The latest news from the Smith OEDC
Just as Zillow helps home buyers find houses for sale, commercial real estate developers will soon be able to find the ideal property in West Virginia’s southern coalfields using a similar land search system developed at West Virginia University.
Ascend West Virginia, the nation’s premier talent attraction and retention program, today announced a new Homeownership Incentive that allows current Ascend members to obtain a check in the amount of $12,000 when purchasing a home for primary residence in the Mountain State. This initiative highlights the affordability of home ownership in West Virginia and will lead to more significant economic impact as Ascend participants begin laying down roots in the Mountain State.
West Virginia University Research Corporation, Morgantown, will receive a $717,116 grant to support expansion of the Vantage Ventures Accelerator program, providing technical assistance to small, technology-based businesses. This EDA investment will be matched with $412,381 in local funds and is expected to create 111 jobs, retain 30 jobs, and generate $19 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
The West Virginia First Foundation has entered into a partnership with West Virginia University and Ascend West Virginia — which was launched during the pandemic through a financial gift from a sitting First Foundation board member — to open outreach offices in five cities and towns throughout the state, according to a Thursday news release.
West Virginia University and Ascend WV — the nation’s premier talent attraction and retention program supported by the WVU Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative — have joined forces to support the fight against the opioid epidemic in West Virginia.
Eliza Siefert, a 2022 WVU graduate and Parkersburg native, loved West Virginia. However, like many West Virginians, Eliza had every intention of leaving her beloved home state to pursue her career after college; and it wasn’t until she began working on her bachelor’s degree in environmental biology at WVU that she changed her mind.