work to build a relationship.  

Before we jump into relationship building, let’s make sure that you have a basic understanding and foundation for the differing levels of government and their role.

Government Foundations

City Councils and Mayors — Each incorporated city will have a city council that is composed of people that represent different geographical areas of your community. City council members are typically elected to four-year terms and can serve an unlimited number of terms. City council is the body that oversees your city, setting budgets for municipal operations, park and recreation, policing, water, sewer, streets, lighting, and refuse. The exact roles and responsibilities vary from city to city. The city will also have a recorder–this person is the official record keeper. There are two mayor structures–a strong mayor or weak mayor. This refers to the mayor’s ability to vote on motions and action at meetings. A weak mayor does not vote, but can voice his or her opinion. City councils must meet at least once per month and post their meeting time and agenda publicly, typically at a city hall.  

County Commissioners — In addition to city government, each county will also have a county commission. There are three county commissioners in each county, each serving geographical districts to ensure equal representation. The role of a county commission is to oversee county-wide operations, such as the courthouse, sheriff department, and tax collections, and the commission prepares a budget for the county. Like city government, the county commission often appoints people to various quasi-government boards in the county, such as the library, building commissions, and extension services. Again, the role may be slightly different in each county, depending on the budget, and county-owned facilities. County commission meetings are held at least twice monthly and are open to the public. County commissioners serve for six-year terms and can serve an unlimited number of terms. 

Typically, a citizen can speak at a county commission or city council meeting in the open delegation or comment section. However, if your topic requires action, such as a letter of support, you’ll need to get on the agenda a few days in advance of the meeting.  

State Legislature — West Virginia also has a WV House of Delegates and WV Senate. We have 16 senatorial districts that represent each part of the state. The size of the district is based on the population of the district. Each district has two senators. The House of Delegates is made up of 67 smaller districts. You may have relationships with your state Senator or Delegate, as they are people from your community. State Senators’ and Delegates’ responsibilities are the budget of the state and passing of legislation each year. You likely won’t interact with your state representatives for local projects, except to get letters of support and their personal support. Senators serve six-year terms and Delegates serve two-year terms. Each may serve an unlimited number of terms. 

Building Relationships With Your Officials

Now that you understand the role of the various forms of local, county, and state governments, this can help you better understand how to build relationships with your officials. One of the pitfalls of engaging with elected officials is viewing this as a transactional relationship–i.e. only involving them when you need something. Building a relationship where you regularly update your leaders about what you are working on, wins you have accomplished, and challenges you are facing will lead to a deeper and more productive relationship. This doesn’t have to happen in public meetings. You can reach out to ask them to stop by your events or meeting to learn more. Your community is their community, so they are interested in its success and growth.  

When you do need to go to a government meeting to get a letter of support or to discuss your projects, you need to be prepared. First, you should arrive early and introduce yourself to elected officials that you don’t know. If you are asking them to take action on an item, you should take a one-pager about your project and your request with you. Ideally, you have reached out in advance and discussed some details via phone or email. Providing the officials with the information ahead of the meeting allows them to think about your request, make sure they fully understand it, prepare any questions, or gather additional information they may need to move forward on a decision. You shouldn’t expect the officials to take action at the first meeting. You often need to come to a second meeting for a vote on a request, but you can reduce the wait by informing them of your plans in advance.  

Building a relationship with your elected officials takes time. However, having their support in a personal and professional capacity may help you advance your goals more efficiently. When your elected officials understand your project and program fully, they may be able to provide you with funding opportunities or make connections with other helpful stakeholders. 

Activities

  • Attend a public meeting — To best understand how your government works, you should see it in action. Attend a city council or county commission meeting, take note of how the meeting proceeds, and document when and how you would speak if you were part of a delegation. Making these notes will help you prepare for presenting in the future.

  • Have a one-on-one conversation — Reach out to an elected official. Ask them to have a meeting to share your project and ideas, but also ask them what they are focused on, what do they want for your community.  Look for similarities or areas of overlap that you can point out.

  • Review your comprehensive plan — Your city should have a detailed comprehensive plan that is kept at your city building. This plan lays out the goals of the city, and often the challenges the city faces. Review the plan, looking for ways that your project or ideas align with what the city identifies as opportunities.

Reflection

Here’s your chance to take some time to think and reflect on your dreams and interests. Keep a community building journal, scribble notes on some post-its, or simply think about these questions before moving on to the next lesson!

  • What is my current relationship with my elected officials? How can I improve it?

     

  • What are the goals of my city council?

     

  • What organizations or events do my city council or county commission support? Why are those important to the city or county?

Community Development in Action

The communities of Montgomery and Smithers have created a unique way to engage traditional leadership in their communities through the creation of the Strategic Initiative Council, which brings together the mayors of both communities to share in grant writing efforts and expenses. This results in saving time and money and creating better unity in the area. This approach has also opened the door to citizen’s ability to better connect with their elected leaders and be part of community change.

Learn more about the Strategic Initiative Council in our Community Case Study.

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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