The U.S. Economic Development Administration has been a key partner in economic development in Southwest Virginia, but now, Congress is considering deep cuts to the agency’s budget and the president has proposed eliminating it entirely.
Melanie Protti-Lawrence
Melanie Protti-Lawrence is the owner and President of Lawrence Brothers Inc. She serves on the board of the Tazewell County Industrial Development Authority, as well as the GoVirginia Region One Executive Board. The ESEM Jobs Initiative is led by Adam Wells of Appalachian Voices and Vivek Shinde Patil of Ascent Virginia, and managed by Billie Roberts, of Resolute AG Consulting in Southwest Virginia. The partnership includes a strategic coalition of local and state community stakeholders including Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission and GENEDGE. The effort is funded by the Thompson Charitable Foundation, GO Virginia and the US Economic Development Administration.
