NRGRDA Hosts ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin Sept. 8 Focusing on Outdoor Recreation Opportunities and New National Park

Leaders of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and its West Virginia Hive Network are hosting Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, at several locations in Raleigh County.

“The Appalachian Regional Commission’s leadership and POWER grant program are instrumental in the development and execution of life-changing community and economic development projects in the New River Gorge region,” said Jina Belcher, executive director of the NRGRDA. “We are honored to welcome home Gayle Manchin, a proud Beckley native, to see the significant initiatives we have under way to create jobs, offer new services, and improve the quality of life here.”

Representatives of the media are welcome at all locations. Please let us know if you have any special needs.

Schedule of Events

10:30 – 11:15 a.m. Welcome and WV Hive Office and Business Hub Tour

WV Hive Network

205 S. Kanawha Street

Beckley, WV 25801

Parking – Behind Building

11:15 – 11:45 a.m. Visit to Future Fruits of Labor Location

Former Zen’s Building, Future Fruits of Labor

313 Neville Street

Beckley, WV 25801

Parking — Parallel parking lot

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Black Knight Working Lunch – Representatives of the City of Beckley

Beckley’s Historic Black Knight

2400 S. Kanawha Street

Beckley, WV 25801

Parking – On Site

1:15 – 2:00 p.m. Raleigh County Memorial Airport Tour/Overview of Expansion

Raleigh County Memorial Airport

176 Airport Circle

Beaver, WV 25813

Parking — On Site

Spokespersons available for interviews include:

• Gayle Manchin, ARC Federal Co-Chair
• Beckley Mayor Rob Rappold, Chairman of NRGRDA
• Jina Belcher, NRGRDA Executive Director
• Judy Moore, WV Hive Executive Director
• Tom Cochran, Raleigh County Memorial Airport Manager

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. https://nrgrda.org/

The WV Hive is the entrepreneurship program of the NRGRDA and the administrator of the Country Roads Angel Network. More information about the WV Hive can be found at https://wvhive.com/.