First United Bank & Trust Welcomes Hardesty and Ray
First United Bank & Trust recently welcomed Andrew Hardesty and Justin Ray as commercial relationship managers for the North Central West Virginia market area .
Hardesty began his financial services career in 2007 as a teller with various responsibilities . He later moved onto loan officer and within a year became vice president of lending , managing a $ 22 million loan portfolio . From 2018 to now , he has served as a relationship manager , during which time he managed both deposit and lending business production . He holds a bachelor ’ s degree in history and an MBA . Hardesty is active in several local professional associations , including the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce and Business Network International .
Ray has been a commercial lender since 2018 . Before joining First United , he was the head of a commercial lending department and was responsible for originating loans and managing business relationships . He holds a bachelor ’ s degree with a concentration in business administration from West Virginia University , where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity . He is also active in local professional associations , including the Rotary Club of Morgantown .
“ The team is excited to be able to provide additional resources to the North Central West Virginia market area . Andrew and Justin ’ s experience and understanding of the local market makes them tremendous assets to the business community and our commercial banking team ,” says Christopher Morris , director of commercial banking .
Federal Grant Offers Recovery to Work Program
Community leaders are congratulated for their recruitment efforts in the Communities of Healing program .
The West Virginia Hive Network is assisting with the startup of the newly launched Communities of Healing recovery to workforce program by recruiting cohort participants , offering the Co . Starters Get Started workshop as the first step of the training journey and providing business adviser support for businesses and entrepreneurs that desire to have social impact surrounding recovery efforts in our communities throughout the three-year program .
The Communities of Healing is an Appalachian Regional Commission ( ARC ) funded recovery to work ecosystem program designed to spur small business development and employ West Virginians healing from addiction through the growth of social entrepreneurship . It is built on the success of Fruits of Labor , a culinary program based in Rainelle that has years
of experience working with those in recovery .
The ARC grant was awarded in 2020 to the Region 4 Planning and Development Council in Summersville . The Creating Communities of Healing by Cultivating Businesses to Address the Opioid Crisis project is also supported by Seed Sower , Inc ., Wright Venture Services and Region 1 Workforce Development Board . The grant partners are seeking to deliver a program that strengthens the recovery to work system in Southern West Virginia through the growth of social entrepreneurship , primarily in the food , hospitality , tourism and agriculture sectors .
According to Judy Moore , director of the West Virginia Hive Network , the cultivation of local businesses and entrepreneurs is a key component to addressing the opioid crisis in Appalachia and in improving the response to substance use disorder .
“ If we are successful , over the next three years we will have engaged 60 businesses , 30 workers / trainees and 150 participants and leveraged $ 500,000 in private investment ,” she says .
West Virginia Northern Community College Receives Grant for EMT And Paramedic Program
West Virginia Northern Community College ( WVNCC ) has received a half-million-dollar Advance Grant from the West Virginia Community and Technical College System to offer EMT and paramedic training on all three of its campuses . With the grant , WVNCC can now meet the training needs of the first responder community , which includes fire , police and EMS services . Anyone interested can apply immediately for the summer or fall semester .
After discussions with local fire and EMS departments , county boards of commissioners and political leaders , it was determined there is a strong need for EMS initial , refresher and continuing education training . Currently , there are no local West Virginia programs of study for paramedics . This leaves local first responders going out of state for training , which drives up their costs . It also precludes smaller providers and volunteer EMS providers who do not have the resources to send their personnel for training .
“ Our meetings and research have determined that EMT and paramedic courses , along with a central training facility , are a vital need in our region ,” says WVNCC President Dr . Daniel Mosser . “ I am proud of how quickly our economic and workforce development team was able to identify a need , receive funding and start this vital program for our community . There is a huge need for this training , and this will lead to rewarding and well-paying careers for individuals in the Ohio Valley .”
Kelly Dull .
BlaineTurner Advertising Hires New Operations Manager
BlaineTurner Advertising ( BTA ), a full-service marketing and public relations agency , recently hired Operations Manager Kelly Dull .
“ We proudly welcome Kelly Dull to the BTA team ,” says President Sarah Rogers . “ Her experience in operations management will be a wonderful asset to our office , leading everyday functions that will continue to keep our efficiency top-notch .”
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