Beckley, (W.Va.) – Allison Smith is joining the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) team as Grants and Impact Manager.
Smith, who earned her BA in English and Master of Public Administration degree from West Virginia University, will manage grant seeking, writing, tracking, and reporting for NRGRDA in addition to annual impact reporting.
“Allison is a welcome addition, as NRGRDA’s economic development efforts in Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Summers counties are in high gear,” said Jina Belcher, NRGRDA’s executive director. “Allison’s impressive experience in community building, planning, and grants will greatly benefit our efforts within our cities, counties and partnering organizations.”
Smith comes to NRGRDA from West Virginia State University, where she was a Community and Economic Development Extension Agent involved in complex projects for the Upper Kanawha Valley Strategic Initiatives Council and the Cities of Smithers and Montgomery.
She was also a graduate assistant for Adventure West Virginia and a Community Development Coordinator at the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Her responsibilities at these higher education and non-profit organizations involved grants, community assessments, comprehensive planning, data management, survey research, and the development of strategic partnerships.
