Garreth Bartholomew, Kimberly Miller and Philippe Bone have been hired to fill open positions at the CSPDC.

Garreth Bartholomew joined the CSPDC as their newest Transportation Planner on April 18.  He is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia’s Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy with a Masters in Public Policy, specializing in rural economic and community development.  He was a Graduate Assistant for both UVA Student Health and Wellness for basic needs and a Graduate Assistant at UVA School of Architecture, along with Director of Special Projects for the Remote Area Medical Free Pop-up Clinic at the Augusta Expo Center in Fishersville. His hobbies are riding his folding bike and volunteering with local non-profit entities in the SAW and Piedmont regions.

Kimberly Miller recently rejoined the CSPDC as Office Manager replacing Rita Whitfield, who retired.  Kimberly has over 10 years of experience at the PDC and was the primary administrative support for the SAWMPO, oversaw the HOME Downpayment and Closing Cost Assistance program, and assisted with many planning grants and programs in her tenure.  In 2023, she took time with her husband and three cats to travel in their RV and is now back in the area full time to be near family.  She is looking forward to assisting the PDC in the role of Office Manager.

Philippe Bone recently joined the CSPDC as their newest Regional Planner, stepping into his role on April 16. Prior to this, he supported corporate social responsibility at Ceres, Inc., and with the EIRIS Conflict Risk Network, where he collaborated with institutional investors to advocate for peace and stability in conflict-affected areas. He has also conducted multiple qualitative and quantitative research projects throughout West Africa on topics including violent extremism, good governance, and development for federal agencies.  Philippe holds an MA in Conflict, Security, and Development, along with a BA in History and International Relations from the University of Exeter.  He currently resides in Waynesboro, VA. Philippe looks forward to contributing to the CSPDC’s mission and aims to make a positive impact in our communities. In his free time, Philippe enjoys hiking and spending time with his two daughters.

The CSPDC is pleased to award five grants through the Watershed Wellness Mini-Grant Program. The grants are used for the planning and installation of stormwater best management practices through the Commission’s Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) program. The program is funded by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in support the State of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction goals.

The grantees include the towns of Bridgewater, Buena Vista, and Elkton, and the non-profit Rockbridge Conservation based in Lexington. Four installation projects were awarded for the planting of native trees, shrubs, and compost application in dense urban settings and along stream banks to address erosion, run-off, and sediment. One planning study was awarded to identify BMPs to address streambank run-off along a walking trail.

The grant program provides up to $3,500 in non-match funding for stormwater BMP planning and installation for localities and non-profits in the CSPDC region.

As reported in the February 2024 CSPDC Newsletter, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) commenced the READY Local Governments program as one of their READY Appalachia capacity-building initiatives. The READY Local Governments funding provides no-cost training to assist local government representatives with identifying, securing, managing, and implementing federally sourced projects. The course capacity was limited to 180 local government officials, with no more than two representatives per community.

On April 24, the ARC announced the 90 local government entities, representing 12 Appalachian states, selected to participate in the READY Local Governments program. The Town of Goshen was among the 90 selectees. Mayor Tom McCraw and Assistant Town Clerk Trudy Martin will participate in the virtual, cohort-based learning program. The 9-week training course is scheduled to begin in spring 2024.

ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin stated in the READY Local Government press release, “ARC’s local government partners have always been the backbone of our on-the-ground work throughout our Appalachian communities. Through our READY Local Governments initiative, we are proud to help these partners enhance their work through training, resources, and expanded support, because when our local communities thrive, the entire Appalachian Region succeeds.”

To further assist communities, these 90 local governments are each eligible for up to $50K in funding to initiate in-house capacity-building projects after completing the training. No match is required. Visit this ARC webpage for more information on the READY Local Governments program: https://www.arc.gov/ready/localgovs/.

On a tour through the Shenandoah Valley on March 26, Senator Mark Warner stopped in Staunton to talk with local officials about the future of passenger rail in the region. Amtrak has been awarded $500,000 to identify and study potential improvements to the Cardinal Service which currently serves the Downtown Staunton station three days a week. The study is funded through the Corridor Identification and Development Program with funds allocated to the Federal Railroad Administration from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Amtrak has seen an increase in ridership across the Commonwealth with rail traffic in the Lynchburg-Roanoke corridor up 130 percent. The study will explore the feasibility of expanding the Cardinal route’s service from three to seven days a week. Even with the increase in ridership, improvements are needed to make rail travel in the Commonwealth more accessible and efficient. The Senator noted several challenges along the corridor south of Washington D.C. that cause delays. Many of those delays resulting from trains waiting to access single-track segments, bottlenecks at bridges, and lack of electrified tracks.

Although the event was primarily focused on passenger rail, Senator Warner took questions from those in attendance on a range of topics of interest both locally and nationally such as the war in Ukraine, affordable housing, broadband, inflation, immigration reform, and renewable energy. During the meeting, he shared local accolades, calling out the ongoing Shenandoah Valley Airport project, and the Afton Express and BRITE Transit System. Senator Warner acknowledged Bonnie Riedesel’s recent retirement and thanked her for her many years of service to the region.

The Senator’s trip through the Valley also included stops in Harrisonburg and Buena Vista where he spoke about regionally significant projects.

On March 29, Governor Glen Youngkin announced the award of seven Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) grants totaling over $10M. The City of Buena Vista (BV), who applied for additional funding support for the Mountain Gateway Community College (MGCC) Wilson Workforce Development Center project, received an FY 2024 IRF award totaling $650,000.

The IRF funding leverages other financial sources to modernize the one-time Courtesy Ford facility. The dealership was built in 1916 and is part of the Downtown Buena Vista Historic District. It’s also listed on the Virginia and National Register of Historic Places. The structure has remained vacant since about 2010. During a BV Community Development Block Grant Business District Revitalization study in 2019, the building was identified as blighted. This designation will change as the 18,750 square foot location is transformed into the Wilson Workforce Development Center, an approximately $6.1M project.

The Center will offer degree and non-degree programs in hard trades (HVAC technician, Commercial Driver’s License, Diesel Mechanic, Advanced Manufacturing, and Welding). These employment fields are included in the FastForward program, which provides tuition assistance to Virginians training for in-demand jobs. The projected enrollment is 125 in the first year, rising to 300 students by year five. MGCC leadership established industry agreements for a total of 60 new jobs and 40 retained jobs at three regional employers: 1. Modine Manufacturing, 2. Everbrite, and 3. Lee-Hi Travel Plaza. Additionally, MGCC anticipates the creation of 28 direct jobs as a result of this project. Collectively, these commitments represent over $2M in investment by the respective employers. The Center will be a cornerstone to BV’s downtown development as it will bring students, faculty, and staff from around the region and contribute directly to local merchants and restaurants.

The Governor’s news release stated, “Since 2012, the IRF program has funded 66 projects that have revitalized vacant, blighted buildings. These projects have generated more than $228 million in additional public and private investment and resulted in the creation of more than 1,200 jobs across Virginia. For more information on IRF, visit www.dhcd.virginia.gov/irf.”