Today we have a great conversation with Jina Belcher. Jina was born and raised in Welch, WV. After starting her own business at 16 years old, Jina was the first student to receive the McKelvey Foundation Entrepreneurial Scholarship during their junior year of high school. After graduating from Concord University in 2009 with a B.S. in Recreation and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Event Planning & Promotions, Jina returned home to assist her family in expanding the only non-profit food pantry in McDowell County.
In February 2019, Jina officially joined the NRGRDA as Director of Business Development. Combining her previous community development skills with her background in finance and social enterprise will allow her to provide the New River Gorge region with resources and expertise needed to grow the thriving economy of Southern WV.
Today we have a great conversation with Jina Belcher. Jina was born and raised in Welch, WV. After starting her own business at 16 years old, Jina was the first student to receive the McKelvey Foundation Entrepreneurial Scholarship during their junior year of high school. After graduating from Concord University in 2009 with a B.S. in Recreation and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Event Planning & Promotions, Jina returned home to assist her family in expanding the only non-profit food pantry in McDowell County.
In February 2019, Jina officially joined the NRGRDA as Director of Business Development. Combining her previous community development skills with her background in finance and social enterprise will allow her to provide the New River Gorge region with resources and expertise needed to grow the thriving economy of Southern WV.
This is Change in the Coalfields, a podcast by Coalfield Development, all about change in Appalachia, what change has happened, what change is happening and what change still needs to happen. I'm your host Brandon Dennison, founder and CEO of Coalfield Development. Really excited this week to have Jina Belcher who's the executive director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority. Many of us know it as the NRG RDA. And Jina, welcome to the podcast.
Jina Belcher:Thanks so much for having me, Brandon. I'm excited for the conversation.
Brandon Dennison:And Jina is a friend and colleague, she actually had an amazing stint as part of the Coalfield Development family and we collaborate now in a number of projects so this is special to have a chance to chat with you.
Jina Belcher:Yeah, absolutely. I'm excited though the role I'm in now definitely pulls together a lot of what I learned while I was at Coalfields, so that experience was invaluable in my new role.
Brandon Dennison:You grew up in West Virginia, right?
Jina Belcher:Yep, I grew up born and raised in McDowell County, West Virginia, and have never left West Virginia actually, I've always resided in southern West Virginia specifically.
Brandon Dennison:In it for the long haul deep, deep roots.
Jina Belcher:In it for the long haul. Yeah, my parents are still in McDowell County. We are currently in Wyoming County. And obviously my my organization serves a four county region of Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas and Summers County. So I do not ever see myself leaving the deep roots of Appalachia in southern West Virginia, for sure.
Brandon Dennison:When you think of growing up in McDowell County, what what pops right to mind for you?
Jina Belcher:Yeah, so actually just shared this experience with a friend of mine, that, you know, it wasn't, you know, growing up in McDowell County was sort of a unique experience, especially because my parents were always really actively involved in the community and their Christian faith like led us to a lot of faith-based communities to be a part of. So I always just remember, sort of just the community feel that we grew up there, right, like the hometown feel, that everybody sort of just always pitched in for one another, and they just got stuff done, right, they had the grit to just get it done. And so now that I've sort of, you know, obviously, we still visit McDowell often, you know, weekly, sometimes two times a week, but sort of shifting into a different part of the site more centrally located. And to the north of southern West Virginia, I sort of am able to reflect on growing up in McDowell County and just recognize the resiliency of the people there, right, they have gone through so much change, especially as one of the largest coal producing counties in West Virginia, as they, you know, watch that coal decline in the economy. And in McDowell County, they've really just had this sense of resiliency to try to figure out how to continue to have that community and pick up with one another. And so honestly, there's there's never a time that I don't go down there that I'm still not welcomed by folks that I went to church with when I was little and school teachers that you know, have since retired and, and really, and I use that in my work now. And because growing up and McDowell just it drives this innate ability to be able to intimately connect with people, and you don't see that a lot, especially in the work that we do and working across the professional sector. So I'm fortunate that I picked up that trait from growing up is like to just make sure that...
Brandon Dennison:people are real genuine.
Jina Belcher:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just meet people where they're at, like, you know, and make sure you're just intimately and emotionally connecting with those people. And so I think that's really what I've carried on into into this work, and we'll continue to do.
