Release from Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College:
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College has hired business development professional Kristina J. Oliver to take the reins of program administrator.
This new role establishes an Entrepreneurship and Business Coaching Center in a 9 county region hosted through the college. It is a joint effort funded through the Appalachian Region Commission POWER initiative between Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College based in Mt. Gay and Hatfield-McCoy Trails, an ATV trail system in Southern West Virginia.
Oliver comes to the initiative with over 30 years of business expertise, ranging from founding and running her own businesses in advertising and consulting, freelancing as a designer and lecturer, and as a professor at West Virginia University. She was recently the state director of the West Virginia Small Business Development Center.
“This initiative is just the sort of thing that I do,” Oliver said. “I’ve started my own successful businesses and I’ve coached many entrepreneurs when they started their own, so I’ve been on both sides of the effort. Southern West Virginia is just ripe for entrepreneurial opportunities, and people here are eager to put their ideas to work for themselves.”
Oliver continued, “There is so much talent in this region. Talent that is both creative and business-minded. It’s all a matter of connecting that talent to the right opportunities, and helping others to learn how to steer their own ideas as they take the wheel for their own futures. That’s what I do and it is a great joy to be able to play that role, working with my fellow West Virginians as we reach for economic vitality.”
Jeffrey Lusk, executive director of the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority, said, “We are truly excited to partner with Southern and their new Entrepreneurship and Business Coaching Center. We look forward to working with them and with Kristina as their new director, as we strive to accommodate the growing demand for more lodging, restaurants, and activities for tourists riding the trails.
“With its new Center, Southern will be a valuable resource to all businesses, both new and existing,” Lusk added. “All of them will be able to profit from the growing ATV tourism in Southern West Virginia.”
The Entrepreneurship and Business Coaching Center is an entity focused on aiding the people of the Southern Coalfields in starting their own businesses through training while encouraging a tourism-based economy. The Center’s purpose is to provide entrepreneurial training, meaningful referrals and business coaching. Those interested in learning more can call 304-541-0246 or email at [email protected].
