NRGRDA Elevates Staff to Respond to Outdoor Recreation Economy, Needs of Gateway Communities

Senior staff at the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) are being promoted to new positions within the organization to respond to increased local and regional business, community, and economic outdoor industry needs.

Effective July 1, 2021, Andrew “Andy” Davis is the new Manager of Gateway Community Initiatives and Mary Legg has moved into the Outdoor Industry Business Advisor role at the NRGRDA’s WV Hive. Davis, hired in December 2020 as Special Projects Coordinator, has become the point person for the regional development of infrastructure assets related to the growth of the outdoor recreation economy and focuses his efforts on increasing the capacity and presence of the gateway communities of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Legg, a Business Advisor at the WV Hive since March 2020, is now focusing her expertise with firms in the gateway communities in Fayette, Nicholas, Summers, and Raleigh Counties.

Jina Belcher, executive director of NRGRDA, said “Andy and Mary have both stepped up to the plate and will be solely focused on accelerating the outdoor economy of the New River Gorge region. The National Park designation elevated the outdoor industry economic opportunities that have always been present across the region. Andy and Mary are prepared to provide dedicated capacity to expedite resources and technical assistance to the region’s gateway communities.”

Judy Moore, director of the WV Hive, said her organization serves 12 southern West Virginia counties. “Given the recent increase in businesses development around the new national park, Mary will concentrate on marketing, product development, financing and human resources needs for firms in our gateway communities.”