Brandon Dennison:Do you feel like folks, there's 55 counties, you know, do you feel like folks in the other 54 counties - do they really understand McDowell County?
Jina Belcher:Oh, no, no, you know, and the frustrating part about that is is is you know, as well as I do that a lot of things that are portrayed in the media are not always accurate, and so so no, definitely not. And it's very frustrating to see that some of the portrayals by folks that come down and visit people in McDowell are skewed. And it's sort of just this disparaging narrative. You know, I don't think that people get it. And honestly, again, working in in the four counties that I work in, there are a lot of like-minded folks that were in McDowell. But I don't think that unless you're from there, that you really get it that you see the potential and you see the hope that those people still continue to carry around. And it's actually funny, and in a lot of the work I do, especially in Raleigh County, the majority of the folks came from McDowell and they're like, "Oh, I grew up in Bradshaw. Oh, I grew up in you know, wherever." I'm like, the best people come from McDowell and like some of the biggest changemakers come from McDowell. So no, I don't think unless you've been there that you can, you can really get it and really understand it, especially not using the outside narrative to judge those folks who just don't get it.
Brandon Dennison:I know you've interacted with a lot of national media players, you know, national leaders, big names - Do you ever get the sense that sometimes folks are...they come with a story already written? And this is for all southern West Virginia, you know, not just McDowell?
Jina Belcher:Yeah, absolutely. I mean, and that's why we're really, you know, careful with what we're interacting with. You know, we saw a piece just the other day, we just were awarded the newest National Park, right. Like, I love to say, "That's my park, like, it's in my county, like, it's my park," right. And somebody like put out this piece that they literally when I read it, they took quotes from one of my board members from my press release that we put out about the park totally skewed it to be a negative piece. And I was like, you've got to be kidding me. Like they didn't even interview with this individual. They just took what we put out as a positive press release, and totally skewed it to make this"some of the locals are not excited about the park." And I'm like, who has this kind of time? Like, you know, why? Why are you trying to just cast this disparaging narrative on McDowell and southern West Virginia. And so, you know, they come with an MO, and they come with a motive. And so we definitely try our best to make sure we're pumping out positive press as much as we can in southern West Virginia.
Brandon Dennison:So you mentioned your parents, what did they do as you were growing up?
Jina Belcher:My dad was a coal miner. He was a mine foreman, and he was a safety foreman for 32 years. He retired from US Steel 50. And the year before they bought out to Cleveland Cliffs. My mom was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom. Fefore she and my dad were married, she also worked in the coal industry in bookkeeping for a coal company, it was Cannelton coal company. But my mom was super active in our school and was PTA, PTO president and was always had something going on. And then my dad is also a retired Methodist pastor. So when I was growing up, he had a three church charge. So every Sunday morning, we traveled McDowell County to three different churches for him to preach starting at seven in the morning and going all the way through lunch. So that's, again, how we built a lot of those relationships that we still have to this day. And then now my dad has retired, I guess, what three times now and and they operate a nonprofit food bank called Five Loaves and Two Fishes Food Bank that also receives a lot of accolades and gets to host a lot of fun celebrities that come to McDowell. And now my dad most recently has shifted and is working for a nonprofit water equity group from California that is trying to provide clean water access to all of Appalachia, starting in McDowell, which is called Dig Deep. So they've definitely had a pivot. You know, my dad is 73 years old, my mom is 65. And so they're never gonna stop. I don't know. And I'm so proud of them especially because they're always willing to learn and pivot their mentality. And so watching my dad come from the coal industry into, you know, a water equality industry is like, huge for me, and they're always learning.
Brandon Dennison:It's incredible. Honestly, it's it's very inspiring.
Jina Belcher:Yeah, it's such such a cool story, and I'm super proud of the work that they do and continue to do.
Brandon Dennison:I want to go back to those three churches. I hadn't heard that from you before. So just tell me some details there. How are the three churches similar? How are they different? Did you have a favorite?
