Rural Communities Attracting Economic Opportunity with Will Payne

The following conversation looks at: stemming the brain drain from rural communities, revitalizing a region, driving economic growth through government & politics, why employee satisfaction may be higher in rural communities, and much more.
This episode features Will Payne. Payne is managing partner of Coalfield Strategies, an economic development matchmaker for companies seeking expansion opportunities in rural Virginia. Projects include InvestSWVA, a public-private economic diversification campaign for Southwest Virginia, Appalachian Grains, a specialty grain broker for the craft beverage industry and Energy DELTA Lab, an energy testbed focused on leveraging previously-mined land as a proving ground for the commercialization and deployment of innovative energy technologies. Will serves in board leadership roles at William & Mary and UVA's Darden School of Business and also authored a book on leadership at the intersection of business and politics.

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Time Stamps:

03:30 Intro 
8:10 South Western Virginia and  stemming the brain drain
13:45 Attracting talent to rural communities and revitalizing a region
9:45 Driving economic growth through government & politics 
24:45 Partnering with both parties with increasing political polarization 
28:10  The disconnect and challenges between rural and metropolitan areas 
34:30 Attracting expanding companies to the region
40:00  Why employee satisfaction may be higher in rural communities 
46:30 Misconceptions regarding rural communities 
53:45 Innovating a new farmer model in South Western Virginia

Follow InvestSWVA, Energy DELTA Labs, Appalachian Grain & Coalfield Strategies on social media to keep up with Will’s work

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 4/26/23