On May 1 in Beckley, over 50 leaders and interested citizens from Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh and Summers Counties convened at Tamarack for a regional Create WV Summit. From the Mayor of Beckley to a whole contingent from Sophia, WV, participants learned about and discussed the power of the new economy and attracting creative workers and entrepreneurs to their region.
Organized by the 4C Economic Development Authority, Workforce WV Region 1, and the National Parks Conservation Association, the Summit infused a new way of thinking about sustainable, creative growth through entrepreneurship – think more “they will come and build it” vs. “build it and they will come.”
Rob Godbey, one of the main speakers, shared the paradigm shifts that have occurred in the “Conceptual Age” of economics and the importance of understanding the dynamics of quality of place, tolerance and diversity, technology and talent and skill development as key attractors for creative workers and entrepreneurs.
What is most exciting about the energy and activity in the Southeastern West Virginia Region 1 area is their plan for follow-up. Each of the eleven counties in that part of our start will be receiving a full-day New Economy Growth Plan workshop to put these ideas into action, adding new innovative strategies into their long-term comprehensive economic and community development plans.
Create WV Summits are one-day condensed versions of the larger Create WV Conference and are designed to broaden the understanding of Creative Communities and their role in growing the New Economy in West Virginia. If your area is interested in scheduling a Summit, please contact us at [email protected].
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