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Members

Brushy Fork Institute, Appalachian Leadership and Development
Since 1988, Brushy Fork Institute of Berea College has carried out a unique leadership development program in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Brushy Fork has also collaborated with a variety of organizations to create custom workshops suited to their needs. Brushy Fork staff have designed and facilitated training sessions on group process, vision, public speaking, problem solving, consensus building and other essential skills for successful community development efforts. Working with both existing and emerging leaders, Brushy Fork programs draw on local understanding and vision to help communities build for tomorrow.

Center for Economic Options
The Center for Economic Options (CEO) is a 22 year old development non profit organization with a legacy of work to support community and alternative economic development. For many years, CEO has strategically focused on helping small scale manufacturers and artisans become economically self-reliant through business ownership. CEO is also a catalyst for economic research and policy initiatives related to market access and equity for local small enterprise.

In early 2001 CEO refined its focus to concentrate on fully developing the social and economic potential of a social purpose enterprise - Showcase West Virginia which features a variety of high-quality, hand-produced products of small scale manufacturers and artisans who live in rural communities across the state. Through Showcase West Virginia, CEO is delivering to its small business participants real-world markets, marketing experience and technical assistance, while enabling them and CEO to generate sustainable income streams through value-added product sales.

Collective Impact
Collective Impact is a creative services firm that provides capacity building consulting and technology services for organizations and communities (geographic location and common purpose). Collective Impacts’ clients include non-profit organizations, government agencies, entrepreneurs, multi-disciplinary groups, and collaborative networks. It is the mission of Collective Impact to build capacity with organizations and communities to help them succeed.

Collective Impact draws from a diverse network of capacity builders to provide consulting and technology services for clients. This network represents many years of combined experience working with organizations and communities. With this experience comes an understanding of the capacity building needs of organizations and communities, as well as the solutions to help clients better serve their target audiences, improve their operations, and achieve their missions.

Collective Impact’s capacity building consulting and technology services include:

- Venue Internet Services
- Assessment and Evaluation
- Strategic Change Management
- Financial Resource Development
- Branding Communication
- Training and Facilitation

Community Development Partnership of West Virginia

Ritchie County Family Resource Network

Rural Strategies, Inc.

Mountain CAP of WV, Inc., a CDC

WesBanco, Inc.

WV Center for Civic Life

WV Commission for National and Community Service
The West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service is a state agency whose mission is to identify and mobilize resources, promote an ethic of service, and empower communities to solve problems and improve the quality of life for individuals and families.

To fulfill this mission, we:

1. Serve as a clearinghouse of information for those who wish to address community problems through service and volunteerism;

2. Provide basic and advanced training in volunteer management;

3. Serve as a convener to bring together diverse individuals and organizations to develop common goals through shared efforts;

4. Act as a catalyst for positive community change, encouraging innovative ideas and programs that address community needs through service and volunteerism.

WV Development Office: WV Main Street

WV Department of Health and Human Resources
Office of Epidemiology and Health Promotion
Based on the vision of a healthy West Virginia, the WV Department of Health and Human Resources Office of Epidemiology and Health Promotion has the mission to promote health and reduce the burden of disease, disability and premature death. This is to be accomplished by monitoring and reducing the prevalence of behavioral risk factors that contribute to chronic disease through surveillance, analysis and health promotion; by conducting epidemiological studies on diseases with high rates of premature death; by conducting statewide surveillance targeted toward adverse and preventable disease outcomes; and by developing appropriate interventions and control strategies. Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease frequency in human populations. Distribution refers to the measurement of disease frequency, focusing on who is getting the disease and when and where the disease is occurring. When the patterns of a disease are understood, associated causal or preventive factors can then be determined.

WV State University Extension

WVU Extension
Foremost in extension local needs assessments has been the concern about jobs in the local environment. The Center for Community, Economic and Workforce Development, West Virginia University Extension Service, is expected to provide university-wide and statewide leadership for building linkages and collaborative efforts with organizations and agencies including the WV Clearinghouse for Workforce Education, state, regional and local institutions of learning (public schools, vocational schools and higher education institutions); state business and industry councils; firefighters and emergency personnel; labor organizations; and state economic development groups.

West Virginia University’s Institute for Public Affairs
West Virginia's state government authorized the creation of the Institute for Public Affairs at West Virginia University in 1986 (West Virginia Code, Chapter 18B-11-1). The Institute is located within the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and began operations in 1989.

The Institute's quarterly refereed journal, The West Virginia Public Affairs Reporter, is read by over 2,600 West Virginians. It features a diverse set of articles by faculty, public officials, and other policy experts on a wide range of issues of interest to West Virginia's state and local government officials. The Institute's Technical Reports and Monograph Series provide West Virginia's policymakers with a more in-depth comprehensive analysis of specific issues affecting the state.

The Institute for Public Affairs also provides training and educational services to West Virginia's state and local government officials through its Roundtable Discussions, The County Commissioners' Education and Training Series, The County Commissioners' Education and Training Series for Newly Elected County Commissioners, The West Virginia State Legislature's Education Series, and The West Virginia University Local Government Leadership Academy.