|
2010
2015
2020
2025
|
2007 Became real estate director for Booth Energy |
2011 Twin girl and boy , Katie and Aaron , were born |
2016 Daughter , Ella Mae , was born
2018 Began work on what would become Meeks Mountain Trail
2019 Completed 275-mile RockStar mountain bike race
2019 Meeks Mountain Trail Alliance was created
2020 Became director of development for VDM Management Group
2022 Won West Virginia Tourism ’ s Spirit of West Virginia and Putnam County ’ s Mayo Lester Community Service awards
2023 Celebration on Meeks Mountain for completing 30 miles of hand-built trails
|
administration at West Virginia University , his advisor , Susan Robison , steered him toward an internship that would change his life . He spent the summer working for Armstrong Development and landed his first job with the company . His responsibilities included analyzing commercial and residential development among the fastest growing metropolitan statistical areas throughout the country .
In 2020 , Doerner started working as the director of development for Vicki Dunn-Marshall ’ s VDM Management Group . VDM has been a successful quick-service restaurant franchisee for more than 40 years and developed a real estate portfolio . Doerner helps with the expansion of stores in new markets , relocation and the development of existing stores ; remodels , maintenance management , property management , expansion of commercial and residential properties ; and organizational leadership .
Before joining the VDM team , he worked for Kentucky-based Booth Energy and Pittsburgh-based Armstrong Development . He also started his own brokerage , BullRock Realty , and investment company , Doerner Investments . After meeting his wife and deciding to move back to West Virginia , he began a shortterm position under his first boss , Greg Brewer of SJB Foods / Market Express .
Doerner loves seeing the vision that others can ’ t and making it come to fruition as a tangible asset .
“ As a real estate developer , it begins with the handshake ,” he says . “ Then , it ’ s the coordination and leading the architect , engineer , attorney , finance ,
|
administrative staff and ultimately the contractor . I truly enjoy leading a team just like a quarterback in football . My end zone is turning the keys on a newly developed building and allowing the next team to go to work .”
An unexpected part of Doerner ’ s journey came from his love of mountain biking on West Virginia trails . After attending a City of Hurricane Development Authority meeting , he was inspired to organize and lead volunteers through the development of 31 miles of trails . The project took five years and was named Meeks Mountain Trails for the family that owns the property .
“ I spent a year quietly hiking and laying out a master plan with the challenging topography ,” he says .
In 2018 , he gave his 5-year-old twins tools , and they started helping him build the trail . Word of mouth eventually led to more volunteers joining the effort .
“ My commitment was to be there every Saturday for as long as it took to hit the goal of 26 miles ,” he says .
Eventually , the 501 ( c )( 3 ), Meeks Mountain Trail Alliance , was created . Its 11-member board includes outdoor enthusiasts from the Putnam County area . The alliance builds and sustains a network of trails and creates economic growth opportunities .
“ Meeks Mountain Trails has been built with minimal funds , over 23,000 volunteer hours and over 500 people ,” he says . “ This trail system would be valued at more than $ 2 million and all built by sweat equity . This is what community is all about . We ’ re doers .” •
|