VIRTUAL CONFERENCES

5 days of education and inspiration

Join community leaders, educators, business and public officials to network, share ideas and learn what is working well in West Virginia.

West Virginia • November 2021 • 82 speakers • 350 tickets •

SMALL COMMUNITIES, BIG SOLUTIONS CONFERENCE

Each year, the Alliance for Economic Development of Southern West Virginia, the West Virginia Community Development Hub and Coalfield Development team up to shine a spotlight on West Virginia, by hosting the Small Communities, Big Solutions Conference. This event showcases all the successes and highlights what is working across the state. Each year a mix of community leaders, educators, businesses and public officials come together to network, share ideas and learn what is working well in our state. With a sold-out crowd each year and overwhelmingly positive feedback from our attendees, we are excited to announce that our third annual conference will be held virtually during November 16 to November 19, 2020.

To learn more about our past conference click here.

Sara Payne Scarbro, AVP for External Engagement, MURC & Operations Council Chair, The Alliance for the Economic Development of Southern WV

Brittany Bruce, Projects Coordinator, MURC & Logistics Coordinator, The Alliance for the Economic Development of Southern WV

Brandon Dennison, Founder & CEO, Coalfield Development

Stephanie Tyree, Executive Director, West Virginia Community Development HUB

Marilyn Wren, Chief Development Officer, Coalfield Development

Carol Howerton, Senior Strategic Advisor for Workforce Development, RCBI

Kathy Cosco, Communications Specialist, RCBI

Dr. Michelle Taylor, Associate Professor, Bluefield State College

Terri Baker, Grants Project Manager, Center for Rural and Community Health, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Kelli Johnson, Associate University Librarian and Head of Access Services and Outreach, Marshall University Libraries and Online Learning

Susie Mullens, Coordinator, West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network

Tiffany Ellis-Williams, Director, Economic Development Center, West Virginia State University

Ben Eng, Assistant Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, Marshall University, Lewis College of Business

Tricia Ball, Associate Director, iCenter and Interim Associate Director, Brad. D. Smith Business Incubator

Tickets

Four-Day All-Access Conference Pass

November 16-19, 2020
$17.25 per ticket + processing fees

Nov. 16: Our Economy
Nov. 17: Our Health
Nov. 18: Our Education
Nov. 19: Our Communities

First 100 registered will receive a free t-shirt

Buy Ticket
Sponsor a Student

November 20, 2020
$12 + processing fees

Consider sponsoring a student to attend this year’s newly added #WVSolutions Seekers Student Leadership Conference

Buy Ticket
College & Training Student Pass

November 20, 2020
$12 + processing fees

First 200 registered will receive a free t-shirt

Buy Ticket
High School Junior & Senior Pass

November 20, 2020
free

First 200 registered will receive a free t-shirt

Buy Ticket

FREE

View all Tickets

Schedule

Day One

Monday, November 16:
Our Economy
9 a.m.

Opening Session

Stephanie Tyree, Executive Director, West Virginia Community Development Hub

Sara Payne Scarbro, Operations Council Chair, Alliance for the Economic Development of Southern WV

Brandon Dennison, Founder & CEO, Coalfield Development
9:15 a.m.

Congressional Update

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin
10:15 a.m.

State Update

Mike Graney, Executive Director, WV Development Office

Ed Gaunch, Secretary, WV Department of Commerce
10:30 a.m.

Small Business Outlook

Kim Donahue, Branch Manager, Charleston Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
11:15 a.m.

Test your Luck: Game Show Giveaway

Join us for some fun! We will be giving out $250 worth of gift cards.
11:30 a.m.

Ten Points to Ponder … “Is Rural America Ready for the Recovery Phase”

Lorie Vincent, Founder & President, Acceleration By Design LLC
1 p.m.

Workforce Development Solutions

Scott Adkins, Acting Commissioner, WorkForce WV

Rev. Matthew Watts, Senior Pastor, Grace Bible Church & Executive Director, HOPE CDC

Dave Lavender, Apprenticeship Program Coordinator, West Virginia Development Office

Charlotte Weber, CEO, RCBI and VP for Federal Programs, Marshall University

Moderator: Brandon Dennison, Founder and CEO, Coalfield Development
2:30 p.m.

Social Enterprise in West Virginia

Ursulette Huntley, Executive Director, Unlimited Future

Moderator: Dr. Kelli Johnson, Associate University Librarian and Head of Access Services and Outreach, Marshall University Libraries and Online Learning

Dr. Crystal Cook Marshall, Co-founder, EDGE

Chris Yeager, Owner, Appalachian Cannabis (invited)
Day Two

Tuesday, November 17:
Our Health
9 a.m.

