Conclusion

West Virginia Forward has formulated a strategic plan to diversify West Virginia’s economy by identifying growing sectors that the State could move to capture, as well as highlighting areas of strength and providing insight into how to address opportunities for improvement across economic enablers. In doing so, West Virginia Forward identified clear action items for West Virginia to pursue over the short and long term to create momentum, grow and diversify the economy, and create new job opportunities for its citizens. West Virginia Forward builds on the State’s unique assets and areas where West Virginia outperforms its neighboring states, thus offering an attractive value proposition for potential businesses.

West Virginia Forward’s implementation presents an opportunity to reverse the economic fortunes of the State and create momentum around a more diverse and resilient economy. Effective implementation will be a key determinant of such a success, and will rely on ensuring the required governance structure, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement processes are in place to achieve these aspirations. 

Through the MOU, WVU, Marshall University, and the State Department of Commerce are committed to ensuring successful implementation by undertaking specific actions aligned with the strategy, starting in fall of 2017. Recent successes, like upticks in tourism and recent new investment deals signed, are just the beginning of what is to come from the work.