Allison Smith
Hometown:
Lancaster, PA
Connect: LinkedIn
Allison is excited to create partnerships and momentum that will sustain new projects long after the inaugural ERC program is over; she knows that moving regional, community-driven projects from ideation to implementation requires time and trust.
Allison Smith joins the inaugural Economic Recovery Corps cohort after serving in economic and community development roles throughout West Virginia. Passionate about community-driven growth, Allison is experienced in infrastructure improvement, comprehensive planning, stakeholder engagement, and local government support. She’s secured over $5 million in grant funding to support community asset development in Appalachian communities and was integral in establishing the New River Gorge Regional Working Group, a stakeholder network focused on infrastructure improvements in communities adjacent to the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve.
Allison received her Master of Public Administration degree and B.A. in English from West Virginia University. She is thrilled to join the Western North Carolina-based Mountain BizWorks team and grow the organization’s Building Outdoor Communities Program.
ERC Project
Project Title:
Empowering Outdoor-Driven Community Economic Development Across Appalachian NC
Host Community or Region:
Western North Carolina
Host Organization:
Mountain BizWorks
After a decade of collaborative efforts among leaders in economic and community development, outdoor industry, conservation, and academia, the MADE X MTNS Partnership emerged, with the support of Mountain BizWorks, to help further advance a collective movement. This cooperative effort aims to harness and invest in the unique natural and cultural resources of Western North Carolina (WNC), fostering thriving outdoor communities and reversing rural decline. The initiative covers 25 counties and the Qualla Boundary in WNC, and focuses on empowering communities through outdoor-driven economic development. The ERC Fellow plays a pivotal role in supporting the partnership by analyzing community assessments, identifying trends, and prioritizing transformative outdoor recreation projects. Through data-driven storytelling and connecting these projects to funding opportunities, the Fellow will further catalyze the network – building a vibrant, well-informed, and well-coordinated learning ecosystem that emphasizes equity and resilience, and ensures impactful projects move forward.
Interested in supporting this project or learning more? Contact the ERC program team here.
