1/21/05 - Building Networks and Partnerships to Grow Creative Economies - Asheville, North Carolina - A one-day seminar, focusing on how to identify potential partners, leverage connections, develop win/win strategies and promote your successes to create lasting legacies. - Price: $199 - For more information, visit www.handmadeinamerica.org/institute/training.php - LED Training hours TBD

1/24-25/05 - Downtown Revitalization Institute - Days Inn Conference Center - Flatwoods, West Virginia - Sponsored by Main Street West Virginia and the West Virginia Office of Coalfield Community Development - Track I: Two-day National Development Council Business Credit Analysis and Deal Structuring - Focuses on economic development financing, introduction to business credit analysis including the balance sheet and profit and loss statements. Track will include discussion of quality indicators and business loan programs and structuring of the loan. - Track II: Marian Boyd, state coordinator of Main Street Arkansas, and Kim Barber Tieman, senior program officer, present a two-day course focusing on organizational issues such as volunteer management, image development, building a strong board of directors and fundraising for organizations. - For additional information, contact Marsha Geyer, Main Street West Virginia - (800) 982-3386, mgeyer@wvdo.org. - NDC track attendees will receive a certificate of approval for CE course sponsored by WVDO and may be reciprocally used for Real Estate Commission CE. - Tracks I and II qualify for 14 hours of local economic development training.

1/26/05 - New Town Application Workshop - Days Inn Conference Center - Flatwoods, West Virginia - Sponsored by Main Street West Virginia - 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - This session will explain the Main Street Four-Point Approach (TM) to downtown revitalization. - Attendance at the workshop is mandatory for communities wishing to apply for the Main Street West Virginia designation. - For additional information, contact Marsha Geyer, Main Street West Virginia - (800) 982-3386, mgeyer@wvdo.org.

1/31/05-2/2/05 - Maritime Summit - Radisson Hotel - Huntington, West Virginia - Sponsored by Nick J. Rahall II Appalachian Transportation Institute and Marshall University Center for Environmental Geotechnical and Applied Sciences - This conference brings maritime challenges and issues facing the Tri-State Area to the forefront. - For more information and online registration, visit www.marshall.edu/ati/news/current/register2.htm. - Approved for 12 hours of LED training.

2/4-8/05 - 2005 Washington Policy Conference - Renaissance Washington, D.C. - National Association of Regional Council’s annual conference. - For more information, visit www.narc.org - LED Training hours TBD.

2/7-8/05 - Developing and Mapping Trails - Asheville, North Carolina - Learn the tips and tricks to mapping a unique trail focusing on craft, heritage, agriculture, music and other creative assets. Identify what ingredients make a trail viable, how to set criteria for sites, and chart data into a usable product. - Price: $325 (includes workbook) - For more information, visit www.handmadeinamerica.org/institute/training.php - LED training hours TBD.

2/10-11/05 - IEDC Course: Technology-Led Economic Development - Georgia Tech Hotal and Conference Center - Atlanta, Georgia - The role of technology industries in today’s economy has added a new dimension to the job of economic development professionals. The quest to expand or increase a community’s technology businesses can be confusing and overwhelming at first glance. Communities must judge to what extent they should strive to recruit and support the technology industry, and determine ways to help local businesses tap into technology opportunities. Many communities have successfully integrated technology into their local economies while others have been negatively affected by the national economic downturn and its effect on the technology sector. - For more information, visit www.pe.gatech.edu - Approved for 14 hours of LED continuing education.

2/11/05 - Advancing the Non-Profit Organization - Marshall Graduate College - Room 319 - South Charleston, West Virginia - This one-day conference features the elements of strategic planning, including Defining the Organization, Understanding the Mission, Creating the Vision, Mapping the Route and Making it Work. - Afternoon session: Grantwriting basics including: Research, Relationship Building, Writing the Narrative, Preparing a Budget and Reporting Requirements. - For more information call Martha Pierson at (304) 746-2062. - LED training hours TBD.

2/22-23/05 - Marketing for Success - Ramada Inn - Morgantown, West Virginia - West Virginia University Extension Service - A short course for growers and market managers - Registration: (304) 293-6131 - LED training hours TBD.

