SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 18

(By Senators Unger, Stollings, Plymale, Laird, D. Hall, Miller and Fitzsimmons)

Recognizing the West Virginia Community Development Hub and its Communities of Achievement Program for its dedication to community development and its support and assistance of communities throughout West Virginia working to achieve robust, community-driven economic development.

    Whereas, The objective of the West Virginia Community Development Hub’s Communities of Achievement Program is to provide communities with the training, resources, coaching, tools, support and technical assistance to enable them to achieve measurable success on their locally determined and driven projects; and

    Whereas, The Hub’s Communities of Achievement Program provides this support through a challenge-centric, performance-driven community improvement program that requires community leaders to form community collaboration teams consisting of a diverse and committed group of community leaders; and

    Whereas, These community collaboration teams, comprised of community volunteers who contribute significant personal time, energy and wisdom, and who care deeply about their communities and the future of West Virginia, engage the broader community in the decision-making process and the implementation of their projects, and see this broader community engagement as central to robust community development in West Virginia; and

    Whereas, The 2010 West Virginia Community Development Hub’s Communities of Achievement Program included nine community collaboration teams, with teams from Ansted, Buckhannon, Doddridge County, Fairmont Southside, McDowell County, Mullens, Shinnston, Wayne County and Williamson, all of which achieved projects that measurably improved their communities; and

    Whereas, The 2013 West Virginia Community Development Hub’s Communities of Achievement Program engages six community collaboration teams from Belington, Chester, Clay County, Lincoln/Logan counties, Martinsburg and Wayne County that are implementing projects to improve their communities in diverse ways including increased educational attainment, industrial redevelopment, tourism development, enhanced recreation and 4-H facilities, historic downtown revitalization and more; and

    Whereas, The West Virginia Community Development Hub’s Communities of Achievement Program is committed to continued expansion of challenge-centric, performance-driven community development throughout the State of West Virginia through the development of future community collaboration teams and the training of community coaches to support the efforts of these teams; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate:

    That the Senate hereby recognizes the West Virginia Community Development Hub and its Communities of Achievement Program for its dedication to community development and its support and assistance of communities throughout West Virginia working to achieve robust, community-driven economic development; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the representatives of West Virginia Community Development Hub.