Annual business summit creates conversation around West Virginia’s bright future

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (WVVA) - The first day of the 86th Annual Leaders Taking Action Business Summit, held by the West Virginia Chamber, ended with a panel on multi-state collaboration. Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Co-Chair Gayle Manchin moderated the discussion.

A main point in Wednesday’s conversation is the work the 13 ARC states are doing to boost the region.

“You see little areas being successful or thriving or growing, and the thought still remains to me that if we work together on bigger projects, then we lift up the entire region, and you don’t leave people behind,” Manchin said.

Manchin added that sharing ideas, resources and successes is at the heart and soul of this new collaboration, adding how the opportunity also introduces fresh ideas to The Mountain State, as well as perfecting existing ones.

“...As we share information, we find that each of our states have certain areas of expertise and experience. We don’t need to be recreating the wheel everywhere. We can share that information and just grow it faster.”

As the only state lying completely within the Appalachian Region, Manchin says West Virginia is in the prime location to spearhead this new initiative.

“Being sort of in that heart of it helps us to sort us put those feelers out and bring people in together,” she said. “It’s sort of puts us in a position if we want to be sort of the lead, we can be.”

Work on this collaborative effort is well underway, and the fruit of that labor can already be seen. The region has started brainstorming ways to cooperate in areas like textiles, energy, broadband, and more.