Workshop 3 | Charleston, W.Va.

Eight teams have been selected for the final round of the Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities program.  The selected teams—led by counties and regional development organizations and including a broad range of other public- and private-sector partners—competed for the opportunity to participate in this program, which offers resources to support places impacted by downturns in the coal industry.  The Innovation Challenge program assists county and regional leaders with retooling local economies to be more resilient to changing conditions.

Selected Teams

The winning teams are led by:

Team Lead: Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
Representing Monroe County and Wayne County

Team Lead: West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission
Representing Muskegon County

Team Lead: Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments
Representing Cibola, McKinley and San Juan counties

Team Lead: Armstrong County, Pa.

Team Lead: New River Valley Regional Commission
Representing Giles County, Va.

Team Lead: New River Gorge Regional Development Authority
Representing Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh and Summers counties, W.Va.

Team Lead: Kanawha County, W.Va.

Team Lead: Mason County, W.Va.

Geographies Represented

Workshop Agenda
Innovation Challenge Charleston Workshop Agenda
Workshop Materials

Welcome and Team Presentations: Who’s In the Room?

.  ▪ Opening Slides and Team Introduction Presentations

Panel Discussion: From Downturn to Transition

.  ▪ Economic Transition and Community Revitalization – Taylor Stuckert
.  ▪ Transition Issues in Coal Plant Communities – Cindy Winland
.  ▪ Community-Based Growth Strategies – Stephanie Tyree

Opening Plenary: Partnerships and Resources to Root the Transition

.  ▪ Thinking “Bigger” About Smaller Places – Chuck Fluharty

Exploring Data and Tools: Concurrent Sessions

.  ▪ Making Data Work for You and Your Communities – Brian Kelsey
.  ▪ Workforce Development Tools for Changing Communities – Joel Simon

Luncheon Keynote: Building Communities that Create Prosperity and Opportunity

.  ▪ The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) – Leslie Shaller

U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Update

.  ▪ EDA Power Initiative – Doug Lynott

Panel Discussion: Regional Partnerships to Implement a Vision

.  ▪ Building a Resilient Region – Cheryal Lee Hills and Dan Frank

Final Team Presentations

.  ▪ Implementation Roadmaps