Jina Belcher:Oh, yeah. So it's funny. We are Methodist. Right. And the churches that might have pastored were literally opposite ends of McDowell. So like, it was literally...it was like a roadshow every Sunday morning, right. And so we would go down to Iaeger first thing in the morning, and he would preach down there and Iaeger was his hometown. So the people that were in that church were the older people, you know, because it was a small church, were the older people that like he grew up with in Iaeger. My dad was raised by a single mother, his dad was an alcoholic and had abandoned them at a young age. So it was really one of those situations where the community raised my dad, right. My grandmother worked, she went to work in bookkeeping every single day. And my dad was a latchkey kid. And so at any given time, he was in Shirley's flower shop, or he was over, you know, wherever, with the community helping my grandma take care of him. And we visited that Ieager church and those were the people that that helped raise him. And then we would travel over to Welch, and he would preach in Welch, which is where I was born and raised. That was a lot of the folks that you know, I've known and still continue to know- they've hosted my, you know, wedding showers, my baby showers like all of the events in the church. And so that's, that's the church I was I was raised in. Then we would go over to Pageton, and Pageton church was... it was a fallen down little shack of a church but had the best people in it. And there was a bridge that you had to walk up on...it had to be 100 steps...walk across this shaky wooden bridge to get over to this little hole in the wall, shoved in a corner of a cave on the side of the hillside church. And it was nothing and I remember it like it, you know, there were a lot of kids in that church. It was nothing. I mean, it was it was infested with snakes, right. There were snakes everywhere outside of that church because it was literally in the side of a mountain. It was nothing for us to walk across that bridge and Rick Hurt, one of the guys in the church that helped take care of it, would take a pistol off his side and shoot a copperhead on the sidewalk, and we'd go in and have church, and we'd come right back out. And it was there were so many good memories there. And so yeah, it was it was an interesting experience. Each of the churches had their own unique sort of personality in the in the folks that were there. But again, it was that resiliency, right? Like you went from the older people in Ieager to the younger sort of holler grown individuals in Pageton and it was just a real fun experience that helped shape a lot of, a lot of who I am now.
Brandon Dennison:Was the sermon the same for all three, like, would you have it memorized by the end of the morning?
Jina Belcher:Yeah, usually it was. And my dad has always had this phrase, he is a catchphrase guy, right. And one of his phrases was "if you haven't struggle in 20 minutes, you're drilling on dry land." Which meant - he didn't preach long, right? We didn't get along and what and that was, that was what he always said. And my mom always taught children's church each week too. So she would do the children's sermon, she always had an object lesson. And so honestly, a lot of what I learned during during that time, and and recall is like, based on those object lessons that she always provided, you know. It was nothing for us to learn about being equally yoked, and she literally had brown and white eggs, you know, so, um, so yeah, it was it was just a fun experience. And it again has, it is nothing for me to run into people that I went to church with in that Pageton to church. And we remember, remember the dynamic and and really can connect. The church has since fallen down, obviously, it was in shambles when I was a kid. But some really great people were in that church.
Brandon Dennison:You talked about your dad's quotes, and you shared one in a meeting that I have not forgotten, and I use all the time. And if I get it a little bit wrong, feel free to correct me. But everybody's got garbage. And eventually, you got to take it out to the stoop and leave it.
Jina Belcher:Yeah. And so that is very much a quote that my mom and dad have have always instilled in us, because they both had very difficult childhoods, right. I shared that my dad's dad was an alcoholic. My mom's mom died when my mom was five, they have no brothers and sisters, I have no aunts and uncles and very, very distant cousins. So our family is small and close. And you know, they could have carried those situations through their whole life. But at some point, you got to just let it go. And so you've got to put that trash in a bag, you got to take that bag to the sidewalk, and you let it go, you got to let the garbage pick it up and just take it because you know, you cannot, you've got to overcome those challenges, overcome those stigmas. And that's a lot of what Appalachia is right, is overcoming stigmas. And at some point, we've just got to put the trash on the corner, and just let it get taken off and figure out how we're going to move on in a positive way. So yeah, that's definitely one that sticks in our house.
Brandon Dennison:Oh, that's such a strong message. Yeah, I get chills actually hearing that from you again. So you grew up in McDowell County, very much part of the community and then you went to Concord?
Jina Belcher:Yep. I went to Concord University. I guess it was this first year that it was a university and not just the college. So I lived in Princeton and commuted because I worked at Cracker Barrel my entire college career and so worked there and then went to Concord and actually got my undergrad in Rec and Tourism Management, which is coming in very handy with the new National Park, right. So when we're going back to trail development, hospitality management, recreation, infrastructure, clean water access, it's all coming back to me. So I received my undergrad at Concord. And I actually as of yesterday, made the decision that I'm going to go back Concord - they just announced their MBA program. So I'm, you know, taking that jump I have wanted to get my masters for quite some time. And when Concord announced that yesterday, I said I need an I'm gonna go ahead and move forward towards my MBA in the Fall.
