In order for West Virginia to continue on the path to success, its people must invest in its communities. Each year, West Virginia Executive (WVE) magazine showcases some of the passionate individuals who are not only making waves in the professional world but in their communities as well. The Young Guns Class of 2016 is an exceptional group of people who care about West Virginia and the direction in which it’s headed.
Selecting the Young Guns class each year from hundreds of nominations is no small feat. WVE has established certain criteria the candidates must meet to help us ensure our Young Guns are among the best of the best. For instance, each candidate must live and work in West Virginia and be under the age of 43 at the time of selection. They are also required to be heavily involved in community service activities. Service is an integral component to creating a stronger future in the Mountain State, and our Young Guns are not afraid to get their hands dirty.
This year’s Young Guns photo shoot took place in the heart of downtown Charleston, where tourism is a fast-growing industry that relies heavily on infrastructure. For this reason, the city of Charleston, alongside the tourism community, has invested nearly $200 million in tourism infrastructure since 2013. Public and private investments include $90 million in planned renovations and expansions of the Charleston Civic Center; $20 million at the Four Points by Sheraton; $13 million in building a new Courtyard Marriott; $10 million at the Charleston Town Center Mall and $8 million at the Charleston Marriott Town Center. Projects like these have generated an annual economic impact in the Kanawha Valley of $650 million while the tourism industry supports 5,000 jobs and generates $54 million in local and state taxes.
Considering that tourism is one of the state’s largest industries and is experiencing explosive growth in Charleston, it made sense for this year’s Young Guns photo shoot to take place in the Capital City, highlighting local, favorite tourism spots. The Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau, the sponsor of this year’s photo shoot, has been a champion for the local tourism industry and is enthusiastic about the opportunity to showcase some of what Charleston has to offer.
If you know someone who is making waves in both their business and home community, nominate them for next year’s class. Nominations are accepted year-round and can be submitted at www.wvexecutive.com/nominate-a-young-gun.
