Regional Focus COMPILED BY SAMANTHA CART
NRGRDA and Generation West Virginia Partner to Promote Fellowships and Retain Talent
The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority ( NRGRDA ) recently announced it is partnering to support Generation West Virginia , a statewide nonprofit dedicated to attracting , retaining and advancing young people in the Mountain State .
“ Generation West Virginia is one of the most effective ways to retain our in-state talent to live , work and give in the Mountain State ,” says Jina Belcher , executive director of NRGRDA . “ One of my early priorities was to seek NRGRDA board approval to employ an Impact Fellow in 2021 , and I am pleased to say our board unanimously agreed and our application for a fellow is pending .”
NRGRDA is seeking an Impact Fellow to be its director of business retention and expansion .
Belcher says the next step is for NRGRDA and the programs under its umbrella — West Virginia Hive Network , Country Roads Angel Network and Active Southern West Virginia — to work in concert to encourage clients and partners to consider working with Generation West Virginia . NRGRDA will be the third organization in its four-county region to hire an Impact Fellow . Vaught , Inc . in Beckley and PracticeLink in Hinton have both hired personnel through this Generation West Virginia hiring vehicle .
West Liberty University Names Evans Next President
The West Liberty University board of governors recently named Dr . W . Franklin Evans as the university ’ s 37th president . He assumed the presidency on January 1 , 2021 .
“ I am pleased to announce Dr . Franklin Evans has accepted our offer and agreed to become West Liberty University ’ s 37th president ,” says Rich Lucas , chairman of the search committee and board of governors . “ He will be a strong leader , and we welcome him to the Hilltop and look forward to introducing him to our alumni , donors , friends and the wider community .”
Evans will be the first black president in the 183-year history of the university .
“ It is a great honor being selected as the next president of West Liberty University , the oldest and most historic public institution in the state . I am grateful to the West Liberty University board of governors for its confidence and support in my selection to lead this amazing institution ,” says Evans .
President Evans succeeded Dr . Stephen Greiner , who served as president since January 2016 . Prior to being named president ,
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