Brandon Dennison:Congrats good for you!
Jina Belcher:Obviously have a huge support system. So we're gonna do it.
Brandon Dennison:You don't have time, but you'll figure that.
Jina Belcher:We're coaching a baseball team, like we're moving like, you know, sure, let's throw in an MBA, why not?
Brandon Dennison:Let's throw a Master's degree in there?
Jina Belcher:Yeah. You know, obviously, one of our mutual friends and colleagues is Stephanie Tyree. And I've shot her message yesterday. And I was like, so how do I feel about getting an MBA? Like, how do we feel about this? And she was like, you remember your statement to me when I told you I was pregnant for the second time. She was like, just get back to that. And the statement I told her was, "You're ruining our life, like, we had our life together, and you're ruining it." And so she was like, just revisit that. And I was like, okay, thanks for the support. I appreciate it. So yeah, we're gonna do it.
Brandon Dennison:That's awesome. That's hilarious. And so talk me through how you are now the executive director of this incredible organization, talk me through sort of the professional steps that led you to where you are. And then we'll, once we do that, we'll learn more about your organization.
Jina Belcher:When I graduated Concord, moved back to McDowell County, and took a job in trust and wealth management at our local bank. I started there as an executive secretary worked my way up through trainings to a trust systems administrator and then eventually officer. You know, took a lot of financial trainings, helped manage portfolios, did a lot of investment management, and you know, all of those like high net worth things that that folks do in the trust and investment world. I really enjoyed that and I did that for about seven years. Enjoyed it learned a lot about financial, capital, stacking and those sorts of resources. And then, in 2013, we got pregnant with Nora, I am like convinced that when you become a mom, I mean, you you know how this works. You've got two boys, and when you become a parent you like instantly want to change the world for the better for your kid, right? So while I enjoyed the work and valued the work that I did in the financial industry, I was like, you know, I've got to do something to better impact my kid's life, right? So it was then that you know, I worked a couple more years, and then in 2017, joined the Coalfield team. So when I came on with Coalfield Development, obviously was very invested in Coalfield's mission and very much appreciated that Coalfield was working with people like I grew up with to help reshape and rebuild Appalachia and using the people that have that drive and that grit and that determination and resiliency to turn Appalachia around. I was very invested in Coalfield's mission, obviously. So while I was at Coalfield, I served a lot of different hats with strong communities, I'm director of business development. Ultimately, it was always the mission of Coalfield that really kept me there. But while I was there, you and Marilyn taught me so much about the community development world and I was able to use that connection that I like to make with people to help learn really how to combine community development and traditional financial development.
Brandon Dennison:I was just gonna say you brought a whole new skill set on the on the financial side that was really valuable.
Jina Belcher:And I like to think too, I mean, when I was with Coalfield, like that was, to me, the experience was like a really foundational experience, right? Coalfield was growing like, you were at this point with the organization that like it was it was really catching on, and people were investing and it was really at this pivotal acceleration phase. When I look back at my time at Coalfield, and I see the folks that are still there and how some have shifted and some have left. But we're all still connected in some way. I just feel like not only the organization was getting grounded in where it was, but like the people that were part of it, were getting grounded. I mean, I still talk to Adam Warren like once a week I just had a zoom call with Ben Gilmer. So to hear where everybody that and then we're all still connected. I think it was just because Coadfield was - we we built those relationships.
Brandon Dennison:I think we knew we were growing and somehow people are investing and somehow somebody decided Coalfield Development had all these answers. I think what we knew as a team, we're feeling the pressure of like, we don't have any answers, we're just showing up doing the best we can and making it up as we go.
Jina Belcher:Exactly. And in I actually still use that experience now because my organization is going through a lot of growth and change, right. And so I feel as a director that I'm where you were at when I was with your team. And so it's like, it looks like it's got it together from the outside. Like we're just throwing stuff at a wall right? We're just figuring it out. So it was that you know those formational years in my professional career that really helped shape it. And again, like, I give most of my accolades to Marilyn Wrenn for my my ability to access philanthropic money, because Marilyn taught me - one of the first lessons she ever taught me was when we were in Williamson and there was like this random coffee pot...somebody...we needed to heat something up because again, we were like having some big million dollar net worth investor come in, and like we have paper plates and a coffee pot and don't know what we're doing. And we had to like warm something up and Marilyn was like, "Well, you know, a coffee pot doesn't have to be a coffee pot, like it can warm up chili." And I'm like, wait a second, like, hold on. This is not a thing. And honestly, it's like that lesson that taught me like you can reshape and retool stuff to make it work.
