By Amy Arnett
West Virginia’s people are consistently recognized as one of the unique assets of the Mountain State. Each year, we dedicate our fall issue to celebrating West Virginians by naming a select group of outstanding business professionals as Young Guns.
These awards were designed to showcase the diversity of success offered in the business community, and we are never short of nominations that show off the excellence that comes from every corner of West Virginia. Narrowing down the field to just 10 award winners is one of the most challenging jobs we face at West Virginia Executive, but while the process is difficult, it is just as rewarding. Selecting these individuals shows us just how much talent is moving the state forward.
Young Guns must meet a carefully constructed list of criteria. Each must live and work in West Virginia, have been in the same job for at least two years and be under the age of 43 at the time of selection. Young Guns must also perform outstanding community service, as this is something we feel is an integral component to creating a strong future in business and development.
This year’s Young Guns issue also has a technology theme, which made the selection of the I-79 Technology Park in Fairmont the perfect choice for the location of the Young Guns photo shoot. The park’s combination of remarkable design, well-planned green spaces and world-changing research and technology development taking place within its facilities creates an inspiring backdrop for success.
The high technology park’s 400 acres are home to over 750,000 square feet of office and data space. The facilities that support more than 30 businesses and approximately 1,500 employees include the Alan B. Mollohan Innovation Center, Robert H. Mollohan Research Center, 5000 NASA Boulevard, the West Virginia High Technology Consortium’s training facility and the new building for MonPower, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy. The park is also home to the backup location for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for which three antennas are being constructed, and the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education’s North Central Advanced Technology Center, which is now being built.
A better West Virginia is built by strong leaders, and our Young Guns issue strives to highlight such individuals. If you know someone who meets the criteria and pushes down business barriers, you can nominate them by visiting www.wvexecutive.com.
