Dec. 24, 2005
 
Rahall Praises New CTC Program, Executive Director Norm Kirkham
 
By David M. Kinchen
Editor, Huntington News Network
 

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-WV, left, accepts a check from John R. Ruddick of Verizon West Virginia at the 4-C headquarters in Beckley, Dec. 23, 2005

Beckley, WV (HNN) --- Norm Kirkham has been named executive director of the new Connected Technologies Corridors program, a new initiative that unites existing and new technology businesses to gain access to high speed (broadband) Internet service, marketing services and entrepreneurial training/support for businesses in southeastern West Virginia.
 
The CTC initiative was announced at Friday, Dec. 23, 2005 events in Mercer and Raleigh counties, attended by municipal, county and state elected officials and U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-WV. Rahall spoke at 10 a.m. at First Century Bank in downtown Bluefield and 2 p.m. at the 4-C Economic Development Authority office in Uptown Beckley.
 
Kirkham recently retired after almost 30 years at the Region 1 Planning and Development Council. He was instrumental in seeing the Hinton Technology Center through to completion, among many other projects in southern West Virginia. CTC will serve Raleigh, Summers, Mercer, Monroe, McDowell, Greenbrier, Fayette, Wyoming, Nicholas, Pocahontas and Webster counties.
 
Rahall praised Kirkham and said the emphasis on the broadband connectivity of CTC will enable the region to compete with any technology nexus in the world. He added that CTC fits in perfectly with his Three Ts program: Technology, Transportation and Tourism.
 

Norm Kirkham, new Connected Technologies Corridors executive direct, left, with U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall in Beckley Friday, Dec. 23, 2005

”We know we have the capability and this will extend broadband to small businesses and help the technologies of the future to develop and expand in West Virginia,” Rahall told the gathering of about two dozen officials and business leaders in Beckley. The group included Hinton Councilman Larry Meador, who has worked on securing broadband for Hinton and the new technology center; Beckley Mayor Emmett Pugh; Del. Linda Sumner, R-27th and 4-C Executive Director Judy Radford, as well as members of the Raleigh County Commission and other officials.
 
Rahall said the beauty of West Virginia, its relatively low crime rate and affordability of housing, along with improving educational markers is now being supplemented by broadband connectivity and cooperation among the counties served by CTC.
 
“You could say we’re trying to connect the 3rd – the 3rd Congressional District that I have the honor of representing,” Rahall said. “There are a lot of people who’ve made the CTC possible, including Frontier Communication, the Benedum Foundation and Verizon West Virginia, which have provided the seed funding.”
 
CTC is a collaborative effort of the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corp., the 4-C Economic Development Authority; the Development Authority of Mercer County; the McDowell County Economic Development Authority; Webster County Economic Development Authority; the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority; the Region 1 Planning and Development Council and the Region 4 Planning and Development Council. CTC is governed by a board of directors with directors from each of the agencies.
 
CTC President Dick Nevi, executive director of the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corp., said the CTC initiative will strengthen the existing efforts under way with the I-64 Technology Corridor from Beckley to Lewisburg, the I-77 Technology Corridor from Beckley to Bluefield and Corridor L from Beckley to Summersville, as well as future efforts.
 
Nevi praised Kirkham, the new CTC executive director: “Norm is highly qualified to run CTC. He was chosen because of his experience and employment with Region 1 Planning and Development Council, located in Princeton. He has also worked closely with CTC since its inception and understands the other six counties that Region 4 serves.”
 
At the Beckley meeting, Rahall accepted a seed money payment check from John R. Ruddick of Verizon West Virginia in Charleston.