“Be a game changer.” That is the slogan of a new statewide collaborative initiative launching in September to bring fresh awareness to the importance of prevention, education, compassionate treatment and employment opportunities when it comes to helping West Virginians overcome the opioid crisis.
According to a recent study by the University of Maryland’s Do Good Institute, fewer Americans are volunteering and giving to charity than at any other time in the last two decades. Meanwhile in the Mountain State, where serving others is part of the fabric of life, a different story is unfolding, and its narrative is perfectly illustrated by the members of West Virginia Executive’s (WVE) Sharp Shooters Class of 2019.
James Wood has worked in the energy industry for more than 30 years and has lived in India, Belgium, Colombia, China and Italy representing the interests of top-tier energy companies. While his career has taken him around the world, he now calls the Mountain State home, where he was recently named the interim director of the West Virginia University (WVU) Energy Institute.
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?