Brandon Dennison:Appalachian ingenuity right there.
Jina Belcher:Exactly. And and that's what how we cobbled together all of these different financial resources was because you know, a coffee pot doesn't have to be a coffee pot. It can totally heat up chili and we roll with it so so yeah, I learned a lot at Coalfield. I grew a lot as a person. And especially, you know, I'm very type A like very much a box checker and the Coalfied experience taught me you know, you can get the job done, you've just got to be willing to be flexible and nimble to get there. So, you know, ultimately, I wanted to continue to deeply invest in southern West Virginia. So when the position at New River Gorge regional development came available - very much up my alley as the Business Development Director there - moved into that role in 2019, I guess. Then was quickly put into the position of Deputy Director of the organization. And so as the Deputy Director, again, I was able to use a lot of those skills I learned at finance.
Brandon Dennison:There's a theme here for everywhere you go, you you keep moving up. You get more responsibility, because you know, how to get work done.
Jina Belcher:Exactly. But you know, again, it was it was sort of like combining that traditional finance with that nimble flexibility of community development and making sure that through all of that you're keeping the people as the center- most impacted component of all of the work. And so in December, and it's crazy, it's only been December, I feel like it's been a whirlwind. December of 2020, I was made the Executive Director of the organization. So I'm actually the second female to run the organization. And I am the youngest to ever run the organization. And so I have a phenomenal board of directors that trust me with the job and I'm really looking forward to continuing to grow in NRGRDA.
Brandon Dennison:And you're doing a great job. So tell us, tell us about the organization and tell us about some of the big initiatives that you're working on right now.
Jina Belcher:So, in NRGRDA is the oldest and the first ever regional EDA in the state of West Virginia. So we were created 33 years ago. So I like to say NRGRDA was born the same month and year that I was - kind of cool. We had a group of forward thinkers in Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas and Summers counties that recognize that the four counties together ultimately impacted each other. And it was actually that bridge that connected it, we like to say folks go both ways to visit and work. So that bridge connects us as a region. We were created out of an act of legislation that basically set our bylaws and our structure, and our dedicated funding from each of the counties to support economic development. The organization has has grown and shifted a lot. And I feel like we're finally on the right track as far as where we are fitting in terms of balancing economic and community development. You know, that it's easy to get drug down a rabbit hole that the organization might not actually fit in. So I feel like we're, we're building these partnerships and staying on track with our role in the overall holistic approach to economic development. So, you know, our three areas of emphasis are really new business recruitment, and then obviously, business retention and expansion, which we want to keep the companies here that we have and help them grow, make sure their workforce is the quality workforce, and then business and entrepreneurship support. So with that, we have a couple programs that we operate underneath our NRGRDA umbrella, one of which is the West Virginia Hive - it's our business and entrepreneurship support service. We have on-staff business advisors, and we have technical assistance dollars to help businesses grow, pivot, access additional funding to help support their company. We also have Active Southern West Virginia, which is our unique approach to healthy workforces. So we recognize that having a healthy workforce, both physically and mentally, especially through the COVID 19 pandemic, is really important. So Active helps us step into those workplaces and provide free resources for, again, mental health awareness, physical health activity. They have a community captains program that they get out throughout our counties, and they do yoga, they do all of this, you know, fun health-related stuff. And then our final one is our newest program, which is the Country Roads Angel Network. We are the first accredited West Virginia Angel Network in the state of West Virginia. We launched that one year ago. And we have 14 investor members and we are providing angel investment capital to businesses across the state of West Virginia. And that's really to be able to provide that flexible startup capital that a lot of these businesses need to grow or really just launch. And so our investors are very dedicated to helping those entrepreneurs get started. And the investors serve as advisors to the businesses because all of them have had their own business as well. So we're really growing the CRAN program and and we're very fortunate to have it and and I'm fortunate to have the staff that helped move it forward. So yeah, that's that's the organization in a nutshell.
Brandon Dennison:Are there some sectors of the economy that you're feeling particularly excited about for southern West Virginia right now.
