Fostering Solutions

Welcome to Fostering Solutions, where we explore the stories of changemakers who are building a better future for our communities.

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Margaret Chapman Pomponio, Executive Director of WV FREE, joining us from right here in Charleston, West Virginia. Margaret's journey is one of deep commitment to justice and community empowerment. After earning her Master's in Political Science from Western Washington University—where she even taught Women and Politics—she made the choice to return home to West Virginia. That was back in 2002, and she's been on the front lines of reproductive health, rights, and justice work ever since.

Under Margaret's leadership, WV FREE has grown significantly, achieving meaningful policy victories at every level of government, even in one of the most challenging political landscapes in the country. But what really sets Margaret apart is her approach: she knows that lasting change doesn't happen in isolation. She's a firm believer in coalition-building, in lifting up new voices, and in the power of partnership to create transformative social change.

Beyond her work at WV FREE, Margaret serves on the board of the West Virginia Interfaith Refugee Ministry, sits on the West Virginia Lawyer Disciplinary Review Board, and is active in her church community at St. John's Episcopal here in Charleston. She's also a busy mom to young twins and stepmom to two young adults—somehow finding time for family travel adventures between fighting the good fight.

Margaret, thank you so much for being here today. Welcome to Fostering Solutions.

In this episode of Fostering Solutions, Dr. Michelle Foster speaks with Dr. Jake VanHorn, Chief Program Officer at Cabin Creek Health Systems, about what it means to hold the mission together when uncertainty looms.

Dr. VanHorn received his Doctor of Clinical Psychology from Marshall University, where he developed a passion for working in communities that face systemic barriers to care. Since joining Cabin Creek Health Systems in 2017 as a Behavioral Health Provider, he has helped lead the organization’s efforts to develop systems of care that decrease barriers, increase access, and improve patient outcomes.

Believing that “good healthcare does not happen in a silo, but as part of a community that meets people where they are,” Dr. VanHorn champions a “no wrong door” approach—linking healthcare providers, behavioral health professionals, and community partners to ensure comprehensive and compassionate care. His professional interests include developing models of care that support community integration into the healthcare system, behavioral health as public health, program development, advocacy, and organizational structure.

In this conversation, Dr. VanHorn shares how thoughtful leadership, collaboration, and a deep commitment to community well-being guide his work at Cabin Creek. Together, we explore how leaders can stay grounded in mission, even in the face of uncertainty—and how cross-sector partnerships can strengthen both systems and the people they serve.

Welcome back to Fostering Solutions. I'm your host, Dr. Michelle Mickle Foster, and today we continue our "Holding the Mission Together" series—conversations with nonprofit leaders who have navigated extraordinary challenges with grace, grit, and unwavering commitment to their missions.

I'm thrilled to introduce you to someone who truly embodies what it means to be a connector and change-maker: Tricia C. Kingery.

Tricia is the founder and president of Kingery & Company, a West Virginia-based consulting firm dedicated to strengthening nonprofits through strategic planning, training, marketing, and fundraising. But her impact extends far beyond consulting. As Executive Director of EveryChild NOW and Statewide Leader for the ACEs Coalition of West Virginia, Tricia has positioned herself at the forefront of child advocacy and trauma-informed systems change in our state.

What makes Tricia's story particularly compelling is her ability to see connections where others see only challenges. With a Master's in Counseling, a Bachelor's in Psychology, and an MBA, she brings both heart and strategic thinking to her work. She's not just advising nonprofits from the sidelines—she's in the trenches with them, understanding firsthand what it means to hold a mission together when resources are uncertain and the stakes are high.

Tricia's commitment to creating community led her to establish The Retreat and The Cottage—peaceful, productive spaces where nonprofits can gather, plan, and grow. It's this same spirit of nurturing and connection that has made her a sought-after keynote speaker and mentor to emerging leaders across our state.

As someone who has dedicated her life to making life better for others—particularly children and families affected by trauma—Tricia understands the weight of leadership during uncertain times. Today, she'll share her insights on navigating funding cuts, maintaining organizational resilience, and finding hope when the path forward isn't clear.

So let's dive into this important conversation. Tricia, welcome to Fostering Solutions.

Welcome back to Fostering Solutions. I'm your host, Dr. Michelle Mickle Foster, and today we continue our "Holding the Mission Together" series—conversations with nonprofit leaders who have navigated extraordinary challenges while staying true to their missions and the communities they serve.

