Coalfield Development was founded in 2009 in southern West Virginia by West Virginians who believed that meaningful change must come from within. Our journey began in a small apartment in Wayne County, where our founder, Brandon Dennison, established an office to address the social and economic challenges facing Appalachia, starting with affordable housing. From these humble beginnings, Coalfield has grown into a transformative force for empowering communities and rebuilding economies across the region. Through workforce training for individuals with barriers to employment, community-led revitalization of abandoned mine lands and real estate, social enterprise development, and nonprofit capacity building, we create pathways to well-paying jobs and strong, vibrant economies. We aim to empower people who have been cast aside to transform places that have been left behind, generating prosperity for our region. Our holistic approach has delivered powerful results... since 2009, we have created 1,000+ jobs, trained 3,800+ individuals, supported 91+ new businesses, revitalized 265,000 square feet of abandoned property, and $175M+ in new investment attracted to the region.
“The people and places that have been left behind are the keys to unlocking the new prosperity ahead – and we’re transforming a century of generational challenges every hour, every day.” - Jacob Hannah, CEO
