Charles ‘Chuck’ Terrell, president of Eastern WV Community and Technical College, standing center, opens a WV House of Delegates’ Listening Tour session September 25. More than 40 area residents expressed their views to a bi-partisan panel of eight state legislators about how to improve conditions for area small businesses and entrepreneurs.
The panel, including local delegates Allen Evans, Gary Howell and Isaac Sponaugle, as well as Senator Bob Williams, heard local concerns about access to funding for business start-ups and expansion, access to adequate and up-to-date broadband technology, and infrastructure development.
Area business owners also had good things to say about the support they receive from several state agencies.
The legislators met at the college in Moorefield as part of the House Small Business Entrepreneurship and Economic Development committee’s “Seeking Solutions/Celebrating Successes” statewide tour. The Committee aims to produce an October interim report that state legislators will use to draw up possible corrective legislation next January, according to committee chair Doug Skaff.
Eastern’s Terrell noted that “the Potomac Highlands is in a sweet spot to recruit and support small business development because of Corridor H, the Fiber Optic ring and our closeness to D.C., northern Virginia and Maryland.”