I'm honored to introduce you to someone whose work has been essential to protecting and empowering survivors across our state: Tonia Thomas, Co-Director at the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

For more than two decades, Tonia has been a pillar of West Virginia's domestic violence prevention and response network. Since joining the Coalition in 2004, she has dedicated herself to building a robust statewide system that supports survivors and strengthens the organizations that serve them. Her work spans the full continuum of this critical mission—from raising public awareness about intimate partner violence to training professionals across multiple sectors, providing technical assistance to licensed domestic violence programs, and expanding leadership capacity throughout the coalition.

What strikes me most about Tonia's leadership is her understanding that preventing and responding to domestic violence requires both systemic change and deeply personal commitment. She knows that holding this mission together means not just maintaining programs during times of uncertainty, but building resilient networks that can weather any storm while keeping survivors at the center of every decision.

As a lifelong West Virginian with both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Marshall University, Tonia brings an intimate knowledge of our state's communities, challenges, and strengths. She understands the particular complexities of doing this vital work in rural and underserved areas, and she's spent her career ensuring that no survivor is left without support, regardless of where they live.

In an era where funding for critical services faces constant uncertainty, Tonia's experience navigating these challenges while maintaining the Coalition's mission offers invaluable lessons for all of us in nonprofit leadership.

Welcome to Fostering Solutions, where we explore the real stories of leaders who are making a difference in their communities. I'm your host, and today we're continuing our Fall 2025 Nonprofit Series: "Holding the Mission Together: Leadership in the Face of Uncertainty."

Our guest today, Terrell Ellis, describes herself as a "West Virginian by choice"—and that choice has defined a remarkable career dedicated to unlocking the potential she sees in communities across the state. As President and CEO of Advantage Valley, a nine-county regional economic development organization, Terrell leads efforts that span business attraction and retention, foreign direct investment, entrepreneurship, outdoor recreation, and site development. Under her leadership since 2023, the organization has successfully leveraged millions in federal funding and facilitated the creation of hundreds of new jobs and millions in private reinvestment across the region.

But Terrell's expertise didn't start with her current role. Her career trajectory tells the story of someone who has worked at every level of community development—from downtown Charleston to statewide initiatives with the WV Department of Economic Development, from riverfront development and historic preservation to financing programs that support property and business development. She then spent years as Principal of Terrell Ellis & Associates, consulting nationally with an emphasis on small to medium-sized rural communities. She's seen what works, what doesn't, and what it takes to sustain change over time.

What makes Terrell's perspective especially valuable is her understanding of the entire ecosystem of community development. She's worked in government. She's worked in the private sector. She's been a consultant helping communities diagnose their challenges and chart their paths forward. And now she's leading a regional organization responsible for coordinating economic development across multiple counties—a role that requires building consensus, managing diverse stakeholder interests, and making strategic decisions that affect entire communities.

As a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional with a degree in Urban Affairs from Virginia Tech, Terrell brings both credentials and hard-won experience to the work. But more importantly, she brings belief—the conviction that West Virginia can be the best place in the country to live, work, and play, if we're willing to do the work to make it so.

In today's conversation, Terrell shares what it's been like to lead Advantage Valley through periods of funding uncertainty, how she's navigated the challenge of securing federal resources while maintaining organizational stability, and what she's learned about collaboration as a survival strategy. She talks about the decisions that kept the mission moving forward and the partnerships that emerged when individual organizations couldn't go it alone.

Whether you're leading a regional development organization, working in economic development, or trying to understand how communities leverage resources and build resilience during uncertain times, this conversation offers practical wisdom from someone who's been building West Virginia's future for decades.

So let's dive in. Here's my conversation with Terrell Ellis.

Welcome to Fostering Solutions, where we explore the real stories of leaders who are making a difference in their communities. I'm your host, and today we're continuing our Fall 2025 Nonprofit Series: "Holding the Mission Together: Leadership in the Face of Uncertainty."

Our guest today is Dr. Clinton Arnold, a leader who embodies what it means to transform challenge into opportunity. As the CEO of Kanawha Institute for Social Research & Action, or KISRA, Dr. Arnold took the helm in March 2022 during a critical moment for the organization. What he's accomplished since then is nothing short of remarkable—growing revenue from $600,000 to $1.5 million, turning struggling programs like the Urban Farm, After-School Initiatives, and Affordable Housing from financial deficits into sustainable operations.

But Dr. Arnold's story goes far beyond balance sheets and strategic plans. Before leading KISRA's revitalization, he spent years in the corporate world, leading multi-billion-dollar initiatives at Verizon Communications and earning multiple President's Leadership awards. He's also a professor at West Virginia State University, where he's shaping the next generation of business leaders.

