Ecosystem building has emerged as a leading strategy for economic development and community revitalization. With the launch of the West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (WVEE), the state is at the forefront of this growing movement. What began in 2018 as a coalition of the willing has developed into a flourishing ecosystem of stakeholders.
Michele Blatt never considered a career outside of education. A teacher, she says, is just who she is. “Teaching is the only profession I considered,” Blatt says. “I enjoy teaching children at church every Sunday. I am the happiest when I am around children.” It’s her own children, Jonathan and Emma, who have always been the reasons she does what she does each day.
The measure of a student’s success at a school, higher education institution or program depends on a lot of variables, including who you ask. It could be measured by a passing grade, quality performance or simply completion. West Virginia Executive is highlighting several student success stories in state programs aimed at getting individuals paired with a career.
Within West Virginia’s 55 counties are countless individuals advocating for justice in courts of law and legal organizations. Others are helping equip the next generation of lawyers and leaders in the state’s only law school—West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law.
While many associate the Mountain State solely with the energy industry, its nickname conjures up a different image. West Virginia’s beautiful, forested mountains make it the second-leading hardwood state in the country, ranked third nationally by percentage of forested land.
West Virginia Executive reached out to more than 20 in-state business executives to hear their take on the Mountain State’s economic future. We solicited responses from executives in varying industries that we feel have their finger on the pulse of West Virginia.