Stewards VISTA: Wyoming County Economic Development Authority - AmeriCorps

 

 

Position Title: Stewards VISTA: Wyoming County Economic Development Authority - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements, East

Site Location: Pineville, WV 24874

City, State or Full Address: 506A River Road 

 

Terms of Service:

Start Date: FEB 2026

End Date: FEB 2027

Must serve a 365-day (1 year) service term

Living Allowance: $68.39/day ($24,962.35/year)

 

 

Purpose:

This is an AmeriCorps VISTA opportunity focused on strengthening economic and community development initiatives across southern West Virginia. Through service with the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority (Wyoming County EDA), the member will build capacity for programs that support small-business development, job creation, industrial site revitalization, and increased access to statewide entrepreneurship resources. Rooted in the mission of advancing business prosperity, fostering economic stability, and improving the overall standard of living for Wyoming County residents, this position supports long-term strategies that benefit rural communities throughout the region and the state.

The Wyoming County EDA oversees multiple economic development tools—including industrial parks, statewide loan funds, community planning efforts, and regional revitalization projects. The VISTA member will help strengthen these efforts by enhancing communication with project partners, building sustainable systems, conducting assessments, developing resources, and coordinating capacity-building initiatives that support entrepreneurs, workforce programs, and local planning goals.

 

The AmeriCorps VISTA member will build capacity and develop sustainable solutions to alleviate poverty in underserved communities.

 

Description of Duties:

As a second-year AmeriCorps VISTA serving with the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority, you will focus on continuing to build and strengthen the long-term economic and entrepreneurship initiatives established during the first year of this project. Your duties will emphasize indirect service through research, planning, coordination, assessment, and resource development—ensuring that the systems created during the first year are expanded, refined, and sustained. You will:

• Continue strengthening communication and coordination with project partners by maintaining established channels, supporting consistent information sharing, and further defining partner roles within active and emerging economic development projects.
• Continue supporting organizational collaboration and program assessments by building on prior gap analyses, deepening stakeholder engagement, and expanding partnerships that enhance entrepreneurship and workforce programs.
• Further evaluate and improve existing loan programs and financial assistance tools, including updating online databases created in year one and developing additional resources that broaden statewide access to entrepreneurial support.
• Continue assessing industrial park projects and economic development sites, refining job-creation analyses, updating infrastructure assessments, and gathering additional data needed for long-term planning.
• Build on the first year’s analysis of local industry clusters by expanding research, identifying remaining barriers, and documenting opportunities for business and workforce development in rural areas.
• Continue developing strategies with the Wyoming County Planning Commission by refining planning tools, supporting research tasks, and enhancing coordination for ongoing community development initiatives.
• Research and prepare updated materials for grant opportunities that align with the project’s second-year assessments, supporting business incubators, mentorship programs, entrepreneurship assistance, and industrial site development.
• Expand efforts to identify and document best practices for delivering equitable entrepreneurship and workforce resources to rural and low-to-moderate income communities.
• Support partners in implementing and sustaining best practices by developing process guides, communication templates, outreach materials, and other capacity-building tools to ensure long-term program effectiveness.
• Continue developing sustainability plans by refining goals, updating communication strategies, expanding outreach frameworks, and strengthening program evaluation tools.
• Further define short- and long-term objectives for entrepreneurship support, workforce development, and regional economic resilience, ensuring the work established in year one can be sustained and scaled by the Wyoming County EDA and its partners.

Through this second year of capacity-building service, the VISTA member will enhance and sustain the first year’s progress—supporting long-term economic stability, job creation, and entrepreneurship growth across Wyoming County and the broader region.

 

Qualifications:

·                  United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien

·                  At least 18 years of age

·                  College graduate

·                  Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check

 

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

 

Time Requirements:

·                  Typically, this position is expected to serve full-time (35-40 hours), but exact schedules may vary. 

·                 Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

 

Orientation and Training:

·       Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.

·       Member will receive a Virtual Member Orientation (VMO) from VISTA on their first day of service.

 

Benefits:

·        Segal AmeriCorps Education Award* of $7,395.00

o   or choice of cash stipend of ~$1,800.00

·        Living Allowance of $68.39 per day, disbursed every 2 weeks

·        Professional Development Funds

·        Relocation Allowance ($750) if Eligible

·        Healthcare Coverage* if Eligible

·        Childcare Coverage* if Eligible

·        Loan forbearance if Eligible

·        Interest Payments if Eligible

·        Training and Professional Development Opportunities

·        Employee Wellness Program (access to a licensed, professional counselor and 24/7 support)

·        Non-Competitive Eligibility* (NCE) status upon successful completion of the term

·        Networking and Mentorship

*For more information regarding the Segal Education Award, check out this link as well as alternative uses for the award .

*For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, please visit .

*For more information regarding the AmeriCorps VISTA Childcare benefit, please visit .

*For details about Non-Competitive Eligibility, please visit .

 

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed their required year of service; the member has satisfactorily completed assignments; and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets, accomplishment tracking, and quarterly reporting.

 

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

For VISTA related information, contact Addie Gilkerson, agilkerson@conservationlegacy.org

For site related information, contact Christy Laxton, christylaxton@wyomingcounty.com 

 

 Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.