Andy Davis

Andy Davis grew up in the southern Appalachian foothills where the outdoors often served as a secondary classroom. Regular visits to West Virginia inspired a move to the Mountain State after getting a degree in Environmental Sciences from Georgia College. Working through the AmeriCorps VISTA program stoked a passion for civic engagement and collaborative planning which led him to pursue a graduate degree in Municipal Sustainability at Indiana University. He now works as the Director of Strategic Redevelopment for the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and focuses on connecting the dots of rural economic revival.

Catherine Gooding

Catherine Gooding is the Economic Development Specialist and Research Associate at the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center at Marshall University. In this role, she supports brownfield revitalization projects through a range of technical assistance including site reuse planning, environmental site assessments, and grant writing support. She is a partner of the Appalachian Community Transformation (ACT) Now Coalition and Mid-Atlantic Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) program, and a 2025 Generation West Virginia Fellow. Catherine is also the team lead for the Abandoned Properties Coalition’s Vacant Schools Team, with which she convenes statewide leaders to investigate the unique challenges and opportunities of vacant school redevelopment. Previously, she served two terms as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the Honors College at WVU.

A proud West Virginian, she is passionate about building an economically and environmentally strong future for her home state. Catherine holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Wellesley College. In her spare time, Catherine is usually playing flute with the Hoot & Holler Community Marching Band, hiking in WV state parks, or watching Formula 1 with her cat Callie.

Kaleb hanshaw

Kaleb is the husband of Christa Hanshaw and the father of their children, Abby, Anna, Rebekah, Silas, Eleanor, and River. A native of Mingo County, West Virginia, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. Kaleb is a certified permaculturalist through the Permaculture Research Institute under Geoff Lawton in Lisbane, Australia.

Prior to joining Coalfield, Kaleb served as a youth and college pastor in Bartow, Florida, and Delbarton, West Virginia. His passion for mentorship, combined with a commitment to regenerative agriculture, led him to join Coalfield in 2020 as Crew Chief for the Mingo County Crew. In 2024, Kaleb assumed the role of Director of Reclamation and Remediation, where he continues to expand efforts to reclaim and restore minelands across Appalachia.

Kaleb is the founder of The Wild Country which teaches permaculture design and philosophy, stewards land acquisition agreements, and provides project management.

Contact Kaleb at khanshaw@coalfield-development.org.

Dylan M. Harris

Dylan M. Harris is an assistant professor of geography and environmental studies at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). His work focuses on the stories we tell (and don’t tell) about socioecological change, focusing specifically on the procedural elements of climate and energy justice. He is interested in work that exists at the intersection of change, drawing from what he terms experimental and speculative political ecology to critically study the unequal power structures informing many “transition” projects (e.g., carbon offsets) while also aiming to disrupt them, pointing towards more equitable possibilities, through interventionist research.

Stacy Henderson

Stacy Henderson, a proud native of the one-stoplight town of Richwood, West Virginia, has dedicated her career to empowering communities across the state. As the Community Coaching Programs Director at the West Virginia Community Development Hub, she takes a hands-on approach, working alongside local leaders to transform ideas into tangible actions. Her work spans critical areas such as housing, workforce development, downtown revitalization, placemaking, and outdoor recreation-based economic development. Stacy’s mission is to help communities pinpoint their priorities, foster partnerships, overcome challenges, and implement strategies that are true to their unique strengths, values, and aspirations.

With over a decade of experience in higher education and philanthropy, Stacy has made significant contributions as the Executive Director of the Nicholas County Community Foundation and at New River Community and Technical College. She is a proud graduate of Concord University and the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Leadership Institute. Recognized as a WV Wonder Woman and featured in The State Journal’s 40 Under 40, Stacy is a beacon of leadership in her field.

Stacy resides in Fairmont with her husband and their blended family, which includes two young adult daughters and two stepsons, you can often find them on the rail trail or at a State Park.

John David Johnson

John David Johnson is the West Virginia State University Extension (WVSU) Agriculture Specialist. He was born and raised on an agricultural operation in southern Georgia. He attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (A.S. in Animal Science), then Oklahoma State University (B.S. in Animal Science), and finally Mississippi State University (M.S. in Animal Science).

