Member Profiles

Appalshop, Inc.
91 Madison Ave
Whitesburg, KY 41858
(606) 633-0108
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Beth Bingman - bbingman@appalshop.org
Mimi Pickering - mpickering@appalshop.org
Mark Kidd - mark@appalshop.org

Appalshop is a non-profit multi-disciplinary arts and education center in the heart of Appalachia producing original films, video, theater, music and spoken-word recordings, radio, photography, multimedia, and books.

VA Rural Center
Center for Rural Virginia
Council for Rural Virginia
2265 Kraft Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(804) 371-7141
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Glen Sink - glen.sink@cfrv.org

The primary mission of the Va Rural Center is to build networks to create and advocate for rural policy focused on issues that enhances rural competitiveness in the global economy and sustaining economic growth and prosperity for rural people.

The Center for Rural Virginia serves as a catalyst to empower local governments, to encourage continuity, coordination, and cooperation across the state and between regions, and to generate creative approaches for the purpose of the economic, social and demographic revitalization of rural Virginia, while retaining its quality of life.

The Council for Rural Virginia's mission is to improve the quality of life in the Commonwealth's rural areas by: bringing together key players in rural development, enhancing communication among partners, groups and individuals, encouraging collaborative and cooperative partnerships to work toward the delivery of more effective, efficient services to citizens that live and work in Rural Virginia.

Community Access, Inc.
PO Box 8885
South Charleston, WV 25303
(304) 545-1483

Jeff McCroskey - jeffmccroskey@netscape.net
Martha Minter - mlm420@aol.com

Community Access, Inc. develops innovative programs that bridge educational, employment, and other systems in order to achieve better outcomes and full inclusion for the people we serve.

Community Foundation of Hazard & Perry County
P. O. Box 310
Chavies, KY 41727
(606) 439-1357
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Gerry Roll - gerry@commfoundation.org

The mission of the Community Foundation of Hazard and Perry County is to support collaborative work in our community around a common vision that enhances the lives of all our citizens and to create a permanent endowment to serve as a catalyst and resource to respond to changing community priorities.

Garrett County Community Action Committee, Inc.
104 East Center Street
Oakland, MD 21550
(301) 334-9431
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Beverly Beard - bjbeard@verizon.net
Duane Yoder – dyoder@garrettcac.org

The mission of Garrett County Community Action Committee, Inc. is to enable persons in need to improve their quality of life by assisting them to be more economically self sufficient through partnerships and providing essential services.

Good News Mountaineer Garage
221 1/2 Hale Street
Charleston, WV 25301
(304) 344-8445
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Barbara Bayes - Goodnews.barbara@verizon.net
Rev. Dennis Sparks - dsparks@wvcc.org

The mission of Good News Mountaineer Garage is to solicit donated vehicles, repair them and provide them to families or individuals with low incomes so they can get to work or training throughout West Virginia.

Hazard Perry County Community Ministries, Inc.
151 Miss Edna Lane
Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 487-1891
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Douglas Bouchard - dwbouchard@hpccm.org
Jennifer Weeber - jennifer@hpccm.org

The mission of Hazard Perry County Community Ministries, Inc. is to respond actively to unmet needs of individuals and families by working in partnership with churches, agencies and individuals interested in the social welfare of the community.

Highlander Center
1959 Highlander Way
New Market, TN 37820
(662) 312-5830
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Susan Williams – susan@highlandercenter.org

Highlander supports social justice efforts in the south and Appalachia. We use our farm (about 180 acres, with a workshop center) and our methods (popular education, cultural organizing, multilingual capacity building and participatory research) to support groups working on economic, racial, environmental and social justice issues. Highlander believes that people directly affected by issues should be in leadership to help figure out how to solve those issues.

Ohio Appalachian Educators Institute (OAEI)
Building 21, The Ridges
Athens, OH 45701
(740) 597-1702
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Judith Coil - coil@ohio.edu
Lesli Johnson, LISW, Ph.D. - johnsol2@ohio.edu
Marsha Lewis - lewism5@ohio.edu

By supporting leadership development in school systems, creating learning communities, and facilitating collaborative relationships between unions and district management, the OAEI has demonstrated that it has an effective model for change and school improvement. By promoting leadership at all levels of the educational system and providing the infrastructure for districts to begin to make systemic changes, OAEI supports change that is sustainable over time.

Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Affairs
Building 22, The Ridges
Athens, OH 45701
(740) 593-9564
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Robin Stewart - stewarr7@ohio.edu
Joe Flynn - flynn@wesbanco.com

The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs builds on the scholarship of Ohio University, engaging students, faculty, and professional staff to help make a difference in Appalachian Ohio and the state. The School uses multidisciplinary project teams to help business, nonprofit & government partners in three core areas: strengthening Public Service and Leadership, promoting the Environment and Sustainable Energy, and growing Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in the region.

Partnership of African American Churches
PO Box 452
Institute, WV 25112
(304) 768-7688
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Wendy Lewis - wmoore155@aol.com
Rev. James Patterson - patterson@paac2.org

The mission of PAAC is to work together to empower the African-American community to transform values and improve the quality of life through education, health promotion, economic development, and crime prevention. The strategic purpose of PAAC is to identify and partner with African American Churches in order to build a network that will positively impact African Americans in West Virginia through health promotion, economic development, education, and crime prevention.

People Incorporated
1173 West Main Street
Abingdon, VA 24210
(276) 623-9000
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Rob Goldsmith - rgoldsmith@peopleinc.net
Bryan Phipps - bphipps@peopleinc.net

The mission of People Incorporated is to provide opportunities for people to reach their goals in order to enhance their lives, their families and their communities.

Rural Action, Inc.
PO Box 157
Trimble, OH 45782
(740) 767-4938
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Michelle Decker - michelle@ruralaction.org
R. William Carroll - gsrector@gmail.com

Rural Action’s mission is to foster social, economic, and environmental justice in Appalachian Ohio. To that end, we build model sustainable development projects and encourage a broad civic conversation around Appalachian Ohio’s assets in order to create sustainable development paths for the region.

Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College
700 College Road
Cumberland, KY 40823
(606) 589-2275
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Larry LaFollette - larry.lafollette@kctcs.edu
Roy Silver - roy.silver@kctcs.edu

Founded in 1960, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College is a public, comprehensive community and technical college under the governance of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS).

Virginia Economic Bridge, Inc.
P.O. Box 3768
Radford, VA 24143
(540) 731-6810
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Carl Mitchell - cmitchell@vebinc.org
Kimber Simmons - ksimmons@vebinc.org

The mission of Virginia Economic Bridge, Inc. is to promote the economic vitality and external competitiveness of the Commonwealth through business, industry and educational partnerships between Southwestern Virginia, Northern Virginia and other areas of the Commonwealth.

Virginia Rural Health Association
2265 Kraft Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 231-7923
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Beth O'Connor - boconnor@vcom.vt.edu

The Virginia Rural Health Association (VRHA) is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization comprised of a diverse group of individuals from communities spread across Virginia: individuals that care about improving the health of Virginia's rural residents. VRHA members provide care, plan for the delivery of care, and are consumers of health care services. They are individuals and families who desire and need high quality health services close to home.

Virginia Rural Health Resource Center
2265 Kraft Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 231-7923
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Beth O'Connor - boconnor@vcom.vt.edu

The mission of the Virginia Rural Health Resource Center is to serve as a resource for communities and organizations seeking to improve the health status of persons in rural Virginia.

WV Community Development Hub
301 Water St.
Stonewood, WV 26301
(304) 566-7332
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Herk Conner - h.conner@wvhub.org
Reta Griffith - retagriffith@frontiernet.net

The purpose of the West Virginia Community Development Hub, Inc. is to support communities in West Virginia in their efforts to experience purposeful, self-directed development respectful of local Culture and values.

West Virginia Council of Churches
2207 Washington Street East
Charleston, West Virginia 25311
(304) 344-3141
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Reverend Dennis Sparks, Executive Director – dsparks@wvcc.org

The West Virginia Council of Churches makes more visible the unity of Christ's church, provides a Christian witness on public issues, and engages in cooperative mission and service for all West Virginians. WVCC is active in areas of social justice, health and economic issues, legislative issues and disaster response.