CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A program designed to draw remote workers and new residents to West Virginia is expanding to the state’s capital.
Ascend West Virginia, the state’s talent attraction and retention program, announced earlier this week that the Charleston Area has officially joined its lineup of communities. Founded by Brad D. Smith, president of Marshall University, and his wife, Alys, Ascend WV offers more than $20,000 in incentives to participants who relocate to the Mountain State.
Ascend WV is a talent attraction and retention initiative aimed at recruiting remote workers to West Virginia by offering incentives such as $12,000 in cash and a year of free outdoor recreation and other incentive packages totaling more than $20,000.
The program reported that Ascend members bring an average individual income of $97,000 annually and typically relocate with nearly two additional family members or companions.
Since its creation in 2021, Ascend WV has welcomed more than 900 new residents across five participating communities, with a retention rate above 96 percent. Ascend WV has expanded to multiple communities across the state, including Morgantown, Shepherdstown, Lewisburg, New River Gorge, Greenbrier Valley, and now Charleston.
The program was launched through a $25 million gift from Brad and Alys Smith to West Virginia University’s Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative.
You can learn more about the program here.