Jina Belcher:Yeah, absolutely. So you know, you've probably heard and my my passion project for the last few years has really been this transition into the aerospace industry. We recognize that there was there's a clear transferability of skills from the coal industry worker into the aerospace manufacturing sector. We have worked diligently at our Raleigh County Memorial Airport to build out 150 or 105 acres of site-ready property. So I'll get on the soapbox for a little bit. West Virginia is actually the only state on the eastern half of the US that does not have a formalized site-ready program. What that means is like having adequate water, fiber, sewer, natural gas and broadband at a site for a company to locate. Twenty years ago, companies that wanted to locate were willing to wait 14 months to build out a site. Now they want it turnkey, so you better have adequate acreage that is flat and has all five utilities on-site. Most other states have a site ready program that identifies those locations and proactively builds out the infrastructure. West Virginia does not. So we were actually, the Raleigh County Airport project, I'm super proud we've cobbled together 9 million dollars to build out the infrastructure there. And we're the first ever project that the US EDA has funded proactive site development for. Typically there has to be a company that has purchased the property and they will help build out infrastructure, but we're trying to prove this "if you build it, they will come" scenario. So that's very much what the airport project is. However, because of its proximity to 64 and 77 interchange, it's centrally located from two, you know, two thirds of the population drive time, that airport is very strategically located for aerospace manufacturing companies. So we have the ability to increase our runway to 8250 feet, which is the will be the longest runway in the state of West Virginia. No other airport has the ability to extend it with flat land. We have the FAA state agency is on-site at the Raleigh County Memorial airport. So we have a great relationship with them. Again, we talk about that holistic approach to industry recruitment. So for the aerospace industry in southern West Virginia, we got the site ready and conducive to attracting manufacturers. And then we worked with our new River Community and Technical College and we formally announced as of last month that the first aviation mechanic training program, the cohort will launch in January of '22. So now we will be able to take those coal industry workers put them through the CTC program and employ them at the Airport Industrial Park. The aerospace industry is growing and thriving in southern West Virginia. And those coal industry workers are a huge component of that. And then obviously, the second emerging industry that is not emerging, but more so accelerating is the outdoor industry, we again, we're just designated the newest National Park with the New River Gorge we've always had with that natural asset, we've always had an amazing visitor experience. But we're now more interested in actually growing that outdoor industry cluster and that, you know, economy. So we want to attract and work with the communities to develop their capacity to be able to attract new outdoor related manufacturers or small business, hospitality industry. And we very much want to figure out what workforce looks like for the outdoor industry. And so that and all of this capitalizing on that new National Park designation. Those are really our two biggest growing industries in the region. And surprisingly, and I think we're just at this point, you know, we talk about the change in the coal fields, talk about a mentality switch in my, you know, political leadership, the majority of my four counties are governed by Republican leadership. We are at this point where they're like, you know, what, if it works, let's do it. And I'm proud to say that my four counties are the first four counties to sign proclamations to support the medical cannabis industry. My county commissioners signed off that. Raleigh County received two of the largest growers, two of the largest processors in the only state-certified medical cannabis testing facility in all of West Virginia. And so that's another industry that we're watching grow. And again, the two companies that we have will employ 150 individuals collectively. I mean, that's friggin huge, right? And so...
Brandon Dennison:You're making me feel really optimistic for southern West Virginia's future.
Jina Belcher:Like we're, you know, and so we're thrilled about this. And I have to, I have to give my leadership credit, they are thinking outside the box. They're listening to us, they're building relationships, and they're saying, if it will work and create jobs - sign us up. And so we're really breaking down those political party lines in our four counties and saying- if it works, let's do it. You know, because what else are we gonna do? So again, I'm feeling optimistic. I'm fortunate to be trusted to sit at a lot of these tables right now. But yeah, it's it's we've we've got a lot of interesting new industry opportunities coming down the pike.
Brandon Dennison:You mentioned collaboration, coordination a lot, obviously sort of, your organization was ahead of its time and being regional and pulling in multi counties, you and I are both born and raised in West Virginia, I love our culture, there's way more that's good about it than bad. I do feel like sometimes collaboration, you know, like these grudges between counties or even grudges between hollers can hold us back sometimes talk to me a little bit about your approach to collaboration. How you have you seen that? Do you agree that it's sometimes it's tough inAppalachia? And how do you overcome some of those challenges?
