Southern Partners for Education and Economic Development

Southern Partners for Education and Economic Development (S.P.E.E.D.) recently hosted the 11th Annual Southern West Virginia Regional Legislative Reception at the Embassy Suites in Charleston. Representatives from Boone, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, Raleigh and Wyoming counties were in attendance. Pictured are l-r, Joanne, Jaeger Tomblin, President of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College; Debbie Mudd, CEDAR of Southern West Virginia Coal Fair Manager and Executive Administrative Assistant for Mingo Logan Coal Company/Arch Coal ; Paul Hardesty, Director of Coalfield Community Development; Georgene Robertson, CEDAR of SWV President and Human Resources Representative for Coal Mac/Arch Coal; Susan Dingess, CEDAR of SWV Coal Study Unit Manager and West Chapmanville Elementary teacher; and Ron Lemon, Director for Development at Southern.

The College is partnering with the CEDAR program to establish several scholarships to aid students that pursue careers in the mining industry. CEDAR (Coal Education Development and Resource) of Southern West Virginia, Inc. is a non-profit all-volunteer coal education program created as a grass-roots effort to work with teachers and students educating them about coal and the economic benefits offered by the coal industry. Companies benefiting from this program are companies that lease, mine, process, transport and burn coal, as well as those who rely on the coal industry for business and employment opportunities.