Talent Transplant

Donald Hitchcock & Paul Yandura

By Blair Dowler

In celebration of those who have adopted our Mountain Mama as their own, “Talent Transplant” recognizes the Mountaineers who were born elsewhere but relocated here, embraced our beloved state and now help us work toward a brighter future.

Paul Yandura and Donald Hitchcock. Photo by Charles Ryntz.

Donald Hitchcock and Paul Yandura lived and worked in Washington, D.C., for more than 20 years before their journey to the Mountain State began. Searching for an escape from the fast pace of the nation’s capital, the couple began spending weekends in Lost River, WV, a rural mountain town, over a decade ago. After a few years of weekending there, they decided to make nearby Wardensville their home among the hills. Now, as full-time residents of Almost Heaven, they are both very active in their local community, spearheading revitalization through entrepreneurship, education and a genuine love for all things West Virginia.

Taking the Leap

It was a cross-country path that led Hitchcock and Yandura to West Virginia.

Yandura grew up in major metropolitan areas across the U.S. like Detroit, Los Angeles and New York City before landing in D.C., where he worked in the White House under President Bill Clinton’s administration. He then went on to launch his own firm where he did consulting work for several Democratic political candidates as well as philanthropy consulting. During that time, he also started working with the Jonathan D. Lewis (JDL) Foundation, Inc., a youth empowerment organization. While he enjoyed his job, he longed for a slower pace of life.

Hitchcock was on the same page. He grew up in a small farming community in Tampa, FL, and after college, he got involved in local politics in Atlanta, GA, before making the leap to Washington, D.C. There, he worked for a civil rights attorney and a public relations firm, both of which allowed his career to progress to LGBTQ health-related positions at the national level before joining a for-profit medical device sales company. When the couple purchased their weekend getaway cabin in Lost River in 2008, they saw an opportunity to reset their careers and become part of something special in rural West Virginia.

Putting Down Roots

Once the move was final, the couple mapped out a plan for what they wanted to accomplish in their new home state and began working toward those goals. They decided to go into real estate together, and after earning their real estate licenses, they purchased an old, historic feed store in Wardensville and turned it into a modern mountain general store: the Lost River Trading Post.

The Hardy County-based shop is a staple in the town. It has a unique vibe and atmosphere that can be felt throughout its 3,500 square-foot showroom. All the food is homemade, and the items for sale are provided by local artisans, crafters, woodworkers and consigners. The Grasshopper Gallery, located inside the post, is where local artists showcase their creations. The post also serves locally roasted coffee and is home to the largest selection of craft beer and wine in the county. It’s the kind of place where guests can slow down and spend a little extra time, and Hitchcock and Yandura encourage tourists and locals alike to stay a while, whether they are enjoying the organic foods, listening to music, relaxing on the deck or catching up with friends.

“Our store has become a community place during the week,” says Hitchcock. “We’ve started a Workplace Weekdays program because we have the fastest Wi-Fi in the area. We encourage people to come in with their laptops or iPads, so there are often people working or holding meetings. People have come to rely on our store being part of the community.”

Impacting the Community

Even though they weren’t born in West Virginia, Hitchcock and Yandura exude the characteristics of true Mountaineers with their strong work ethic, pride for the Mountain State and enthusiasm to re-energize their community. They are more than just entrepreneurs, real estate agents and rental property owners—they are ambassadors for the state, inspiring the locals and encouraging outsiders to find their own paradise in West Virginia.

Over the past five years, Hitchcock and Yandura have encouraged other entrepreneurs to bring their businesses to the area, including Sally Weaver, another Washington, D.C., transplant who started the Firefly Inn, a modern four-room motel in the heart of Wardensville. “We love to connect property owners and investors on Main Street with people who want to start a business, and if asked, we are there to give new business owners advice,” says Hitchcock.

One piece of advice they offer to up-and-comers is how to be successful in West Virginia. Given that the post just celebrated five years in operation and has shown a 5 percent sales increase year after year with 2018 hitting 11 percent, they are a reliable source for how to find success in a small, rural town.

“Our success comes from an ability and a willingness to pick up, move here full time and say, ‘We’re going to make this happen,’” says Yandura. “That is the biggest impetus for our success.”

Empowering the Next Generation

Seeing a need to create opportunities and employment for local youth, the couple, in partnership with the JDL Foundation, helped launch the Wardensville Garden Market in 2016 on a 100-acre property. The project is a farm and food-based educational nonprofit dedicated to expanding opportunities for local Appalachian youth. The original goal of this venture was to broaden their knowledge by teaching them about running and sustaining a small business and offering opportunities to pursue new career paths through classes and scholarships.

Hitchcock and Yandura were aware that in the past, economic development in Appalachia led to profits for outside companies with little benefit to the local community. Because of this, they decided to flip that construct and create a nonprofit entity that would use proven business practices and the power of market demand to create sustainable profits that would benefit the community: opportunities for local youth, activities to protect the natural environment and revenue to support the operation.

The model seems to be working. Since 2016, the first full year of operation, the on-site bakery and produce market has raised one-third of the overall project budget each year through sales. From a job creation standpoint, what started out as a hope to create 10 jobs for local young people has now created more than 70 jobs with more than 40 of them filled by local high school students. The project has also expanded its year-round education, enrichment and career-readiness programs and has added free science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math—or STREAM—learning opportunities and camps for local middle and high school students.

The project is now in its third year under Hitchcock and Yandura’s management. The JDL Foundation has purchased the 100 acre property used to launch the project and has made a commitment to provide ongoing support.

“This has bloomed into so much more than we originally thought,” says Yandura. “To me, it really inspires a great hope for the future. One thing that has always saddened me is this great debate for a young person on whether they should stay in West Virginia or leave. We don’t want them to leave, but the reality of it is we can’t always keep them here. We have to say, ‘Hey, if you want to leave, take these skills with you so you’re really successful. But you know what? You could also stay and apply those skills here in West Virginia.’”

As this power couple who has adopted West Virginia helps revitalize and make a positive impact on their small town, some still question how two people who have lived in large cities ended up living along these country roads. Yandura narrows it down to two things: the natural beauty and the people.

“The natural beauty in West Virginia is amazing, and so are the people,” he says. “I have been blown away by the young people here—how smart, tough and resilient they are. We want to see opportunity for young people and for others here like we see elsewhere in the country.”