Partners in Progress
By Samantha Cart
“ The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” – Aristotle
In a small state like West Virginia, collaboration is key. Collaboration among organizations offers priceless benefits, including increased innovation, stronger programs, shared resources and increased community awareness. With these tools, communities can more easily achieve common goals and overcome obstacles.
Parkersburg, WV, is made up of a variety of enthusiastic and committed organizations dedicated to making the area an exciting and prosperous place to call home by attracting businesses, creating jobs and redeveloping its downtown district.
A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
The City of Parkersburg, Downtown PKB and the Wood County Economic Development Office work closely together to advance community initiatives and propel projects and ideas forward that may not come to fruition otherwise.
“ The general public may not be aware, but each of our entities is comprised of one- or two-person offices,” says Lindsey Piersol, executive director of the Wood County Economic Development Office.“ Working together allows us to have more manpower to boost economic development county wide.”
This long-term community partnership is facilitated by monthly community leader meetings hosted by Downtown PKB where the Parkersburg area’ s economic development leaders meet to discuss various issues and collaborate on projects to help each agency represented succeed.
“ Collaboration is the linchpin to economic development,” says Wendy Shriver, executive director of Downtown PKB.“ The synergy we have developed is contagious, and when like-minded people are working toward a common goal, we begin to make a difference.”
AN IDEAL LOCATION
While these organizations enjoy an unmatched teamwork that fuels them to advance their own corner of Almost Heaven, the area truly sells itself. As the third largest city in West Virginia with a population of 31,492, Parkersburg is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers in the Greater Mid-Ohio Valley. While it is home to beautiful scenery, it also provides a short drive to major hubs such as Pittsburgh, Columbus and Washington, DC, making it ideal for both families and businesses.
Pair that with year-round festivals and events, 130 acres of parkland, the Julia-Ann Square Historic District— the largest and oldest historic district in West Virginia— and a cost of living 15.2 percent lower than
the U. S. average, and Parkersburg offers the perfect venue for economic development and community planning.
“ I choose to live and work in the Parkersburg area because of the relationships I have forged and the opportunity to positively affect change in the community,” says Rickie Yeager, development director for the City of Parkersburg.“ This area’ s greatest asset is its people and their love of community. Mobilizing this deep-felt connection among residents and instilling a sense of pride in future generations are part of our mission and are critical not only to the city but the region’ s long-term future.”
A SERIES OF WINS
Working together allows these groups to accomplish more than they could alone, and the City of Parkersburg, Downtown PKB and the Wood County Economic Development Office have worked closely on a variety of projects, including the development of an informational resource to help prospective entrepreneurs navigate the process of starting a new business and pre-development meetings and courtesy walkthroughs with the city’ s fire department and code division.
The team has a strong relationship with its community partners. They include the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley, the Greater Parkersburg Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council. The team also works closely with local philanthropic organizations, social service agencies and the arts community to advance positive improvements. Recently, Downtown PKB assembled a team to help conceptualize the possibility of developing a mixed-use project that could incorporate co-working space, a business incubator and downtown housing in the same building. The team continues to work on identifying the viability of this project as a way to spur economic development.