Opening Session

Dr. James W. Nemitz, President, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
9:15 a.m.

COVID-19 Update

Dr. Clay Marsh, West Virginia’s Coronavirus Czar and Vice President & Executive Dean for Health Sciences, WVU (invited)
10:00 a.m.

Health Policy for 50+

Susan Reinhard, Senior Vice President, Public Policy Institute (PPI)

Elaine Ryan, Vice President, State Advocacy & Strategy Integration (SASI)
10:30 a.m.

Stigma and Social Determinants of Health

Dr. John F. Kelly, ABPP, Elizabeth R. Spallin Professor of Psychiatry in Addiction Medicine, Harvard Medical School
11:15 a.m.

Test your Luck: Game Show Giveaway

Join us for some fun! We will be giving out $250 worth of gift cards.
11:30 a.m.

Dimensions of Recovery: Keys for Creating Recovery Friendly Communities

Terri Baker, Grants Project Manager, Center for Rural and Community Health, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Emily Birckhead, Executive Director, WV Alliance of Recovery Residences

Dr. Jeremy Hustead, Assistant Professor and Medical Director, Inpatient Dual Diagnosis Unit, WVU Medicine’s Department of Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry

Debra Davis, Executive Director, One Voice

Ashley Shaw, Director, Creating Opportunities for Recovery Employment (CORE), Marshall Health
1 p.m.

Prevention, Addiction, Recovery and Reentry Expert Panel

William Thompson, Judge, Twenty-Fifth Judicial Circuit

Moderator: Susie Mullens, Coordinator, West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network

Lata Menon, CEO, First Choice Services, Inc.

Beverly Sharp, Director of Reentry Initiatives, West Virginia Council of Churches

Gregory Puckett, Executive Director, Community Connections, Inc.
2:30 p.m.

Strengthening West Virginia’s Behavioral Health Workforce for the Future

Moderator: Terri Baker, Grants Project Manager, Center for Rural and Community Health, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Rebecca Roth, Director, Office of Policy, Planning, & Research, West Virginia Bureau for Behavioral Health

Carolyn Canini, Director of Behavioral Health Programs, West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Day Three

Wednesday, November 18:
Our Education
9 a.m.

Opening Session

Dr. Jerry Gilbert, President, Marshall University
9:15 a.m.

Higher Education Presidents

Dr. Nicole Pride, President, West Virginia State University

Dr. Kendra Boggess, President, Concord University

Dr. Jerry Gilbert, President, Marshall University

Dr. James W. Nemitz, President, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Bonny Copenhaver, President, New River Community and Technical College

Moderator: Bill Bissett, President & CEO, Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce

Carolyn Long, President of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Dr. Pamela L. Alderman, President, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College
10:30 a.m.

Power of Leadership

Chris Fussell, Managing Partner, McChrystal Group and a New York Times bestselling author

11:15 a.m.

Test your Luck: Game Show Giveaway

Join us for some fun! We will be giving out $250 worth of gift cards.
11:30 a.m.

Building Broadband

Rob Hinton, Former Chairman, West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council

Natalie Roper, Executive Director, Generation West Virginia

Kris Warner, State Director, USDA Rural Development in West Virginia

Moderator: Charlie Dennie, Director, Office of Broadband, West Virginia Department of Commerce

Brad Hall, Vice President External Affairs, Appalachian Power Company
1 p.m.

Diversity & Inclusion

Scott Pitt, Educational Outreach Counselor and Director of Safe Zone, Bluefield State College

Jamecia James, Director, Black Lives Matter Huntington

Moderator: Dr. Michelle Taylor, Associate Professor, Bluefield State College

Dr. Kelli Johnson, Associate University Librarian and Head of Access Services and Outreach, Marshall University Libraries and Online Learning

Dennis Davis, Cabinet Secretary, West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance

Aaron Preece, AccessWorld Technology and Information Specialist, American Foundation for the Blind
2:30 p.m.

How Public Education and Higher Education are Working Together

Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, Chancellor, WV HEPC and CTCS

Moderator: Donna Peduto, Executive Director, WV Public Education Collaborative

Clayton Burch, State Superintendent, WV Department of Education

View all

VIRTUAL CONFERENCES

5 days of education and inspiration

A few of our speakers

Tickets

Schedule