Generation West Virginia (GWV) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new board members, Candace Nelson and Brian Dayton, who will each help support the nonprofit’s mission to attract, retain, and advance young people in West Virginia.
“The directors of Generation West Virginia are proud to welcome Candace and Brian to the organization. Their experience and expertise will be important to Generation West Virginia’s growth,” said Anna Adkins, Generation West Virginia’s Board Chair.
Candace Nelson will serve as Secretary on the Generation West Virginia Board of Directors. With a wealth of industry experience in marketing and journalism, Nelson is currently the Director of Marketing for Girl Scouts of Black Diamond following positions held with the West Virginia Department of Tourism, West Virginia University and Charleston Daily Mail.
As a longtime advocate for West Virginia’s communities, Candace also serves on the Capitol Market Board and as the Executive Vice President for the Junior League of Charleston. She is an alumnus of the Leadership West Virginia program.
“There are so many incredible stories to be told in West Virginia that are rooted in place and community,” Nelson said. “I am excited to join Generation West Virginia to explore my passion for the state and help make it a better place for young people to work, live and give.”
Brian Dayton has a passion for making West Virginia a better place to live, work, and raise a family through pro-jobs policy changes in his role as the Vice President of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. He was formerly the Communications Manager for the West Virginia Chamber and a Team Lead at Teletech, an American customer experience technology and services company.
“I’m a lifelong West Virginian that truly believes this is one of the best states in the nation to live, work and raise a family,” Dayton said. “Our quality of life is unmatched and our people are some of the most genuine you will ever meet. Every day I wake up with a drive to continue making West Virginia an even better place. I believe Generation West Virginia is the perfect vehicle to engage the next set of leaders in West Virginia. We must continually cultivate our youth and young professionals to ensure they are ready to be the leaders of tomorrow.”
Nelson and Dayton are elected to serve three-year terms and can serve up to three terms on the board.
“As Generation West Virginia grows in its capacity to support young people find a place here in West Virginia, Candace and Brian bring valuable expertise – Candace with her ties to nonprofit work, and Brian with his relationship with small businesses across West Virginia,” said Alex Weld, Generation West Virginia’s Executive Director. “I look forward to the additional expertise they will bring to Generation West Virginia.”
The new appointments to the Board will join the following Board members: Anna Adkins (Chair), Monika Eckard (Past Chair), Jade Irving (Vice Chair), Jay Williams (Treasurer), Kel Cecil, Christina Dalton, Aneesh Sompalli, and Zach Treister. To learn more about Generation WV’s Board of Directors, visit https://generationwv.org/about/.
About Generation West Virginia
Generation West Virginia is a statewide organization dedicated to attracting, retaining, and advancing young people in the Mountain State. The organization accomplishes this by cultivating a network of young people to drive the development of thriving communities; creating job opportunities and career pathways in growing, diverse sectors of employment; identifying and communicating the priorities, motivations, and needs of the next generation; and serving as a voice and a source of action for young people to impact policy at the local, state, and federal levels. For more information, visit generationwv.org.