2016 Economic Summit

The NRGRDA stimulates the regional economy through business expansion and retention efforts, including an extensive portfolio of financial services, the management of sites for new companies locating to our region, and serving as a point of access for local service providers which offer a variety of technical assistance for business owners.

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

Thank you for considering joining us to find out what our political and economic forecast looks like in 2016 - 2017. For this year's summit, we've crafted each topic in a way that will help you navigate the upcoming year with ease. 
Copies of reports and presentation materials will be provided to each participant upon their arrival. Admission fees will cover these materials, beverages, and snacks for every attendee. 
  
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Time
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<TD STYLE="text-align: center;">Topic</TD>
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<TD>8am</TD>
<TD>Registration / Check-In  </TD>
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<TD>9am </TD>
<TD>United States Economic Outlook Ray Owen, Economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond  </TD>
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<TD>10am</TD>
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West Virginia & NRG Economic Outlook <A HREF="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johndeskins" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">John Deskins</A>, Director of WVU Bureau of Business & Economic Research  
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<TD>11am</TD>
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West Virginia University & WVU Tech Settling In  <A HREF="http://administration.wvutech.edu/presidents-bio" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Carolyn Long</A>, WVU Beckley/WVU Tech Campus President 
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<TD> 11:30am  </TD>
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Elections, Legislation, and Economic Development  <A HREF="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-helmick-22075a3" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Brian Helmick</A>, Spilman Thomas & Battle Corporate Attorney
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Featured Speakers:
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Ray Owens <IMG ALT="" SRC="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/136926381/rayowen.jpg" HEIGHT="150" WIDTH="150"> <IMG ALT="" SRC="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/136926381/fedreservelogo.png" HEIGHT="90" WIDTH="150">
 
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<TD STYLE="text-align: left;">Ray Owens is a senior economist and research advisor in the Research Department and has been with the Richmond Fed since 1983. Owens has published academic articles in fields as diverse as monetary policy, financial markets, and economic development policy, but he spends most of his time analyzing national and regional economic conditions. In addition, he frequently talks to groups on current economic developments and is regularly quoted in the financial press. Owens created the Richmond Fed’s monthly surveys of manufacturing and service sector activity. </TD>
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John Deskins <IMG ALT="" SRC="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/136926381/johndeskins.jpg" HEIGHT="150" WIDTH="150"> <IMG ALT="" SRC="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/136926381/b2ce2a6a0f8a41fc84a6eea2f57443dc.png" HEIGHT="24" WIDTH="150">
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<TD>John Deskins serves as Director of the Bureau of Business & Economic Research and Associate Professor of Economics at West Virginia University. John comes to WVU from
Creighton University where he spent eight years as a professor of Economics. He received his Ph.D. in Economics in 2005 from the University of Tennessee.
Deskins’ research has focused on US state economic development, small business economics, and government tax and expenditure policy, primarily at the US state level. Recent research topics have examined the relationship between state tax policy and entrepreneurial activity, the role of education spending in state economic growth, the extent to which tax planning activity has eroded state tax bases, and the degree to which small businesses can enhance state economic growth.
His work has appeared in outlets such as Public Finance Review, Economic Development Quarterly, Small Business Economics, Public Budgeting and Finance, Regional Studies, Annals of Regional Science, Tax Notes, and State Tax Notes. His work has also appeared in the books Taxing Corporate Income in the 21st Century,published by Cambridge University Press, and What Role for Property Taxes?, published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
 
