Generation West Virginia’s Pathways to Progress Conference demonstrated the organization’s ability to convene leaders who wouldn’t otherwise connect and turn conversation into concrete action.
May 8, 2025 | A Case Study in Cross-Sector Collaboration
Two economic chokepoints threaten West Virginia’s workforce growth:
Single parents spend 39% of income on care; dual-income families often pay more than their mortgage.
0% rental vacancy and 0.4% for-sale inventory in Advantage Valley’s nine counties.
Moderated by Ashley Alford Glance (Putnam County Chamber of Commerce) and introduced by Delegate Kayla Young, the panel brought together:
The panel highlighted Child Care West Virginia: Building the Business that Supports Business, a pilot program funded through an ARC POWER grant. It combines entrepreneurship coaching, grants, and technical assistance to help providers operate sustainably.
Jason Moss introduced employers to the Tri-Share model—where employer, employee, and state split child care costs. “We have money to give to your employees,” he explained. “The state has said they want to help people stay at work, and we’ve built the infrastructure to make it happen.”
Morganne Tenney’s team didn’t just study the problem. They solved it. After securing land and persistent outreach (including “a tour that started with a biscuit from Tudor’s”), they announced a deal for 600 new homes in Putnam County over three years.
Terrell Ellis emphasized the need for “patient capital,” creative public-private financing that can frontload infrastructure costs and unlock long-term growth.
Generation West Virginia creates the conditions for breakthrough collaboration. By bringing together chambers of commerce, economic development authorities, state agencies, and private sector partners, they accelerate solutions that might otherwise take years to develop.
As Ashley Alford Glance concluded: “We need all hands on deck. This isn’t about one organization or one program solving everything. It’s about everyone stepping up where they can, because no one sector can do this alone.”