Wheeling Heritage Seeks New Leader As Executive Director Alex Weld Accepts New Job
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Wheeling Heritage is now seeking a new executive director as Alex Weld is resigning to take a new job.
Weld is moving on to become the executive director of Generation West Virginia, a statewide group with the goal of retaining and attracting more young people to the state.
Generation West Virginia is based in Charleston, but Weld will work remotely from her home.
"West Virginia is losing young people at a rate higher than any state in the nation, which is alarming," she said. "Generation West Virginia is leading efforts to reverse that trend."
The group facilitates a program called "Impact Fellowship," which invites young adults to come work and live in West Virginia by offering them paid fellowships at companies and businesses in the state. During the course of the year, Impact Fellows work 32 hours a week at a participating company, then spend each Friday contributing time to a local nonprofit group.
Some local employers have participated in Impact Fellowship, including WesBanco and McKinley Architecture and Engineering, according to Weld.
"You really get to be part of the fellowship and the company," Weld said of the fellows in the program. "Most end up getting hired by the company, and it's a great way to link young people up with high quality jobs in West Virginia."
Generation West Virginia also facilitates NewForce, a tuition-free, remote, team-based intensive tech training program that trains young adults for the future and prospective technological jobs in West Virginia, she said.
"Those jobs are coming online more and more, and we want to make sure we have the labor force to support them," Weld said.
Weld joined Wheeling Heritage in 2017, and was named executive director last year.
She said she really wasn't looking for another position, but didn't want to pass up the opportunity with Generation West Virginia.
"In my role now, I've had a really great opportunity to help make Wheeling a great place to live and work," Weld said. "I'm excited to take on that mission statewide, and be an advocate to bring people here and make sure people have a future here in West Virginia."
Weld is the wife of West Virginia Senate Majority Whip Ryan Weld, R-Brooke.
Wheeling Heritage is accepting applications for a new executive director, and is looking for someone with "executive-level leadership experience at a nonprofit and an interest and knowledge of local heritage, cultural tourism and economic development."
Applications will be accepted through Aug. 23.
Weld plans to stay on with Wheeling Heritage through mid-September, after which she will start her position with Generation West Virginia.
An interim director could be named at that time, according to Weld.
"While Alex will certainly be missed, the Wheeling Heritage board of directors is excited to begin the search for our new executive director," said Walker Holloway, chair of the Wheeling Heritage Board of Directors. "The organization is already on a great trajectory and we intend to find a leader who will keep the momentum going."