The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Today's Front Page

September 6, 2010

Local group aims to put ‘mojo’ back in Beckley

By Andrea Lannom Register-Herald Reporter

One group says it wants to put the “mojo” back in Beckley by cultivating and engaging young talent in the area. Generation Beckley aims to attract and retain professionals ages 21 to 45 by providing access to business networking while also getting members active in the community.

On Friday, Generation West Virginia adopted Generation Beckley into its statewide network of regional young talent. Founded in 2007, Generation West Virginia is a statewide consortium of young talent.

GWV, which has a dozen chapters throughout the state, will be a resource for Generation Beckley by providing best practices, materials and programs, collaborating on research and providing advocacy.

Paul Daugherty, chair of GWV, said he is happy to welcome Generation Beckley to the network.

“It’s fantastic to see these young leaders in Beckley wanting to contribute to their community and take an active role,” he said. “This speaks well of the community.”

Daugherty said the group will make West Virginia a “star” for focus of young talent.

“We want to make the community more responsive to young talent,” he said. “We want West Virginia to be a place for work, play and young leadership.”

Sponsored by the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce, Generation Beckley has had high interest, members say. Joe Guffy, information coordinator for Generation Beckley, said there have been five meetings since April to generate interest, and already, there are 50 people to whom the group will send applications.

“The interest right now is really high,” Guffy said. “The thing is, these young professionals are moving into the area and looking for a chance to network. With this, you can be a part of an organization where it’s a group of your peers. You can get leads for your business and also take charge of community projects.”

Jeremy Miller, chair of Generation Beckley, said the group has worked for a while to get within GWV’s network. Miller said the group aims to retain young talent and to bring back the “fun factor.”

“Those who are growing up in environments like Huntington or Morgantown are used to a certain way of living, and we’re looking to bring a sort of coolness aspect back to Beckley,” he said

The group is looking toward many projects, such as participating in Mac’s Toy Fund along with consideration for events like tailgating for high school football games.

“We’re trying to get with established events to lift them up,” he said. “There’s a certain fun factor to it and we’re looking at bringing that back.”

 — E-mail: alannom@register-herald.com

Text Only
Today's Front Page
  • Classic stars Bon Jovi, Toby Keith, Rod Stewart, Lionel Richie headline 2012 Greenbrier Classic concert series

    Just two years into a six-year contract, The Greenbrier Classic took the coveted “Best in Class Tournament on the PGA TOUR” award in 2011, a distinction given by the PGA TOUR itself.

    February 11, 2012 1 Photo

  • Bill would crack down on ‘sexting’ by minors

    Texting is one area of major concern for West Virginia legislators.
    Now comes another one in the burgeoning cyber world that is gaining its share of attention: sexting.

    February 11, 2012

  • Protection sought for Scouts’ tax-exempt status

    As the Boy Scouts of America move closer to a national festival, a southern West Virginia lawmaker is moving to protect the organization’s tax-exempt status.

    February 11, 2012

  • Snow Plow NWS issues winter weather warnings, advisories through Sunday

    Winter weather is here at last, bringing with it up to 8 inches of snow this weekend in some parts of southern West Virginia, according to the National Weather Service.

    February 11, 2012 1 Photo

  • Snow Plow NWS issues winter weather warnings, advisories

    Winter weather is here at last, bringing with it up to 8 inches of snow in some parts of southern West Virginia, according to the National Weather Service.

    February 10, 2012 1 Photo

  • Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Lionel Richie, Toby Keith music headliners for The Greenbrier Classic

    Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart with special guest Lionel Richie, and Toby Keith will headline the musical entertainment card for the 2012 Greenbrier Classic.
    Keith will perform on Wednesday, July 4 while Stewart and Richie are scheduled for Friday, July 6. Bon Jovi will wrap up the concert series on Saturday, July 7.
    For more information see Saturday’s edition of The Register-Herald.

    February 10, 2012

  • act Hundreds of students attend ACT career fair

    The Academy of Careers and Technology celebrated National Career Technical Education Month this week with a career fair ending today.
    Academy Principal Charles Pack explained that more than 600 Raleigh County students were scheduled to visit the facility between Feb. 6 and Feb. 10 to view interactive displays and learn about the educational opportunities available through career and technical training.

    February 10, 2012 1 Photo

  • Support grows for texting ban

    You can count House Judiciary Chairman Tim Miley among lawmakers who favor making texting while driving a primary offense.
    And his committee now holds the key to a Senate bill that would outlaw the practice, deemed universally dangerous by professional drivers, and by those who make and enforce the laws.

    February 10, 2012

  • Bill looks to revamp teacher evaluations

    West Virginia is considering expanding a teacher evaluation pilot program in order to seek a waiver from the constraints of a federal education law.
    The House Education Committee advanced a bill Thursday that would require all schools in the state to use the new teacher evaluation system by the 2013-2014 school year.
    The pilot program is in its first year and just 25 schools are participating, prompting questions whether it is too soon to take the program statewide.

    February 10, 2012

  • Pugh puts trust in trustees

    From the vantage point of his office across the street from the Mountain State University campus, Beckley Mayor Emmett Pugh said he has seen the school grow over the years.
    In the early 1990s, he said, it was a small two-year junior college and was nearly bankrupt.
    “Today they are a prime part of our economic development puzzle here in the city. They provide a lot of jobs and a very needed product — higher education — and I think they do a great job,” Pugh said.

    February 10, 2012