What makes Dr. Arnold's perspective so valuable is this unique blend of experiences—Fortune 100 corporate strategy, nonprofit leadership during crisis, academic rigor, and grassroots mentorship. He understands what it takes to lead when resources are scarce, when the mission is critical, and when giving up isn't an option.

In today's conversation, Dr. Arnold opens up about the moment he realized KISRA was facing serious challenges, the principles that guided his decision-making, and how he communicated with staff and stakeholders when the path forward wasn't clear. He shares stories of resilience, innovation born from necessity, and what he learned about himself as a leader through the process.

Whether you're leading a nonprofit facing funding uncertainty, managing a team through transition, or simply trying to understand what it takes to hold a mission together when everything seems unstable, this conversation offers practical wisdom and genuine hope.

So let's dive in. Here's my conversation with Dr. Clinton Arnold.

Welcome to Fostering Solutions, where we explore the real stories of leaders who are making a difference in their communities. I'm your host, and today we're continuing our Fall 2025 Nonprofit Series: "Holding the Mission Together: Leadership in the Face of Uncertainty."

What does it mean to lead an organization whose very mission is about navigating one of the most profound economic transitions of our time? Our guest today, Jacob Hannah, CEO of Coalfield Development, is doing precisely that—and he brings a perspective that's both deeply personal and globally informed.

Jacob is a fifth-generation West Virginian with three generations of coal miners in his family. He doesn't just understand the coal-to-clean energy transition as policy or theory—he knows it in his bones, in his family history, in the communities he serves. And that's what makes his leadership at Coalfield Development so powerful. He's leading an organization that's literally building the bridge between West Virginia's industrial past and its sustainable future, balancing what they call the triple bottom line: People, Planet, and Prosperity.

But here's what's remarkable—Jacob's influence extends far beyond West Virginia. He's consulted on Just Transition principles at The White House, The World Bank, and the Clean Energy Ministerial. He's bringing the wisdom and lived experience of Appalachian communities to global conversations about how we create economic change that doesn't leave people behind.

Since 2018, Jacob has served as Chief Conservation Officer before stepping into the CEO role, giving him an intimate understanding of how environmental considerations, social wellbeing, and economic development must work in harmony—not in opposition. This isn't abstract philosophy for Jacob. It's about real people in real communities figuring out how to provide for their families when the economic foundation beneath them is shifting.

Leading through uncertainty takes on a different meaning when your entire mission is about navigating transition. When your organization exists to help communities and workers adapt to massive economic shifts, and then the funding that supports that work becomes uncertain, the challenges compound. How do you hold the mission together when you're already asking people to reimagine their futures?

In today's conversation, Jacob shares what it's been like to lead Coalfield Development through periods of funding uncertainty, how he's balanced immediate needs with long-term vision, and what he's learned about resilience—both organizational and personal. He talks about the principles that guide him when making tough decisions, and how his family's history in coal mining informs his empathetic approach to leading change.

Whether you're navigating economic transition in your own community, leading an organization through periods of change, or trying to understand what just and fair transformation looks like in practice, this conversation offers profound insights.

Here's my conversation with Jacob Hannah.

Welcome to Fostering Solutions, where we explore the real stories of leaders who are
making a difference in their communities. I'm your host, and today we're continuing our
Fall 2025 Nonprofit Series: "Holding the Mission Together: Leadership in the Face of
Uncertainty."

Some leaders measure their impact in years. Our guest today measures his in
generations. For the last twenty-five years, Reverend James Patterson has served as
Founder and President/CEO of the Partnership of African American Churches, known as
PAAC. But his influence runs even deeper—he's been a pastor for more than 32 years,
which means he's been walking alongside people through their most challenging
moments for over three decades.

PAAC is a faith-based community development corporation that intentionally targets
African American communities throughout West Virginia, while serving all communities.
Under Reverend Patterson's leadership, PAAC has become a powerful force for
empowerment—working not just to provide services, but to equip individuals and
congregational communities to achieve positive policy change themselves. It's
leadership that doesn't just respond to problems; it builds capacity for communities to
shape their own futures.

What makes Reverend Patterson's perspective so rich is how he brings together the
spiritual and the practical, the pastoral and the political. He holds a Master's in
Sociology from Marshall University and a Master's in Applied Community Change and
Conservation. He's the founder of the Saving our Children Program. He serves on the
boards of Habitat for Humanity, the WV Center on Budget and Policy, and the American
Heart Association. This is a leader who understands that faith without action is
incomplete, and that community change requires both heart and strategy.

