Reports, Center for Economic and Community Engagement

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https://hdl.handle.net/10919/94553

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Damascus Tourism Events and Activities Opportunity Review
Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (Virginia Tech, 2025-12)
CECE and the Virginia Tech Southwest Center worked together to diversify outdoor tourism offerings in Damascus through new events and festivals. The goal of the project was to boost economic and cultural benefits by building on Damascus’s success with their Appalachian Trail Days festival. Project deliverables included summary and data related to outdoor tourism festivals and events; recommendations on beneficial outdoor enthusiast communities and events; an actionable guide for supporting new festivals and events; and a final comprehensive report.
Needs Assessment & Strategic Roadmap for Enhancing K-12 Teacher & Administrator Success, Competencies, & Retention in Southwest Virginia
(Virginia Tech, 2025-05)
This needs assessment and strategic roadmap focused on the recruitment and retaining of K-12 teachers in four Southwestern Virginia counties: Grayson, Russell, Smyth, and Washington. Over the course of the project, the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) and the Virginia Tech Southwest Center met with superintendents, visited schools, and talked with teachers to better understand what the needs are for schools and educators in the region.
Regional Childcare Feasibility Study and Business Plan Assessment
Center for Economic and Community Engagement (Virginia Tech, 2024-08)
In response to the critical need for quality childcare services in the Danville-Pittsylvania region, the Center of Early Success engaged the Virginia Tech Center of Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) to conduct a feasibility study and business plan dedicated to addressing gaps in childcare availability and enhancing the services offered to families within the community.
SOVA Grown: Agritourism & Agribusiness Regional Economic Impact Study and Marketing Strategy
(Virginia Tech, 2024)
In Fall 2022, the West Piedmont Planning District Commission hired a team of community and economic development consultants from the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE), Arnett Muldrow & Associates and Ramble Type Digital to assist with the development of an Agritourism, Agribusiness and Agricultural Products Regional Economic Impact Study and an Agribusiness Marketing Plan.
Friends of Alleghany State Parks: A Summary Brief on Resources and Practices
Redell, Caroline; Tate, Scott (Virginia Tech, 2025)
As part of a Virginia Tech-led initiative, Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia (MAAV), a local team supported by the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement worked to renew community interest in the historic Green Pastures site. The Green Pastures Recreation Area was set aside by the US Forest Service for African Americans to use. The park was built in response to the nearby segregated Douthat State Park, which opened in 1936. When it opened, Green Pastures was the first and only US Forest Service recreation site opened to African Americans in Virginia and remained one of the few sites in the central Appalachians through the 1950s. A pressing question for the site concerns the future of the Recreation Area, including the resources and support to enhance or create needed infrastructure, encourage visitation, staff the facility, and develop future programming. The thrust of the Green Pastures MAAV project was on capturing stories of the past, holding a community-wide event at the site, and developing a new interpretive trail and signage.
Assessing Industry and Use Opportunities for Pathway Park in Southwest Virginia
Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Posthumus, Ashley (Virginia Tech, 2025-11)
The Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) conducted an opportunity analysis of Pathway Park, an industry park located in Smyth County. CECE examined the potential benefits of 3-5 different use scenarios.
Virginia Creeper Trail Economic Impact Report
(Virginia Tech, 2025-11)
CECE and the Virginia Tech Southwest Center worked with the Town of Damascus as part of a project to assess the economic impact of the Virginia Creeper Trail and understand the long-term effects of Hurricane Helene’s damage on the local community.
Virginia’s Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Tech Hub: 10-Year Roadmap
Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (Virginia Tech, 2025)
This project, led by the New River Valley Regional Commission, received a $500,000 Tech Hubs grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Along with the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE), the project includes Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, LAUNCH, and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research as partners.
Expanding Industrialized Offsite Construction (Ioc) in Central Appalachia
Agee, Philip; Bone, Clara; Kelly, Isabel; Leonard, Rob; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; McCoy, Andrew; Posthumus, Ashley; Shirvani, Vida B.; Swanson, Colby (Virginia Tech, 2025-02)
A grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission will help Virginia Tech create a road map to address the affordable housing crisis and promote innovative and sustainable construction practices in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE), in partnership with the Virginia Center for Housing Research in the College of Engineering, received a $453,743 grant through the commission’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) initiative that aims to drive large-scale, regional economic transformation through multistate collaborative projects across Appalachia.
Assessment of Recidivism & Substance Use Disorder Needs in Tazewell County
Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (Virginia Tech, 2025-08)
The Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE), in collaboration with Project13Three, conducted an eight-month assessment (January–August 2025) to examine the recovery ecosystem in Tazewell County, Virginia. The project aimed to better understand the support systems available for individuals’ navigating substance use disorder (SUD), justice involvement, and reentry, and to identify opportunities for improving coordination, service access, and long-term recovery outcomes. The assessment involved a mixed-methods approach, including 13 stakeholder interviews, a review of secondary data sources, and facilitation of a one-day Recovery Ecosystem Summit. Interviewees included treatment providers, workforce partners, law enforcement, legal professionals, and community-based organizations. An interactive service dashboard was also developed to map provider roles, navigate available services, and assist with future planning.
2025 Economic Opportunity Scan
(Virginia Tech, 2025)
