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The fifth program session for the Class of 2010 took
place September 23-25 in Southwest Virginia. The session began
at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, where
the class was welcomed to the region and heard presentations on the
future of coal to Southwest Virginia's economy and the arts
and heritage of the region. The evening concluded with dinner
at The Tavern Restaurant and a lively performance at the Barter
Theatre. On Friday, the class traveled to Lebanon to visit the
Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center and learn about
Virginia's e-region. They then enjoyed lunch, a wine tasting,
and a tour at Mountain Rose Vineyard, the result of a unique and
successful transformation of reclaimed coal mining land. While
visiting The University of Virginia's College at Wise, the class
heard from another series of engaging speakers on topics such as the
Appalachian dialect and creating a culture of education in Southwest
Virginia from K-12 through higher education. A panel of three
state delegates from the region, The Honorable Phillip P.
Puckett, The Honorable Clarence E. "Bud" Phillips,
and The Honorable Joseph P. Johnson, Jr., concluded the
afternoon's presentations with a discussion of Virginia's "three-party
system." Chancellor David Prior and his wife, Merry Lu,
hosted a reception and dinner on campus at The University of
Virginia's College at Wise with musical entertainment by Papa Joe
Smiddy, the college's first Chancellor. An impromptu stop for
live music and dancing at Lay's Hardware, a Crooked Road music venue
in downtown Coeburn, resulted in a memorable end to the
evening. On Saturday, the class visited The Martha Washington
Inn and heard about the hotel's history from "The Haint
Mistress" of Abingdon. Afterward, they returned to the
Barter Theatre for overviews of the economic impact tourism on
Southwest Virginia, plans for improvement of health indicators in the
region, and the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.
The curriculum co-chairs for the Southwest
Virginia session were Shannon Blevins,
Director of Economic Development, The University of Virginia's
College at Wise, LEAD
VIRGINIA '08, and Skip Skinner, Executive
Director, LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, LEAD VIRGINIA '08,
with assistance from Art
Mead, Assistant Director, Southwest Virginia Office,
Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, LEAD VIRGINIA '07.
Cumberland Resources Corporation and Alpha Natural Resources
were sponsors for the session, and in-kind contributors included the
Barter Theatre, Mountain Rose Vineyard, Southwest Virginia Higher
Education Center, Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center,
and The University of Virginia's College at Wise. LEAD VIRGINIA sends
sincere thanks to everyone involved for putting on another successful
visit to Southwest Virginia.
David
Sam, Ted Ghinea, Paul Conco, Kristi Jung, and Nanci Hardwick enjoy
dinner on the patio of The Tavern Restaurant in Abingdon.
Michael
Latsko, Dan Minahan, Kevin Ratliff, and Jamie Walton visit Mountain
Rose Vineyard for lunch, a tour, and a compelling personal story from
an agribusiness entrepreneur.
Papa
Joe Smiddy entertains the Class of 2010 at The University of
Virginia's College at Wise.
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