MORGANTOWN – The Region VI Planning and Development Council appointed a coalition of regional leaders to a Strategy Committee. The first priority for the committee is to develop a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
The council serves as the economic development district for the counties of Doddridge, Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, Preston and Taylor, as well as their 39 municipalities.
As the Strategy Committee plans for the region’s economic future, it requests the public’s help. The public is invited to participate through an online survey where residents can provide feedback on the region’s strengths and opportunities, as well as on weaknesses it can improve upon and potential threats to the economy.
The survey can be found at surveymonkey.com/r/northcentralwv .
The Strategy Committee will work closely with the Morgantown-based consulting firm Downstream Strategies to develop a regional vision and turn it into an actionable plan.
As the region and the state continue to recover from the pandemic, the council said, the region’s economy is being reshaped by global, national and local trends. To position West Virginia’s north-central region for growth in the post-COVID economy, the council created the Strategy Committee.
“In addition to developing strategies, which capitalize on strengths and opportunities, and to prioritize goals and objectives that help maintain and grow the region’s diversifying economy, this Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy is critically important to all public and private stakeholders within the Region VI service area, said Tim Oxley, Strategy Committee member.
The CEDS serves as a federal prerequisite for financial assistance through the U.S. Economic Development Administration for potential projects or initiatives within the six counties in Region VI.
