As a community coach, I facilitate community development teams in rural communities. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development provides resources and technical assistance to help local teams transform downtowns in a transitioning economy. Each community has smart, dedicated people learning by doing and it’s pretty inspiring. Here are some of the organizations and efforts I’m proud to be associated with:

• Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development
• Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation
• Opportunity Southwest Virginia
• Virginia Oyster Trail
• Big Lick Soup

I spend a good deal of time helping communities and organizations have better conversations, to get better results. I facilitate conversations, design meetings, and coach others to work with groups. Here are a few of the projects I’ve worked with while at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

• Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Commission—cultural asset aggregation workshops in 15 rural counties, staff retreats
• Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway—staff development and retreat facilitation
• Round the Mountain: Southwest Virginia Artisans Network—retreat facilitation, strategic planning
• Artisans Center of Virginia—strategic retreat facilitations 2012, 2013, 2014
• The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail—regional board facilitation, strategic planning
• Clinch River Valley Initiative—Downtown Revitalization and Hometowns of the Clinch action group facilitation
• The Virginia Oyster Trail—management team member, planning retreat facilitation
• Stronger Economies Together (SET)—State coach, regional planning facilitator and trainer 2013-4, 2015-6
• Southern Virginia Creative Economy Regional Planning Workshop —design and facilitation
• New River Valley Planning Commission District—communications planning retreat
• Roanoke Valley Alleghany Highlands Regional Commission—planners input discussion
• Blue Ridge Parkway 75^th Anniversary—Virginia outreach sessions
• Blue Ridge Parkway Association Board—Board facilitation
• Teen Venture: Richlands, VA—strategic planning and board development
• Council of Community Services, Council of State Community Development Agencies—board retreat facilitation
• City of Radford—City Council strategic retreat facilitations (2011, 2012)
• Communities of Abingdon, Bedford, Coeburn, Dungannon, Haysi, Glade Spring, Jonesville, Nickelsville, Pocahontas, Radford, Roanoke, Rural Retreat, and Wytheville—public meeting and community visioning facilitation
• Virginia Main Street nonprofit organizations and committees: Abingdon, Bedford, Marion, Martinsville, Radford, Rocky Mount, Staunton, Woodstock—strategic planning, work planning, meeting facilitation
• Chestnut Creek School of the Arts: Galax, VA—strategic planning and board development