New River Gorge Regional Development Authority Promotes Jenna Grayson as Director of Business Retention and Expansion

Beckley, W.Va. (August 22, 2022) – Jenna Grayson has earned the position advancement to Director of Business Retention and Expansion at the New River Gorge Regional Development
Authority (NRGRDA), effective July 1.

For more than a year, Grayson has been serving Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Summers counties as Manager of Strategic Partnerships at NRGRDA. Her focus has been on leading all facets of relationship management and engagement with local and state leadership, community members, stakeholders, and strategic partners.

Jina Belcher, executive director of NRGRDA, said, “Jenna has proven to be an invaluable member of our team and has organically developed trust and positive dialogue with the area’s businesses.” As Director of Business Retention and Expansion, Jenna will work with existing businesses to provide resources for workforce, capital access, physical expansion, health and safety support, importing and exporting, and supply chain needs.

Grayson said, “As the director of BRE, I’ll lend a hand in opening dialogue between businesses and local, state, and federal government while identifying workforce needs, potential challenges to local businesses, and collecting data needed to advance our service footprint.”

Belcher added, “Our team has grown over the past two years, and we are stronger and dedicated to achieve our mission to create and deliver meaningful economic development in southern West Virginia.”

Grayson is a graduate of Ohio State University with a B.A. in Environment, Economic Development, and Sustainability with a focus on small business development. Jenna is currently enrolled in a master’s program in Supply Chain Management at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT). She came to NRGRDA after serving the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative as an Americorps Vista. She is a former raft guide for River Expeditions in Fayetteville, W.Va.

About New River Gorge Regional Development Authority: The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority’s (NRGRDA) mission is to initiate, facilitate and support the economic and community development efforts within the counties of Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, and
Summers located in this region of southern West Virginia. NRGRDA stimulates the regional economy through business expansion and retention efforts, including an extensive portfolio of financial services; the management of sites for new companies locating to our region; and serving as a point of access for local service providers which offer a variety of technical
assistance for business owners.