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Beckley, W.Va. (September 28, 2026) – The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) Board of Directors announced it chose Kelly Vickers as its new Executive Director at a Special Meeting held on September 25.
Summers County Commissioner Ted Kula chaired the committee that recruited and selected Ms. Vickers for the position. The committee also included Raleigh County’s Heather Ouimette, Nicholas County Commissioner Craig Chapman, Summers County’s Larry Meador, and Fayette County’s Heather Johnson. Fayette County Commissioner and NRGRDA Board Chair Allison Rae Taylor was an ex officio Committee member and brought Vickers’ candidacy to the NRGRDA board for a vote.
After a rigorous and highly-competitive search process, Kula said Vickers stood out. “She has outstanding qualifications and an inspiring leadership style. We are very excited to welcome her to NRGRDA.”
Vickers is currently Chief Financial Officer and Compliance Manager for the West Virginia Solid Waste Management Board where she provides executive financial and operational leadership in a statewide setting where she works directly with public authorities, boards, county commissions, state agencies, elected officials, and community stakeholders.
The Lincoln County native has nearly two decades of public-sector executive experience in the Mountain State including strategic leadership, financial and organizational management, grants, compliance, board governance, public administration, and stakeholder engagement. She has also been an advisor to boards, executive leaders, elected officials, public authorities, and community stakeholders. Ms. Vickers also currently chairs the Nicholas County Solid Waste Authority Board.
Ms. Vickers earned a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Marshall University and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Finance from West Virginia University. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in Business Administration at Marshall.
NRGRDA’s Board Chair Allison Rae Taylor stated Ms. Vickers is “optimally and uniquely qualified to lead the NRGRDA in its mission to serve and support economic development in the New River Gorge region, and her extraordinary credentials poise her for unqualified success.” She added, “I have complete confidence in her ability to grow our programs and partnerships and predict her positive impact on our four-county region will be lasting and unprecedented.”
More on its current projects and 2025 regional impact report can be found at https://nrgrda.org/
