With the potential for a variety of natural gas-related projects and the promise of more manufacturing jobs in the future, things are looking up in West Virginia. While challenges remain in making the Mountain State an ideal business environment for all, there is much to celebrate. West Virginia Executive (WVE) is committed to highlighting the successes of the state’s many existing businesses that make up the backbone of its economy.
Mitch Carmichael has been a member of the West Virginia Legislature since 2001, when he was sworn in as a member of the House of Delegates. Roger Hanshaw was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 2014 to represent Calhoun County and parts of Clay and Gilmer counties.
Environment versus economy. As Americans—and West Virginians—it feels like we are being told we must either choose our mountains and streams or our jobs and electricity because we can’t have both. In an age of innovation and technological advancement in which we can build better, faster and safer, why should having both be beyond our grasp?
It was a long, complex and at times risky journey that brought Dr. Mirta Martin to West Virginia in January 2018 to serve as president of Fairmont State University. Born in Havana, Cuba, during the communist regime led by Fidel Castro, Martin was 6 years old when she, her grandmother and her sister were given permission by the Cuban government to go to Spain. The move separated them from the rest of their family for decades.
Throughout its 250-year history, the city of Wheeling has been many things, including the first capital of the Mountain State and an industrial giant for industries such as steel, iron and glasswork. While its population and economy suffered for a number of years as factories began closing their doors, a recent resurgence has brought with it an influx of new businesses, young families and advocacy efforts to honor the city’s historic landscape.
When one stops to consider the impact coal has had on the development of the modern world, it is hard to imagine where civilization would be without this fossil fuel. More than heating homes and providing electricity, coal has inspired—and driven—innovation in other industries such as transportation, steel production and manufacturing throughout history.