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Brian Helmick <IMG ALT="" SRC="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/136926381/brianhelmick.jpg" HEIGHT="150" WIDTH="150"> <IMG ALT="" SRC="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/136926381/spilmanlogo.png" HEIGHT="33" WIDTH="150">
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<TD>Brian is an attorney with the law firm Spilman, Thomas & Battle, PLLC in Charleston, West Virginia, with a focus on public and project finance, economic development and business expansion, governmental relations, and governmental representation, with an emphasis on public-private partnership projects.  Brian represents and counsels both public and private clients on general corporate, board matters, public and project financings, construction contracts, state and local tax incentives, property acquisition, land use planning, and legislative consulting. 
Brian served as Deputy Secretary and General Counsel to the West Virginia Department of Commerce from May 2005 to July 2006 and served as Counsel to the Committee on Government Organization in the West Virginia House of Delegates during the 2004 Regular Legislative Session.
Brian was born and raised in Marlinton, WV (Pocahontas County) and now resides in Charleston with his wife Colleen their 5 children. Brian is ranked in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Corporate/Commercial; listed in Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law; listed by Super Lawyers/ West Virginia for Government Relations.
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Carolyn Long <IMG ALT="" SRC="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/136926381/carolynlong.jpg" HEIGHT="150" WIDTH="150"> <IMG ALT="" SRC="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/136926381/wvutechlogo.png" HEIGHT="26" WIDTH="150">
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An educator at heart, Carolyn Long has spent her career serving as a teacher and administrator in the West Virginia public school and higher education systems. She was the first female board chairperson of the West Virginia University Board of Governors and the first female county superintendent for Braxton County Schools. She currently is the Campus President at West Virginia University Institute of Technology. Long received her Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Fairmont State College in 1970, after which she worked as a fifth-grade teacher at Big Chimney Elementary School in Charleston, West Virginia for five years. She accepted a position as a Title I Teacher at Little Birch Elementary in 1975 where she taught for six years. As the mother of a young son, she accepted a position as a bookkeeper and began working towards her master’s degree, which she received in educational administration from the West Virginia University College of Graduate Studies in 1986.
Long accepted a position on the West Virginia University Board of Governors in 2007 and served as the chairperson from 2008-2011. In December 2011, she agreed to lead WVU Tech during a time of revitalization and transition. Under her leadership, and with the assistance of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, WVU and the State Legislature, WVU Tech is making tremendous progress, including a more than 10 percent enrollment increase in Fall 2013.
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Stephen Christian <IMG ALT="" SRC="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/136926381/christian.jpg" HEIGHT="150" WIDTH="150"> <IMG ALT="" SRC="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/136926381/nrgrdadarklogo.png" HEIGHT="68" WIDTH="150">
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<P STYLE="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #666666; font-family: Arimo, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;">Stephen Christian, a native of Huntington, WV, began serving as the Executive Director of the organization in September of 2016. He joins the organization after having served as the Executive Director of the Berkeley County Development Authority since January of 2008.  Stephen earned a B.S. in Marketing Management, and a BFA in Theater from Syracuse University.  As a graduate of The Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma, a Certified Economic Developer by the International Economic Development Council, and graduate of the Leadership Berkeley and Leadership West Virginia programs, we believe Stephen is exceptionally qualified to lead the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority.
<P STYLE="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #666666; font-family: Arimo, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;">Since 1997 his efforts have been instrumental in recruiting over 17,000 new jobs and over a billion dollars of capital investment to West Virginia from various industrial classifications.  He spent four years as Senior Economic Development Manager for Governor Cecil Underwood in The West Virginia Development Office, where his successful projects included customer service operations centers for <A STYLE="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; color: #648212; text-decoration: none;" HREF="http://amazon.com/" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Amazon.Com</A>, United Airlines, and Ticket-Master, also distribution and manufacturing facilities for General Motors, Orgill Hardware, Ralph Lauren and the  Macy’s 1.3 million square feet E-Commerce fulfillment center. In February 2015, after years of recruiting processes, Steve announced that Berkeley County would be the home of Procter & Gamble’s newest state of the art multi-product manufacturing plant.
<P STYLE="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #666666; font-family: Arimo, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;">In his new role, Christian is responsible for the formulation and management of a comprehensive economic development program for the Authority’s four-county region of Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh and Summers counties
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In the past, this event has been hosted on separate days and by separate entities. In an effort to use attendees' time efficiently, and further a truly regional approach, the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and West Virginia University have partnered to produce this event in one day. We hope you'll join us!

Tamarack

We're sorry we missed you! If you think there's still time, call (304) 254-8115, and we'll help get you in the door if we can.

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2016 Economic Summit

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2016 Economic Summit

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