New Adventures on the Horizon

When I came to the Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center in 2011, I could not have predicted what a strong impact it would have on my life. I am thrilled to officially move into this new chapter as Director of the Center. There are so many exciting things on the horizon, and I can’t wait to share them with our fantastic staff and each of you.

I was first hired at the NBAC to run a single program on a two-year grant. Through that time I forged new partnerships and relationships with organizations and community champions across the state, developed a skill for planning engaging (and sometimes unorthodox) events, and learned more about the amazing work happening in communities of all sizes. In those two years, and in the years that have followed,  I have traveled to dozens of communities to facilitate conversations and provide resources, and I have fallen in love with each of them, feeling a swell of pride any time the great news of your work filters through to me. These are the experiences that first led me to quip on my personal social media, many times since, that I had found the #bestjobever.

In the coming years, we will continue to implement our first-ever Brownfields Assessment grant, providing direct assessment and planning services on downtown projects across our footprint. We’ll continue to support your projects and priorities by providing the technical assistance and grant writing support you need most. We will advocate for funding and solutions for abandoned and dilapidated buildings. We will expand our reach beyond the hills of West Virginia and into the states that surround us. I have long believed that what we are doing on brownfields in rural communities can be an example for communities in all 50 states, and I can’t wait to tell your stories and use your successes to inspire more great work throughout the region.

My West Virginia roots run deep. I grew up in the coalfields, went to college in the northern panhandle, and spent much of my childhood traveling to different parts of the state with my family. During a brief stint in nonprofit work in Washington, DC, I learned that my heart could only be full in these mountains and came running back as fast as I could. Over the past 10 years at the Brownfields Center, my love for WV and my commitment to supporting her communities in their quests to be the best that they can be has only deepened. I can’t wait to see what’s next – and to build it with you.