3/1-2/05 - West Virginia Economic Development Council Legislative Meeting - Charleston Marriott Hotel - Charleston, West Virginia - The program will include legislative updates from several organizations, as well as information on the proposed state regionalism plan, TIF update, PAZ Initiative and West Virginia Small Business Technology Education and Competitiveness Initiative. - The legislative meeting will be at the Charleston Marriott on March 1 with a legislative breakfast at the Capitol cafeteria March 2. - For LED professionals, attendance at one of the two WVEDC meetings is mandatory.

3/13-15/05 - Moving Appalachia Forward: A Journey of Progress and Challenges - Crystal Gateway Marriott - Arlington, Virginia - Sponsored by the Development District Association of Appalachia and the ARC - The program provides an overview of the Strategic Plan, which will serve ARC and the region from 2005 until 2010, as well as training sessions on each of the four goal areas. - This will include a separate track for Goal 4, which focuses on the Appalachian Development Highway System and pertinent transportation issues for the region. - The program also features a presentation on ARC’s tourism initiative with National Geographic, information on the new Congressional Appalachian Caucus as well as the annual presentation of the congressional and John D. Whisman “Vision” Awards. - For more information, visit www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=2644 - Approved for 12 hours of LED training.

3/14-15/05 - National Congress for Community Economic Development's Annual Policy Summit - Wyndham Washington Hotel - Washington, D.C. - For more information, visit www.ncced.org/policy%20summit/ - Eligible for 15 hours of LED training.

3/14-16/05 - IEDC’s 2005 Economic Development Summit - Omni Shoreham Hotel - Washington, D.C. - The Economic Development Summit brings together key federal players in the field of economic development to discuss and examine how federal issues will affect local communities. - In a special feature of the summit, groups of attendees will meet with select Senate and House leadership, staff and committees. - Attendees will have an opportunity to communicate important messages to members of Congress and executive branch agencies. - LED training hours TBD.

3/14-16/05 - Community Development Venture Capital Alliance’s (CDVCA) 2005 Annual Conference and Pre-conference Introductory Workshop - Sheraton National Hotel - Arlington, Virginia - This year’s conference features the unique perspectives of investors in the CDVC industry, opportunities to meet with policymakers, a hard look at measuring impacts in the industry and a new case study format featuring challenges faced by investment fund managers. - Breakout sessions include CDFI Fund Resources: Recent Changes at the CDFI Fund; Structuring Deals and Negotiating Term Sheets; CDVC Investors; Measuring Social Return on Investment; Early Results of the New Markets Venture Capital Program; Exiting to Achieve Strong Financial and Social Returns; The Family of Funds Model; Adding Financial and Social Value to Portfolio Companies; Making the New Markets Tax Credit Work for Venture Capital; and Finding Investment Opportunities in Your Community. - For more information, visit www.cdvca.org. Approved for 9.5 hours of LED training.

3/21-22/05 - Arts & Crafts Business Conference - Blackwater Falls State Park - To register, contact Tom McColley at (304) 655-7429 or tmccolley@wirefire.com or visit www.MountainMade.com.

3/28-31/05 - 38th Annual Basic Economic Development Course - Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center - Atlanta, Georgia - This program is designed to serve the needs of those planning to enter the development field, new professionals with public and private agencies, chamber of commerce staff, public utilities personnel, local elected officials and volunteers supporting economic development. - For established professionals, it offers an opportunity to update their skills and expand resource bases. - All participants will enhance their network of contacts in economic development regionally and around the country. - For more information, visit www.ceds.gatech.edu/bedc2005/registration - Eligible for 30 hours of LED training.

4/5-6/05 - Downtown Revitalization Institute - Roland P. Sharp Alumni Conference Center - Lewisburg, West Virginia - Sponsored by Main Street West Virginia and the West Virginia Office of Coalfield Community Development. - Track I: Two-day National Development Council course focuses on real estate development process from the perspective of lenders and investors. Economic development projects are analyzed using the rates of return required by lenders, developers and investors to quantify the need for and amount of public financing required to make a deal happen. - Sessions will include generating equity for real estate projects and how to lower the amount of public investment needed. - Track II: Two-day course: Using Design as an Economic Tool - Mike Gioulis, historic design consultant for Main Street West Virginia, leads this workshop. - For more information, contact Marsha Geyer, Main Street West Virginia, (800) 982-3386 or mgeyer@wvdo.org. The NDC track attendees will receive a certificate of approval for CE course sponsored by WVDO and may be reciprocally used for Real Estate Commission CE. - Tracks I and II qualify for 14 hours of local economic development training.