Johnson became the WVU Extension agricultural agent in Jackson County, WV, in 2010, where he worked for more than a decade with WV agricultural producers and landowners, many of whom struggled with heirs’ property issues. One of his first programs as WVSU agricultural specialist in 2023 was the implementation of a series of workshops in West Virginia communities focused on addressing challenges faced by heirs’ property owners. These workshops bring a wealth of knowledge, including local and state resources as well as specialized legal advice from land-use attorneys to individuals who need it most.

Rick Landenberger, Ph.D.

Dr. Rick Landenberger is the Science and Management Specialist for the West Virginia Land Trust, via a contract with West Virginia University where he is Associate Service Professor of Geography in the Department of Geology & Geography. He is a certified Senior Ecologist, and has published his research in various peer reviewed journals including Plant Ecology, Urban Ecosystems, Forest Ecology and Management, Biological Invasions, Canadian Journal of Botany, Remote Sensing of Environment, International Journal of Remote Sensing, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, Geocarto International, and many others. He now focuses on land management for the West Virginia Land Trust, where he focuses on forest restoration, trail design and construction, and preserve planning.

Anna Leisher

Anna Leisher is a community facilitator and brownfields planning specialist. Formally trained as an educator and landscape architect, Anna brings more than a decade of experience in brownfield, river, and trail-focused planning and design. Anna is passionate about implementing inclusive participatory design processes and asset mapping to inform planning and design. She loves engaging with communities to take a close look at sites that are no longer benefiting them and to explore the possibilities for reuse.

Anna earned her masters degree in landscape architecture and environmental design at West Virginia University and also holds a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. Anna has worked on more than 40 brownfield redevelopment projects and related programs throughout U.S. EPA Region 3 and across the nation

Jennifer liddle

Jennifer Liddle has worked in the environmental resources field for over 15 years with most of the past 10 years extensively working on water quality projects related to unregulated stormwater runoff pollution in Southern West Virginia communities. She managed state water quality grants, oversaw federal grants working on stream restoration projects, alternative wastewater solutions from acid mine drainage to household waste, taught stream monitoring, and watershed education and supervised VISTA members working with watershed associations. Prior to joining the WVDEP, she worked as a field biologist throughout the country working for various nonprofits, universities, and state agencies conducting bird and plant surveys, prescribed burning, and wetland and coastal dune restoration. Jennifer joined the Office of Environmental Remediation a year ago to become the Statewide Brownfields Coordinator. Her past experience and passion to work with community members to improve the local environment parallel often with the same wonderful people dedicated to make their community a better place.

Jennifer is a native to central Florida, where she spent time riding her bike, playing with her friends, and swimming at the coast and in the freshwater springs. Her family took her camping and hiking and had family adventures in the Appalachian Mountains. As her heroes were researchers and ecologists, that is where she followed their footsteps to be outdoors doing something she felt passionate about. She earned her B.S. Degree in Natural Resource Conservation at the University of Florida and completed M.S. course work in Interdisciplinary Ecology. When she is not working, you can find her spending time with her two sons hiking or swimming or with friends enjoying the rivers or live music on the weekends.

Autumn Long

Autumn Long directs the Appalachian Solar Finance Fund, a financial and technical assistance program designed to catalyze renewable, efficient, and resilient energy projects in communities across Central Appalachia. For the past decade, Autumn has specialized in solar energy project development and financing, policy advocacy, and community engagement. She holds a NABCEP PV Associate certification, an M.A. from West Virginia University, and a B.Phil. from the University of Pittsburgh. Born and raised in West Virginia, Autumn lives in Fayetteville, where she chairs the board of New Roots Community Farm and enjoys climbing, paddling, trail running, hiking, and playing music.

Ray Moeller

Ray graduated from Western Michigan University and worked for 28 years in the pharmaceutical industry before escaping to West Virginia over a decade ago. Starting as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the New River Gorge Region, Ray facilitated community development initiatives and soon transitioned to an Extension position, working within the same region. Seven years ago, Ray took the leap north to work in the Brownfield Assistance Center at WVU. He primarily provides on-the-ground technical assistance support for statewide Downtown Redevelopment Initiatives and leads the statewide Downtown Appalachia Working Group in enhancing the effectiveness of these efforts. Ray is always looking forward to what comes next!