The Alleghany Foundation contracted the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) to conduct a regional economic opportunity scan and develop an associated strategic work plan. Throughout this project, CECE looked for connection points between the needs and opportunities in the Alleghany Highlands and with Virginia Tech faculty or other resource and education partners outside the region. The scan represents a data-driven approach to assessing the region’s current economic conditions and prioritizing high-value economic opportunities.
Economic Impact and Contribution Study of Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC
Tate, Scott; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Andrews, Dylan; Jones, Bryan (Virginia Tech, 2025)
The Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) conducted a comprehensive economic and social impact analysis of the Whitewater Center, a 1300-acre outdoor recreational facility situated on the Catawba River 15 minutes from downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. The primary aim of this study was to understand the economic influence of the Whitewater Center on the Charlotte Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), specifically its impact on the local economy, including job creation, employee compensation, fiscal impact, and overall economic output. The Whitewater Center is an economic and cultural pillar of Charlotte. As one of the most visited attractions in the Carolinas and a leading provider of green space, Whitewater significantly enhances the quality of life of the greater Charlotte community and its visitors. Its economic impact is equally substantial, contributing over $7M in taxes and $158M to the Charlotte region.
A Listening Project on Youth Flourishing in Martinsville and Henry County
Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (Virginia Tech, 2025-05)
The Vibrant Virginia Community Exploratory: Martinsville & Henry County project, led by the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE), focused on understanding what it means for youth to flourish in the region. In collaboration with The Harvest Foundation and other local stakeholders, the initiative was designed to assess the needs, challenges, and opportunities facing young people and to identify actionable strategies that support academic, social, and career success. The project built upon Martinsville-Henry County’s existing efforts and resources—such as the SEED and PASSGO programs—while acknowledging persistent disparities in opportunity and outcomes for youth, particularly those from low-income and historically marginalized backgrounds.
Octagon House Foundation, Inc. Executive Feasibility Study
Nagle, Lara; Mays, Allison; Bare, Kaitlyn; Travis, Elli (2025-09-05)
Regional Economic Development with EDA University Centers
University Economic Development Administration; Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (EDA University Center Program, 2024)
The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) University Center (UC) program seeks to help strengthen regional economies by leveraging higher education assets to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and skilled talent. For more than 18 months, the University Economic Development Administration (UEDA) and the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) studied how EDA-designated UCs organize, operate, and implement their economic development programs. With EDA support, UEDA sought both to expand its reach to the UCs and support EDA’s goals by facilitating the transfer of knowledge and sharing best practices among the EDA UCs. From this work, UEDA identified common elements across the EDA UCs and offered new ideas to increase the impact EDA UCs have on the communities they serve.
Patrick County Economic Summit: Final Report Summary
Travis, Elli (Virginia Tech, 2024-03-21)
The Patrick County Economic Summit was held on February 28, 2024, hosted by the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce and Reynolds Homestead. The Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) was contracted to provide facilitation and surveying services to gain a better understanding of local business needs and challenges. This event hosted businesses with 25 or more employees.
Feasibility Assessment of Western Grayson Music and Craft Center
Posthumus, Ashley; Tate, Scott; Schwartz, Jason (Virginia Tech, 2023-06)
In spring of 2023, Grayson County hired the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) to perform a feasibility study and proforma business plan for a transformative tourism project in Whitetop and the greater Mount Rogers area: The Western Grayson Music and Craft Museum and Information Center. For this project, CECE conducted meetings with County, local officials, and primary stakeholders to discuss and refine the project approach. The team performed a demand and supply analysis to identify local, regional, and national market drivers for visitors and users of a facility. The team also conducted community visits and input sessions to learn more about the local community engagement and capacity. To supplement this research, CECE identified and examined comparable facilities and programs to assess possible operating models and facility features. The results from all of these sources were compiled and contributed to a SWOT Analysis, as well as recommendations for facility development.
B-Force Accelerator Outcome Evaluation
Travis, Elli; Jones, Anna Nagorniuk; Tuttle, Mallory (Virginia Tech, 2024-05)
The Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) was hired in Spring 2023 to work with Black BRAND, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Black-owned businesses in Hampton Roads. CECE collaborated with Black BRAND to help build their evaluation capacity and assess the impacts of the B-Force Accelerator program, a 12-week program designed to scale startups and enhance minority business owners' access to capital.
Strengthening The Recovery Ecosystem: A Needs Assessment For YWCA Northeast Tennessee And Southwest Virginia
Posthumus, Ashley; Tate, Scott; Nagle, Laura (Virginia Tech, 2023-05)
YWCA NETN and SWVA was awarded a 2022 INSPIRE Initiative grant by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to fund a community needs assessment, which was conducted by Virginia Tech. This report outlines key findings from the process of identifying wraparound services, gaps, and networking capacity to strengthen the recovery ecosystem in the YWCA service area, and to inform the vision for a planned community wellness and resource center in Glade Spring, VA, to increase family resiliency.
Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Childcare Needs Assessment
Posthumus, Ashley; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Andrews, Dylan (Virginia Tech, 2024-06-13)
In Fall 2023, the Partnership for Regional Prosperity, supported by the Danville Regional Foundation, commissioned the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) to develop a needs assessment of the Danville-Pittsylvania region’s childcare options. CECE used the following mixed-method approach to evaluate current childcare needs, supply, and respective gaps.

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