4/11-12/05 - Building Creative Communities Conference: Asset-based Economic Development Conference - Asheville, North Carolina - Sponsored by the ARC and HandMade in America, this two-day conference will provide practical instruction on developing and adapting agriculture, craft, music, Main Streets, literature, cuisine, recreation and other local assets for the new economy. This conference follows up on many of the topics discussed at the 2001 Building Creative Economies conference, and the recent ARC conference in Abingdon. - For additional information, go to handmadeinamerica.org/institute/conferences.php

4/25-26/05 - Assets to Opportunities Conference - Blair County Convention Center - Altoona, Pennsylvania - The conference will demonstrate how communities can identify and leverage existing resources to revitalize their economies. - This conference will bring together state and national partners along with community leaders to share lessons and strategies for asset-based development. - This conference is a collaborative effort of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Maryland Department of Planning, New York State Department of State, Ohio Governor’s Office of Appalachia and the West Virginia Development Office. - For additional information, go to www.sapdc.org - Approved for 8 hours of LED training.

5/10-13/05 - 15th Annual AEO Conference & Membership Meeting - Hilton Portland & Executive Tower - Portland, Oregon - Join AEO and co-host, Oregon Microenterprise Network (OMEN), in the premiere microenterprise training conference for the demanding Microenterprise Development professional. - 2005 Annual Conference Tracks include Access to Capital; Entrepreneurial Training & Technical Assistance; Executive Directors; Fund Raising, Media Relations & Advocacy; Rural Microenterprise Development; Specialized Populations; Specialized Sectors; Sustainability; and Technology and Microenterprise Development. - For additional information or registration, go to www.microenterpriseworks.org/conferences/aeo2005/index.htm - Approved for 24 hours of LED training.

5/11-12/05 - 2005 West Virginia Conference on Entrepreneurship - Charleston Marriott Town Center - Charleston, West Virginia - Topics include marketing strategies, financial reporting, must-have entrepreneurial skills, experiencing unprecedented growth, venture capital funds and special keynote speaker Ian Hardman, CEO of Davin Wheel Company. For more information, visit www.wvcoe.com/ - Approved for 7.5 hours of LED training.

5/15-18/05 - 19th Annual Conference on Business Incubation - Baltimore, Maryland - National Business Incubators Association’s premier event. - For more information, visit www.nbia.org/nbia_events/index.php - Training hours TBD.

6/1-2/05 - West Virginia Downtown Revitalization Institute - Curriculum to be announced - Oglebay Resort and Conference Center - Wheeling, West Virginia - For more information, contact Marsha Geyer, Main Street West Virginia, (800) 982-3386 or mgeyer@wvdo.org. - Approved for 14 hours of LED training.

6/12-14/05 - Summit on the Rural South - Grand Hotel Point Clear Resort - Mobile Bay, Alabama - For the first time, all four of Southern Growth Policies Board’s standing advisory councils — the Council on the Southern Community, the Southern Technology Council, the Global Strategies Council and the Council For a New Economy Workforce — will join the board in hosting a three-day summit on rural development. - The summit will gather Southern governors, economic developers, business executives, legislators and academic leaders to explore new strategies in rural development with a regional perspective. - The summit will feature the release of the 2005 Report on the Future of the South, national and regional speakers and an interactive town hall meeting with the region’s governors. - Speakers and program materials will feature best practices, as well as distillation of excellent work already under way in other institutions. For more information, visit www.southern.org/conf.asp. - LED Training hours TBD.

6/24-28/05 - 39th Annual Conference and Exhibition - Doubletree Hotel - Monterey, California - National Association of Regional Council’s annual convention. - For more information, visit www.narc.org - Training hours TBD.

6/29-30/05 - BTUs From the Forest: An Educational Conference on the use of Wood Fiber as an Energy Source - Morgantown, West Virginia - The Appalachian Hardwood Center at West Virginia University, in cooperation with the West Virginia Development Office and the U.S. Department of Energy's Southeastern Biomass State and Regional Cooperative, is hosting a conference on the use of wood residues as an alternative energy source. - For more information, visit www.ahc.caf.wvu.edu/woodconf/

7/11-13/05 - Faces of Leadership: Showcasing West Virginia’s Treasures - Charleston, West Virginia - The 2005 State Conference on Volunteerism, National Service and Service Learning 2005 supports "A Vision Shared," West Virginia's dynamic economic development plan. - This plan is implemented with considerable volunteer involvement and focuses on the vital role of nonprofits and volunteer service organizations on the state's economic health. - The state volunteer conference has always been about empowering citizens to get things done through community service. - Service brings out the talents of people of all ages and all conditions and causes leadership to bloom in unexpected ways. - For more information about the conference, visit http://www.volunteerwv.org/. - LED Training hours TBD.

