OUR TEAM
Taylor Bennett,
Executive Director
Taylor hails from a small town in rural western New York, situated in the northern reaches of the greater Appalachian Region. She is delighted to be making her home in West Virginia. Taylor holds a master’s degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from Arcadia University and has decade of experience working on community, economic, and agricultural development; environmental preservation; and non-profit management. She focused on land banking, addressing problem properties, and creating systems-level changes to support both commercial and residential property redevelopment. When she’s not taking on land reuse challenges, Taylor can be found admiring the WV hills on horseback, growing vegetables, or chasing her son around the yard.
Zane Hornbeck-Buseman,
Program Officer
Zane is a 13th-generation Appalachian living back in West Virginia at long last. After six years of activist and community organizing experience in New York City and Philadelphia, he is overjoyed to bring his passion for sustainable growth and change back to the hills and hollers he calls home. In addition to Zane's work with WVLSC, he is active in local community development, is a fiber artist, and enjoys pretending to be helpful in his husband’s garden.
Patricia Porter,
Grants & Operations Officer
Patricia is born and raised in Morgantown West Virginia. She holds a master's degree in public administration and forensic accounting. She has worked with grants for almost 30 years and is dedicated to the success and rebeautification of West Virginia.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The 13-member WVLSC Board of Directors is legislatively mandated to include representatives from industry, labor unions, supporting government agencies, and environmental groups. Four members are named by the organizations they represent, and the remaining nine are nominated by their organizations and appointed by the Governor. Board Chair Berkeley Bentley represents the Governor’s Office and currently serves as Deputy General Counsel at the Office of Governor Jim Justice. Our board members represent the following stakeholder groups:
United Mine Workers of America:
Joseph M. Carter, Jr. is a retired fourth-generation coal miner with over 40 years of experience in the mining industry. Joe currently serves as Vice-President of the WV AFL-CIO Executive Board. He lives in Raleigh County, WV with his wife Becky.
Joyce A. Gentry is a Senior Environmental Consultant with Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in the environmental arena and received a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and a M.S degree.in Civil/Environmental Engineering
Marianne McClure has a background in chemical manufacturing and currently serves as Operations, Engineering & EH&S Leader/Plant Manager at DuPont/IFF.
Erin R. Brittain is the Northern Brownfields Program Manager in the Office of Environmental Remediation at the WV Department of Environmental Protection. Erin has worked in the environmental remediation field in both state government and private industry for 15 years. She has a BS in Environmental Science from West Virginia Wesleyan College and an MS in Environmental Science and Applied Ecology from Indiana University. Erin lives in Harrison County with her husband Ross and two children, Micah and Elizabeth.
3 Direct Appointees from the General Public:
Jeffery W. Allen is Senior Vice President of Acquisitions, Development, Coal & Minerals at Pardee Resources. Jeff has worked in the natural resource industry for over 25 years and has extensive experience with acquiring resources and developing coal mining operations in Central Appalachia. He has a BS in Geology/Hydrology and lives with his wife in Hurricane, WV.
Christy Laxton is Executive Director of the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority. Christy has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with majors in both Accounting and Finance from Concord (College) University. She serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the state and lives in Pineville, WV with her husband and four children.
Terrell Ellis owns and operates Terrell Ellis & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in planning and project management for community and economic development. She has over thirty five years of combined experience in development, assessment, and nonprofit management in West Virginia and nationally.
James Bush is the State Program Manager for the Appalachian Regional Commission at the WV Department of Commerce.
Jason Bostic is Vice-President of the WV Coal Association.
Eric Sharp is a Construction Market Representative for the WV Appalachian Laborers’ District Council and the Mid-Atlantic Laborers’ Cooperative & Education Trust. He helps to bring contractors and workers together to complete projects safely and on time.
WV Senate: Seat currently vacant
WV House of Delegates: Seat currently vacant
WV Environmental Council: Kevin is a retired engineer and first responder who ran his own design and manufacturing business for 30 years. He is active in multiple environmental organizations throughout West Virginia.