Mel Hancock says coal runs through his veins. Hancock was born in his grandfather’s coal company house in Cranberry.

His father, who also mined coal, met his mother at the Skelton Company Store, where she worked, just after World War II.

“I was a friend of coal before the Friends of Coal was ever formed,” Hancock said.

Though he didn’t originally follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, Hancock is now sharing his love for the coal industry with others as the newly named coalfield representative for Friends of Coal.

“When it (FOC) first began, I was intrigued by it,” Hancock said. “In the back of my mind, I felt like there was a place for me, and as I began to see it grow and develop, I saw more and more things of interest to me that I thought I could do.”

Hancock said he took those ideas and shared them with FOC Chairman Warren Hylton, and after several months of talking, he assumed his new position just last Wednesday.

“I’m very excited,” Hancock said. “I have appreciated Warren Hylton for many, many years as a family man, as a businessman and someone who is concerned about the community and the state.”

As coalfield representative, Hancock says his primary responsibilities are marketing, economic development and education.

Hancock will be tasked with increasing individual and corporate memberships and encouraging participation in the organization.

In an effort to increase membership, Hancock says he would like to organize a year-long membership drive culminating in a drawing for prizes.

Another possibility is FOC auxiliaries to involve spouses of mining and equipment dealers in community causes and industry education.

“I think they (spouses) would be a wonderful contribution,” he said.

Also, Hancock says he will be working closely with FOC spokesmen Bob Pruett, Don Nehlen and Jeremy Starks, and actually spent his first day on the job with Starks, taking the FOC message to watershed associations in Kanawha County.

“We’ll be speaking one-on-one with people and groups about coal as an education method,” Hancock said. “We’re going to go out into the community and answer questions, and if we don’t have an answer, we won’t make them up. We’ll take it back to the people who can give it further study and come up with an answer.”

Hancock says he is also excited about the opportunity to help with the July 20-22 FOC Auto Fair at the YMCA Paul Cline Memorial Youth Soccer Complex.

The fair, which drew upwards of 20,000 people in 2006, is expected to continue to grow this year, with a headlining concert from country band Lonestar and even more activities for youth.

“Jeremy Starks is working on having a day of instruction in fishing and we hope to attract 500 to 1,000 kids for that,” he said.

Working with children, which is at the top of the FOC priority list, is something Hancock, who for more than 20 years served as assistant director of the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA, also holds near to his heart.

“Friends of Coal is about kids,” he said, “and I especially like being out there working with kids.”

Hancock is optimistic as he begins his quest to share his love of and the importance of the coal mining industry and those miners who literally work to “keep the lights on.”

“Coal is going to be here,“ he said, “It’s the livelihood for all of us. It’s what West Virginia is all about.”

— E-mail:

mjames@register-herald.com