The ACT Now Coalition

Coal is no small asset in Southern West Virginia, as for decades the coal industry has run its economy. However, as times change and modern needs evolve, adaptation is essential. This is where the ACT Now coalition comes in, led by Coalfield Development, helping aid in the expansion of businesses and industries.

For ACT Now, Coalfield Development works with key partners such as Generation West Virginia (GWV), Marshall University, West Virginia University (WVU) and the West Virginia Community Development Hub (WVCDH).

Brandon Dennison, vice president for economic and workforce development at Marshall University, explains that ACT Now works through community engagement, industry collaborations, workforce development and revitalization projects.

“ACT Now exists to help diversify the Southern West Virginia economy and create well-paying jobs through expansion of renewable energy industries, growth of technology businesses, transformation of former mine lands into new sustainable assets and redevelopment of industrial spaces and brownfields for 21st century advanced manufacturing,” Dennison says.

The coalition currently runs eight different projects, four construction and four non-construction. Construction projects include the Black Diamond Warehouse, LIFT Center, H-BIZ and Just Transition center while non-construction projects include GROW Now Workforce, Community & Business Resilience and Repower Appalachia initiatives as well as the Sustainable Mine Lands project.

When ACT Now is shaping these projects, it utilizes the state’s important energy while valuing sustainability. The coalition hopes to help diversify the types of energy the state produces, keeping a low carbon footprint while ensuring West Virginia stays an energy state. These efforts help reduce environmental impact and promote economic growth in the process.

The Community & Business Resilience initiative, led by the WVCDH, works with small businesses to help them gain access to energy efficient markets. The coalition also partners with the Appalachian Solar Finance Fund to lower utility bills by educating businesses on new tax credits.

“Our workforce project, led by Generation West Virginia, is preparing the workforce for these jobs of the future. And our mine land re-development project, led by WVU, is revitalizing former mine sites into solar sites and farmland,” says Jacob Hannah, CEO of Coalfield Development.

The GROW Now initiative works with Coalfield Development, Highrocks, Marshall and WVU to
provide quality training and new job creation for West Virginians. This training program covers software development, regenerative agriculture, construction, computer repair and remote work. It also offers coaching, mentorship services and employer relations training to promote job placement and retention.

ACT Now is also one of 50 organizations involved in the ReUse corridor, a project that works to recycle materials such as metals, wood, cardboard and textiles that are on their way to becoming landfill. Through two projects—the Black Diamond Warehouse and the Just Transition Climate and Equity Nexus for Transformative Economic Revitalization, or CENTER—the ReUse corridor is currently establishing brick and mortar locations that will house these recycling efforts in rural, coal-impacted towns.

“This initiative taps back into the roots of our Appalachian ingenuity while simultaneously mitigating pollution and generating economic and employment opportunities,” Hannah says.

When deciding what projects to support, ACT Now offers an open application to community teams that, if chosen, take part in a 15-month community planning and engagement process. During that process, applicants and their local teams receive a visit from WVCDH staff who tour their communities, listen to their ideas and provide them with information on the program.

In total, 16 communities are picked for this program based on the diversity of their geography, team and interests. Stephanie Tyree, executive director for the WVCDH, points out the extensive support projects receive throughout the 15-month process.

“Once selected, communities participate in a cohort community planning program that includes monthly in-person meetings, quarterly cohort meetings and significant time with dozens of resources and technical assistance providers to support them in their project development and planning process,” Tyree says.

ACT Now funds these projects through a $62.8 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), which private philanthropy matches by about $30 million. The funding is designated only for the eight projects the coalition is currently supporting.

ACT Now was one of 21 coalitions nationwide that was chosen to receive EDA funding and was the only one led by community-based nonprofit organizations. This means that the coalition was running on an insufficient budget before winning the grant. However, it now faces a new challenge in growing its organizational capacity to meet the requirements of the newer, larger projects it is able to take on with its current funding.

“The EDA award is a remarkable injection of resources and support into this momentum, but we are seeing already the scope of need and emerging opportunities that will need significant public and private investment to continue growing in the future,” Tyree says.

She explains that ACT Now is currently seeking funding that will allow it to continue its work at the end of the four-year EDA grant.

Despite any restrictions or funding challenges, ACT Now has certainly advanced upon its goal of changing the Mountain State’s economic landscape. Dennison explains that the coalition has trained more than 500 workers in a wide range of skillsets such as energy efficiency, solar installation, software development, remote working and mine land reclamation; supported the launch of more than 30 new businesses; and redeveloped 250,000 square feet of neglected property.

These positive outcomes were not achieved alone, however, as ACT Now operates with a group of 21 voting members as well as 100 partners involved in project planning and execution. Through attentive communication, this collaboration has been close to flawless with only one issue requiring a vote.

“The depth and breadth of the collaboration in ACT Now is one of the most incredible things I’ve been a part of in my career,” Dennison says. “Groups that typically compete against one another have come together for the good of the state.”

In the future, ACT Now hopes to extend its reach across the Mountain State and outside of its borders. Dennison explains that as markets are getting stronger and many workers are no longer held back by geographic borders, West Virginia is seeing more private investment.

“Entrepreneurs and small businesses will pick up where we left off,” Dennison says. “We’re already starting to see this happen as evidenced by the more than 30 new companies our coalition has helped start.”

The coalition’s long-term goals simply include seeing its work create vibrant communities in Southern West Virginia and beyond. Alex Weld, executive director of GWV, says that while ACT Now knows it won’t achieve that vision alone, its enactment presents an opportunity for the state to move further in the direction of a growing and diversified economy.

Despite many recent economic development advancements in the Mountain State, the coalfield remains in need of the same success, and that is where ACT Now’s focus lies.

Weld points out Southern West Virginia has needed built upon for decades, and while there has been slight advancement on that goal, more work needs to be done. Through its training and retention programs, ACT Now can help push that initiative forward, but that is only a small part of what the coalition hopes to see in the region.

“That’s one way we’re helping to bring new opportunities to West Virginia job seekers, but we still have plenty of work to do to ensure people in our communities have the skills, resources and access they need to succeed,” Weld says. “The coalition’s grassroots work is helping to
overcome these barriers.”

The coalition has contributed more than 1,000 hours of time to securing funds, showcasing its thorough commitment to the cause. There is an opportunity to change economic development within the Mountain State for the better, and ACT Now is taking it.

“It may have taken generations to get where we are in Southern West Virginia, but we’re determined for this generation to get us where our hardworking people deserve to be, and that’s as a worldwide leader in these emerging markets,” Dennison says.