Josh Nease

Over the last 20 years, Josh’s work has supported sustainability and community development in West Virginia and Virginia. Through work at The Mountain Institute, Trout Unlimited, Virginia Tech, and Radford University, he’s had the opportunity to create and shape several new programs and organizations that are focused on developing solutions to a range of shared challenges that benefit people and place. Josh currently serves as Executive Director for the Mon Forest Towns Partnership where he leads efforts to support towns in pursuing their goals related to growing a strong, sustainable outdoor economy that enhances the quality of life for residents. Josh and his family reside in Tucker County where they recreate in the Mon and on West Virginia’s other public lands as often as possible.

Kenzie New Walker

Mackenzie (Kenzie) New Walker has worked as the Executive Director of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum since 2018. Kenzie grew up in the southern West Virginia coalfields as the daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of union coal miners. At the museum, she takes a hands-on approach to guiding organizational vision, spearheading fundraising and development, and fostering community partnerships that preserve the stories and places of the region.

She is a graduate of Marshall University, currently serves as the Board Chair of Coalfield Development, and runs a small business with her husband. She has overseen several landmark museum initiatives, including the 2021 Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial, the acquisition and development of the historic Cecil E. Roberts Building, and the Courage in the Hollers and Mine Wars Towns project. Kenzie was named a WV Wonder Woman in 2021.

Contact Kenzie by phone at 304-691-0014 or by email at kenzie@wvminewars.org.

Carly o’dell Jones

Carly O’Dell Jones is an Assistant Planner at the City of Fairmont, WV. She has a degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Resources from West Virginia University, and also has a background in GIS, mapping, and deed and property research. Fairmont is Carly’s hometown and she is fueled by a vision of turning Fairmont into a place where people want to live, work, play, and thrive. While she watched classmates and peers move away after high school and college, Carly always felt a strong connection to Fairmont, and it has always been a top priority to stick around and stay invested.

Carly has worked on all different aspects of EPA Brownfield Grants and redevelopment projects. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Main Street Fairmont, where she is deeply involved in planning and implementing events for the community throughout the year, including a grant-funded Kid’s Craft Club. She is also very passionate about taking care of the environment and can regularly be found picking up trash as a founding member of Clean Up Marion County.

Becca Phillips

Becca Phillips is the Outreach and Education Manager for the Brownfields Assistance Center at West Virginia University. Becca earned her degrees from Utah State University, specifically a bachelor’s degree in marketing and master’s degree in instructional leadership. Though relatively new to the world of brownfields, Becca has worked in community development for over 15 years. In her current role, she engages communities and partners across the region by facilitating trainings, webinars, conferences, and communications about the brownfield redevelopment process, environmental assessments, planning, EPA Brownfields Grants, and associated redevelopment resources.

Contact Becca at becca.phillips@mail.wvu.edu.

Kim Reed

Kim Reed serves as the City Manager for the City of Nitro and Executive Director of the Nitro Land Reuse Authority, the City’s land bank. She joined the City in 2018 as City Planner and served in that role until being appointed City Manager in October 2025. During her tenure, she has led a wide range of transformative initiatives focused on revitalization, transparency, and long-term growth, including launching a citywide demolition program funded through the WVDEP REAP Program, implementing Nitro’s first GIS mapping system for zoning and stormwater infrastructure, updating the City’s comprehensive plan and zoning code, and expanding public access through modernized online ordinances and payment systems.

Passionate about civic government and community development, Kim is committed to building a stronger future for Nitro through strategic planning, legislative advocacy, and economic development, and her work in municipal leadership has received statewide recognition. Kim lives in Nitro with her husband, Jerry, daughter, Sydney, and their dog, Bowie, and remains focused on what’s next for her hometown.

Jesse Richardson

Jesse J. Richardson, Jr. is the Hale J. and Roscoe P. Posten Professor of Law and the Lead Land Use Attorney at the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic at the West Virginia University College of Law and the Legal Advisor for Water Systems Council. Richardson received his B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He has represented owners of heirs property in his private law practice as well as working on the issue at West Virginia University. His present project seeks to gather information on the nature and extent of heirs property in the state, organize a network of owners of heirs property, and gather information on and educate attorneys in West Virginia willing to assist landowners, planners, land banks, and other groups grappling with heirs property.

Contact Jesse by phone at 304-293-9460 or by email at jesse.richardson@mail.wvu.edu.

