Case Study Marshall County, WV The Challenge: Marshall County, West Virginia is located near Wheeling, a viable, urban center. As such, the numbers are better here than in any of our other places. Population according to the U.S. Census Bureau is 33,107 in 2010.1 The estimated median family income in 2009 stood at $43,727, which closely approximates the national average. The per capita income below poverty stood at 16.9%, again quite close to the national average, and clearly half of what some of our case study counties have to deal with.2 But, on the other hand, Marshall County still has a racial representation that is quite similar to the other counties we are studying: 98.1% Caucasian, African-American 0.7%.3 Unlike our other counties, Marshall’s figures indicate that the larger numbers of male employees are spread evenly between laborers, drivers, sales workers, electrical workers (and others) at 6%, but when one examines the extractive workers, it only represents 4%.4 Thus the mining industry that often is the major employer in our counties, is clearly not as influential in Marshall. So, how does this county fit into our larger picture of folks trying to improve their place? Marshall County, like many of the Appalachian communities, has a major substance abuse problem, and like other counties, the drug problem contributes to higher crime rates. In 2005, there were a total of 155 burglaries and thefts that are believed to be a result of substance abuse. Adequate resources were lacking at the county level., and addressing the specific issue was not possible. The Family Resource Center took the lead. They received several grants that supplemented their meager $40,000 annual grant. Working to reduce this problem is both a challenge, and an extraordinary opportunity. Where We Are: While this area has many advantages our other counties do not have, they are not without their critical problems. Funding for the Family Resource Network in West Virginia presents ongoing problems because the monies needed do not equal the monies available. Much of the focus has to be on holding employees whose hearts are passionate about the mission of the organization. Often these people, like Stacie Dei, work long hours and make many sacrifices in their personal lives. West Virginia is well blessed with people like Stacie who care about the work, but burnout and discouragement is often the result of overwork and lack of job security. In addition, the big picture of what needs/can be done for the good of the community often gets lost in the chase for operating funds. Continual grant writing and the need for funders and agencies to invest in the organization has become the major task of the Family Resource Network. With the funds they acquired, they focus on three goals: first, the control of the substance abuse problems, secondly, the support of health and wellness initiatives, and thirdly, educating the citizens about community development. Often they bring community development specialists to hold forums with citizens, so the possibilities can be uncovered. They try to have meetings with interaction among their fellow citizens to get input for the projects and to begin to develop the concept of “community development”. Such a process is slow. It takes often decades to create an environment of working together to accomplish the agreed upon goals. People often find they can come together around a specific project, but the unity is not often sustainable. Marshall County sits in the middle of the “developing” procedure and only time will tell if the leadership and citizens will be able to maintain the progress. The Sparkplug: Stacie Dei is our sparkplug from Marshall County, WV. Her parents were deeply involved in the volunteering community, and at a young age, they brought her into such activities as fundraising for charities and assisting their neighbors. Volunteering became a way of life, and as she graduated from college she chose a profession where she could blend a career with her love of those in need. She liked the mission of helping others and ten years ago, she began working for the Family Resource Network in Marshall County. Stacie’s story is one of maturing as a leader. She points out that early on she pulled together committees that were filled with people who were “like her”, fearing that diversity would bring challenges to her job. Today, she embraces that diversity because she recognizes it brings different ideas to the table. Stacie now knows that sometimes one learns more from an opponent than from an ally. In addition, Stacie gets some energy from attending workshops with colleagues who face the same challenges. She attends Brushy Fork Institute for further instruction in different subjects, as well as for stimulation of being with those who share her successes and failures. Often there are others who have been where she is and can offer advice or consolation. These activities often help ward off the burnout phenomenon. Stacie believes that standing on a soapbox doesn’t improve your effectiveness: listening does. Integrity and dedication are important components in a skillful leader. Trustworthiness is a part of one’s value system, and that lends itself to being a good leader as well. Another element is that one should never promise more than one can deliver. A challenge facing Stacie is educating her constituents to the concept of community development. As she herself has been a student of the field, she recognizes that to develop a progressive community, there must be many leaders who understand the components in creating a real sense that community, and working forward toward economic development. One of her successes is that she has adopted that model. As there are few younger people in her field, she would like to involve more of them, as well, with an eye to the future. Stacie also understands after ten years, that she must gauge her capacity to handle new things, to communicate with transparency and hone her own skills to be as effective as possible. In her progress, she has identified the following process to getting a project to completion: first, one needs the ability to plan. Next each leader must continually educate him/herself to the issues. Getting the right people together is a critical element of success, and lastly, one has to be flexible. Keeping an eye on the goal is what counts, not necessarily a single path to it. Without a doubt, Stacie is growing as a leader, changing and maturing in her efforts to work on behalf of the citizens of Marshall County. She continues to learn from the past, and plan for the future. A good combination in a leader. Critical Characteristics of this Sparkplug: * Leaders are not afraid to grow and change. * Leaders continually learn. * Leaders train other people to become leaders. * Leaders believe in planning. * Leaders involve as many of the citizens as possible. * Leaders are transparent. * Leaders are trustworthy. * Leaders understand that growing a community takes time. 1 U. S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Data 2 Marshall County American FactFinder, U. S. Census Bureau, Marshall County, WV 3 Marshall County QuickFacts from the U. S. Census Bureau 4 Marshall County, West Virginia http://www.city-data.com/county/Marshall_County-WV.html