Jina Belcher:Yeah. So you know, every single day, it's crazy, especially with political leadership, right, you know, our county commissioners, our mayors. And so this is the benefit of having a formalized regional organization, and also the benefit of not being afraid to speak out. And I think that's actually just told one of my political leaders yesterday, one of my local mayors I said, you know, I can say the things that you can't, so let me be your mouthpiece. You're an elected official, you cannot say some things, let me say them. So I had a conversation two weeks ago with the county commissioner, that is really apprehensive to collaborate with some of the, you know, local folks that want some, some work to happen, right? And so finally, it just got to a point where we were in a room together, and I looked at him and I said: "Look, I'm a regional organization. And I have the respect of a lot of federal funding sources. They're looking at NRGRDA to lead the charge and economic development in West Virginia, I can do that if you're willing to work together. There are no city boundaries, no county boundaries, this is a region." Basically I'll I looked at him, and I said - you know, if you're not willing to play in the sandbox, I can't advocate for broad federal funding to support your projects bottom line. So if you tell me right now, you're not willing to collaborate? Fine, but when when I have, you know, because cecause again, my counties they do get frustrated across boundaries, right. And so it's, well why does Raleigh County get everything? Well, because they all come to the table and talk to each other. That's why and so, you know, or why did Fayette County get this? Why did Summers County get this? And so it's having those direct statements, and those direct conversations..
Brandon Dennison:Put it out on the table?
Jina Belcher:Yeah. And I told him, I was like, I'm not here to be anybody's best friend. I'm here to get the work done. And so if you're willing to dig in and get the work done, we can make this happen together. But there's never going to be a time and I think, you know, this is again, that mentality shift. There's never going to be a time that the ARC or the USDA says - let's fund that one small project in that one small community in that one county in West Virginia. The ARC saying let's find a regional approach to x, if a local leader or project developer wants to be part of some of those resources that are flowing into the state of West Virginia, they've got to be willing to work together.
Brandon Dennison:So my last quick question, you talked about how you've seen the region change and the coalfields change. I wonder, how do you think you've changed over the course of your life, your career being a leader, a collaborator, innovator in southern West Virginia?
Jina Belcher:You know, I think I've always been very direct, I don't think that's ever going to change. And I also think that as your brand, yeah, yeah, I think it's just how it works, right. And I think that I have always sort of just had this natural drive to get this work done. But I do think that especially with a lot of coaching from a lot of folks in my professional career, I think I've learned to sort of wait out the process, just because I'm ready for something doesn't mean that the community or the individuals, or the counties or the region are ready for something. And so I've learned to be more patient, which my mom has always told me since birth, I've never been patient, I've moved at my own speed. And so I think that I've really had to, you know, it's nothing for me to leave a meeting where everyone's excited and get in the car and tell myself, I said this six months ago, like I said this six months ago, and so it's like, okay, it's fine. We're there. We're all here together. Now, the patience has paid off. And so let's just move the work forward. And so I definitely think I have had to learn a lot of grace and a lot of patience over the years.
Brandon Dennison:Well, we are blessed as a state for your leadership, your commitment, your patience, but also your drive that you've gotten a lot of really good work done, Jina. So I just appreciate you I celebrate all that you've achieved. And I thank you for sharing some of that today. I've have really enjoyed our conversation.
Jina Belcher:Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I love again, connecting all of the dots and being able to make you know, use the experiences with Coalfield and everybody else and say - Oh, this is an awesome opportunity to get Coalfield involved in something or you know, and really broaden the approach because again, even though I only have my four counties, we work outside of our regions to get the work done and I'm fortunate to have a lot of partners like you guys to really move the needle in West Virginia.
Brandon Dennison:We'll do as much as we possibly can together.
Jina Belcher:Absolutely. And it's been a great conversation. I really appreciate you having me.
Brandon Dennison:Thanks Jina. Change in the coalfields is a podcast created by Coalfield Development at the west edge factory in Huntington, West Virginia. This episode was hosted by Brandon Dennison, and produced and edited by JJN Multimedia. Become a part of our mission to rebuild the Appalachian economy by going to our website Coalfield-Development.org to make a donation. You can email us anytime at info@ Coalfield-Development.org and subscribe to our newsletter for up-to-date information on the podcast. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn by searching for coalfield development. Check back soon for more episodes.