At last night's BB meeting, I took an action item to send you WV Connecting Communities status and plans. Please see message below from Kasey Russell, WVCC Executive Director.

Upcoming WVCC activities: Sep. 26: MAP-21 funding workshop in Charleston presented by Advocacy Advance Oct. 20: ride with key WV legislators in Charleston Oct. 24: WVCC board meeting 4 pm in Richwood with bike ride the following day.

I have also attached the "Call for Membership" letter mentioned below and a document describing membership levels. (WVVCC hasn't sent these out yet because they're working on enabling on-line joining and paying.)

Frank

Begin forwarded message:

From: Kasey Russell russell.kasey@gmail.com Date: September 2, 2013 11:05:31 AM EDT To: "Strawn, Dennis A" dennis.strawn@highmark.com, Gail Pitchford gail.pitchford@camc.org, Patrick Donovan pdonovan@njrati.org, Craig Slaughter craig.slaughter@wvimb.org, John Francis johncfrancis13@gmail.com, Christiaan Abildso cgabildso@hsc.wvu.edu, Andrea Salina andreathompson31@gmail.com Cc: Gary Zuckett garyz@wvcag.org, Greg Garrett gagarrett@gmail.com, Don Spencer dspencer36@comcast.net, Frank Gmeindl frank.gmeindl@comcast.net Subject: update

WV Connecting Communities Membership Drive and more, Fall 2013

Membership Drive: Last week I met with Dr. Rahul Gupta, Membership Chair. Dr. Gupta and I mostly brainstormed on potential targets here in Charleston. I am hoping that each of you can review this list and pick 5-10 entities in your community that are likely WVCC members. The plan is for each board member (or anyone interested in helping us grow) to make the initial contact and arrange a meeting. I will travel to you and we will attend the meetings together.

Here are some potential “targets”: bike shops, hospitals, banks, law firms (especially ones that are known to represent cyclists), hotels and bed and breakfasts, and restaurants (on rails-trails, etc.). We also would like to meet with statewide health advocacy groups, county commissions, the state board of education, medical schools, Center for Rural Health, public health associations, extension services, and municipalities (either Mayor or City Manager). Please let me know if you have good contacts and are willing to arrange a meeting with any of these entities. Or, maybe you have other ideas – send them my way!

Our goal is to have 115 paying WVCC members by April 2014.

I have received two membership checks. Greg Garrett and Gail Pitchford are official!! Thanks Greg and Gail for your donations.

Dennis Strawn has written a great “Call for Membership” letter. I will be sending the letter out tomorrow as soon as I get our PO Box #. Please distribute this letter to anyone you think will join WVCC.

In other WVCC news:

I also met with Gail Pitchford, Vice President, last week. We mostly discussed soliciting national businesses that have something to do with cycling, such as Canondale, Huffy, etc. and grant opportunities with local and regional foundations, like Benedum and the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation. I will be doing the follow up work from our meeting during my regularly scheduled office hours at WV Citizen Action Group every Tuesday from 10-2.

The Legislative Bike Ride on Sunday, Oct. 20th is a go! Our local bike shops here in Charleston have agreed to let us use some of their bikes. Delegate Tim Manchin, Finance Chair, and Senator Plymale are IN! The Charleston Police are happy to help. I will be developing the invite shortly and hope that each of you can personally send to your representatives.

Our next Board Meeting is October 24th at 4:00 p.m. in Richwood. We are meeting during the Create WV conference in hopes that some of the attendees will join our effort. Dennis and I really hope you all can join us! Please let me know if you are able to or not. Also, WVCC is leading a bike ride and a walk on Friday at 3:30, also in Richwood.

Patrick Donovan and Andrea Salina have been researching the WV Cycling License Plate. As of right now, we are waiting for a response on whether or not money collected from the plate can go to a special "Cycling/Ped fund" inside the Road Fund. We will keep you posted.

I hope you all are enjoying your Labor Day. I’m working J. Kasey