By Kensie Hamilton
Photo by Adventures On the Gorge
The Young Guns honors program began in 1999 and has highlighted some wonderful West Virginians in that time. One of my favorite things about how we profile these impressive leaders is getting to take them on location for their photo shoots, and this year’s location was certainly our most adventurous. What began as Class IV River Runners, Mountain River Tours, Rivermen and Songer Whitewater has become a world-class vacation resort at Adventures On the Gorge (AOTG).
Adventures On the Gorge is located in Fayetteville, a small Southern West Virginia town that has been recognized by Budget Travel magazine as one of the “Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America.” AOTG is the largest aerial adventure outfitter in the U.S. It is also a top-notch whitewater rafting company that tours America’s best whitewater, the New and Gauley rivers. With all of these natural resources in their backyard and more than 20 activities to choose from, it’s easy to see how AOTG has become a full-service, all-inclusive resort.
During our four-day Young Guns photo shoot adventure, we were able to experience and shoot parts of AOTG in a way no one else ever has, and I must thank everyone at AOTG for their patience and assistance. Where else in West Virginia, or the United States for that matter, would you have four aerial adventures at your fingertips? While we might have received some funny looks from the casually dressed vacationers and staff while we toured, shot and climbed the TreeTops Canopy Tour, BridgeWalk, the TimberTrek obstacle course and the Gravity Zip lines with Young Guns in suits, we definitely drew attention when our fearless photographer, Tracy Toler, climbed off the catwalk of the New River Gorge Bridge to be able to get that perfect shot.
Much like AOTG is one of the highlights of the state’s tourism industry, the 2013 class of Young Guns is a bright spot in West Virginia’s business community. They are a shining example of what can be accomplished with a little West Virginia ingenuity. It is an eye-opening experience each year when we make the final selections, and I promise this is no easy task. We are proud to showcase leaders from across the Mountain State’s many industries.
At West Virginia Executive we like to dream big and we like to encourage others to do the same. It is with great pleasure that we present the Young Guns Class of 2013 who aren’t afraid of a little adventure or to take a leap of faith along the way to their success.
 Meet the 2013 class of Young Guns.