7/17-19/05 - 2005 Appalachian Regional Commission Business Incubator Conference - Embassy Suites - Charleston, West Virginia - This conference provides an in-depth look at business incubation, best-practice technology commercialization efforts and entrepreneurial support initiatives proven effective in rural communities. - For more information, visit www.arc.gov/incubation. - Eligible for 12.5 hours' LED continuing education.

7/20-21/05 - IEDC Course: Business Retention and Expansion - Hyatt Regency Savannah - Savannah, Georgia - This course helps the practitioner define who the customer is and what this means in setting up your program. - Taking a very practical approach to BRE programs, this course will highlight the best practices from BRE programs across the United States. - Decisions that affect the strength of the program range from the type of corporate outreach program and which key decision-makers to include to the personnel who will lead and carry out the program. - For more information, visit www.pe.gatech.edu. - Eligible for 14 hours' LED continuing education.

7/20-22/05 - 3rd annual WORKFORCE West Virginia conference - Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Center - Chester, West Virginia - Conference information at https://www.workforcewv.org//

No events are currently scheduled

9/18-20/05 - 2005 West Virginia Economic Development Council Fall Conference - Shepherdstown, West Virginia - For reservations, call (877) 441-4386 - For LED professionals, attendance at one of the two WVEDC meetings is mandatory.

9/22/05 - 2005 Seminar on Waste Minimization and Energy Efficiency - Wheeling, West Virginia - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, West Virginia Waste Roundtable, West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation and the West Virginia Development Office, is hosting a workshop to assist West Virginia industrial and commercial organizations in identifying and addressing waste and energy issues. - National and state programs, such as the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities program and state energy efficiency program activities, will be discussed. - For more information, contact Mr. Carroll Cather at (304) 926-0499, ext. 1317.

9/25-30/05 - 2005 Community Development Institute East – West Virginia University Extension Service and West Virginia Development Office - Embassy Suites - Charleston, West Virginia - A capacity building training program for chambers of commerce, private- and public-sector community and economic development organizations, utility companies, planners, banks, extension services, municipal and county officials, and grassroots leaders and groups - For more information, visit www.ext.wvu.edu/cdi-east - The institute is approved for 40 hours of LED credit.

9/25-28/05 - 2005 IEDC Annual Conference - Hilton Chicago - Chicago, Illinois - Join with other economic development professionals – your peers – in attending comprehensive educational sessions, hands-on tours in and around Chicago, interactive workshops and unique special events. - Make the most of your time there by networking with fellow economic developers, industry experts, academics and government representatives. - LED training hours TBD.

9/30/05-10/1/05 - Bringing Solar Energy to West Virginia Conference - Shepherd University - Shepherdstown, West Virginia - To register, contact Clarissa R. Mathews, (304) 876-5677, cmathews@shepherd.edu - Friday, Sept. 30: Local tour of industries, homes and farms utilizing solar applications - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Meet at Shepherd University to charter bus - Must register to participate - Saturday, Oct. 1: Presentations and workshops at Shepherd University - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

10/19/05 - West Virginia Wind Working Group - Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center - 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. - To register, contact Patrick Mann, pmann@wvu.edu - For more information about the group, visit www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/filter_detail.asp?itemid=576. - Contact information TBA.

11/8-9/05 - IEDC Course: Business Retention and Expansion - Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center - Atlanta, Georgia - Real Estate Development & Reuse provides economic development practitioners with the tools and strategies necessary for successful property development and redevelopment projects. - This comprehensive two-day course covers trends in development, regulatory strategies, financing development, initiating redevelopment and the overall development process. - This course also covers the complex issues and challenges associated with brownfield redevelopment and mitigation. - For more information, visit www.pe.gatech.edu - Eligible for 14 hours of LED continuing education.

11/8-9/05 - 9th Annual IOF-WV Symposium - Innovations for Energy and Resource Efficient Industry - Charleston Marriott - Charleston, West Virginia - To register, contact Kathleen Cullen, (304) 293-2867, ext. 5426, Kathleen.Cullen@mail.wvu.edu.