Beckley, W.Va. (Dec. 2, 2022) – The West Virginia Hive named top performing Hive clients and
partners as part of its annual open house this morning at the Beckley Presbyterian Church. For
each of the past five years, the entrepreneurial arm of the New River Gorge Regional
Development Authority (NRGRDA) has recognized business clients and program partners and
supporters.
Ryan Thorn, state director of the West Virginia office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
offered keynote remarks as part of the program.
Judy Moore, executive director of the WV Hive and deputy director of NRGRDA, along with
staff, presented the following awards:
2022 WV Hive Small Business of the Year Award – Amanda Green and Ceretha Green, Falcon
Mine Service – located in Midway
2022 WV Hive Startup of the Year Award – Jordan Casey and Steven Jones, Botany Tropicals –
located in Hinton
2022 WV Hive Entrepreneur of the Year Award – Marcus Thomas, Fat Bottom Coolers – from
Beckley
2022 WV Hive Social Enterprise of the Year Award – Deiandra Blair, Blair’s Sweet Treats &
More – located in Bluewell
2022 WV Hive Partner of the Year Award – United Bank – accepted by Zack Statler, Market
President
2022 Community Advocate of the Year – Donnie Pomeroy – Business Services Representative at
Region 1 Workforce Development Board – from Meadow Bridge
This year, displays by WV Hive entrepreneurs were added to the Open House activities,
showcasing their products and services, including a wide variety of food. Following the award
presentations, the WV Hive opened its doors to the public to introduce its staff, promote
networking, tour its coworking space, and invite entrepreneurs to take advantage of a range of
services offered by the WV Hive.
“Today was a great way to reflect on our accomplishments throughout 2022 as well as
recognize high-achieving business leaders, which we are so proud of, and our partners, who are
so supportive, and on whom we depend,” said Moore. “More small businesses were created
during the COVID-19 pandemic, and our entrepreneurs as well as our WV Hive staff were forced
to endure a challenging stress test that has made us all stronger and more resilient.”
The WV Hive is the entrepreneurship program of the NRGRDA and the administrator of the
Country Roads Angel Network. Its 13-county service area includes Raleigh, Fayette, Summers,
Nicholas, Webster, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Monroe, Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming, Logan, and
Mingo counties. More information about the WV Hive can be found at https://wvhive.com/.