Breanna Shell

Bre Shell, AICP is an urban planner based in Huntington, West Virginia. Over her 12-year tenure with the City of Huntington’s Planning Department, she led the office from a one-person operation into a robust five-person team and served as Planning Director. Under her leadership, the city completed two Comprehensive Plan updates and modernized its Zoning Ordinance to align with a vision for growth and livability. A champion for active transportation and public health, Bre led the expansion of the Paul Ambrose Trail for Health (PATH) while developing a long-term maintenance strategy to ensure its sustainability. Working collaboratively, she has shaped several complete streets plans, multi-modal transportation design and construction projects, including the redesign of a key state highway corridor into a more accessible, people-centered gateway into the city. Bre has served on the West Virginia Complete Streets Advisory Board and currently leads as President of the West Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association and Secretary of WV TRAIL, a statewide advocacy group for non-motorized trails in WV.

Tammy Sneed

Tammy has served as a Hazard Mitigation Project Officer with the WV Emergency Management Division (WVEMD) since November 2022, managing and supporting Hazard Mitigation Grants and Application Processes. She is currently responsible for progress reporting, grant management, subrecipient technical support, and application development and processing. Tammy's previous experience includes serving as a Program Liaison for the CDBG-DR Program at VOAD and as a Recovery Associate for Public Assistance at WVEMD, as a Teacher's Aide with Kanawha County Board of Education, as a Provider Service Representative with Blue Cross Blue Shield, and as a Customer Service Specialist, Account Representative, and Operator with AT&T.

Contact Tammy by phone at 304-957-2572 or by email at tammy.m.sneed@wv.gov.

Leah turgeon

Leah Turgeon is the West Virginia State Director for Solar United Neighbors (SUN), a national nonprofit working to change our energy system with rooftop solar at the cornerstone. She believes in cultivating stewardship through fostering connections to the natural world. She is committed to promoting energy independence by organizing resources and advocating for pro-solar policy that will achieve equitable access to solar energy. Through these efforts her goal is to help shift current energy paradigms, resulting in positive impacts on climate, health, and our economy in order to ensure a healthy, safe, and peaceful world for future generations to come.

Nuvia Villamizar

Information Systems Engineer with master’s degrees in GIS and Public Administration. Nuvia brings over 20 years of experience in emergency and disaster management, including the last decade with the West Virginia Emergency Management Division. She specializes in geospatial technologies, process optimization, technological integration, spatial data infrastructure, and ERP implementation across international, multi‑stakeholder projects.

Bill Woodrum

Bill Woodrum is the Senior Program Officer for Community and Economic Development with the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. In this role, he manages a broad portfolio of programs focused on building resilient communities and a vibrant economy for West Virginia. Prior to his current role with Benedum, Bill co-founded the WV Entrepreneurship Ecosystem and worked in several programs promoting economic development, technology commercialization, and small business development.

Bill’s career has been dedicated to public service. He has spent time as Executive Director of both regional and statewide non-profit agencies and worked for more than 20 years in university outreach. Bill holds a Bachelor of Arts from Marshall University and received his Master of Science in Human and Community Resource Development from The Ohio State University. He lives in Winfield, WV with his wife and son on land that has been in his family since 1820.

Contact Bill by phone at 412-246-3644 or by email at bwoodrum@benedum.org.

Lydia Work

Ms. Work has over 25 years of analytical quality assurance experience as well as extensive applied geoscience experience in the area of assessment and remediation. Ms. Work has provided project management and strategic consulting services to private industry, manufacturers, developers, municipalities, non-profits, as well as state and federal regulators across various programs including Voluntary Remediation and Brownfields, ASTM Environmental Site Assessments, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), and Superfund.

As a Licensed Remediation Specialist (LRS), Ms. Work has been successful in achieving Certificates of Completion for her clients across a diverse segment of properties from former industrial sites, rail lines, mining/quarrying properties, and fueling stations to orchard land. As Operations Manager, Ms. Work leads a strong team of environmental professionals and engineers operating out of Valley Forge, PA. As Principal Chemist, Ms. Work undertakes process improvement initiatives, provides analytical data verification and validation oversight, manages commercial laboratory compliance audits to ascertain a laboratory’s ability to meet client and project requirements and audit their quality management systems.