For twenty-five years, Reverend Patterson has navigated the unique challenges of
leading a faith-based organization that addresses systemic issues—issues that require
sustained funding, long-term commitment, and often, policy change. When you're
working to empower communities that have been historically marginalized and under-
resourced, funding uncertainty isn't just a budget challenge—it threatens the trust
you've spent decades building.

In today's conversation, Reverend Patterson shares what it means to hold a mission together when you're accountable not just to a board or funders, but to congregations
and communities who have placed their faith in your leadership. He talks about the
principles that have guided him through tough decisions, how he's communicated with
stakeholders during uncertain times, and what keeps him going when the work feels
overwhelming.

Whether you're leading a faith-based organization, working in community development,
or navigating the intersection of service and social change, Reverend Patterson's
wisdom—earned through decades of faithful service—offers guidance and hope.

So let's dive in. Here's my conversation with Reverend James Patterson.

Welcome to Fostering Solutions, where we explore the real stories of leaders who are
making a difference in their communities. I'm your host, and today we're continuing our
Fall 2025 Nonprofit Series: "Holding the Mission Together: Leadership in the Face of
Uncertainty."

When you're responsible for the health and wellbeing of 45,000 people, uncertainty isn't
just a challenge—it's a crisis that affects real lives. Our guest today, Dr. Craig Glover,
knows this reality intimately. As President and CEO of FamilyCare Health Centers, one of
West Virginia's leading community health centers, he leads an organization that
provides comprehensive medical, dental, behavioral health, and vision services to
thousands of families who depend on them.

Dr. Glover brings more than two decades of community health center leadership
experience to this conversation. He's successfully led three different health centers as
CEO, navigating the complex intersection of healthcare delivery, government funding,
and community need. His expertise isn't just theoretical—he holds a Doctorate in
Education in Organizational Leadership, an MBA, and a Master's in Organizational
Leadership, along with prestigious Fellow designations from both the American College
of Healthcare Executives and the American College of Medical Practice Executives.
But what makes Dr. Glover's perspective especially relevant right now is his role on the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Advisory Committee on Rural
Health and Human Services. He's not just experiencing the impact of policy decisions
and funding uncertainty—he's in rooms where these conversations are happening at the
national level, while simultaneously leading an organization that must respond to these
shifts in real time.

Recognized as a 2021 West Virginia Healthcare Hero, Dr. Glover understands what it
means to hold a mission together when the stakes are literally life and death.
Community health centers serve as the healthcare safety net for our most vulnerable
populations—the uninsured, the underinsured, rural communities, and those facing barriers to care. When funding becomes uncertain, the ripple effects touch entire communities.

In today's conversation, Dr. Glover shares what it's been like to lead through periods of
funding uncertainty, how he's communicated with staff who are on the front lines of
care, and the innovations that emerged from necessity. He talks candidly about the
weight of leadership decisions that affect not just organizational budgets, but people's
access to essential healthcare services.

Whether you're leading a healthcare organization, managing any nonprofit through
funding challenges, or working to understand how safety net services survive and
adapt, this conversation offers crucial insights from someone who's been in the
trenches and lived to tell about it.

So let's dive in. Here's my conversation with Dr. Craig Glover.

Welcome to Fostering Solutions, where we spotlight dynamic leaders who strengthen
communities through vision, resilience, and innovation. I’m your host, Dr. Michelle
Foster, and in this episode of our special series Holding the Mission Together:
Leadership in the Face of Uncertainty, I’m joined by an inspiring leader whose journey
from military service to civic leadership exemplifies courage and purpose — Mara
Boggs.
Mara is the new President and CEO of the Charleston Area Alliance and Chamber of
Commerce, where she’s leading efforts to spark growth, attract people and investment,
and build a thriving Kanawha County. Her career spans nearly 30 years of public
service, including 13 years as an active-duty Army Engineer officer — serving in Iraq
and Afghanistan — where she became the first woman commander of her unit in
the 82nd Airborne Division, named the best engineer unit in the Army during her
tenure. After leaving the military to pursue greater work-life balance, Mara served for
more than a decade as senior congressional staff to Senator Joe Manchin, championing
jobs, opportunity, and hope for West Virginians.
In this conversation, Mara opens up about leading through uncertainty — the values
that grounded her, the pivotal decisions that strengthened her team, and the lessons
she’s carried forward about innovation, communication, and care in leadership. We’ll
explore how her experiences — from the battlefield to Capitol Hill — continue to shape
her vision for community and economic development in West Virginia.
Stay tuned as we discuss how she held her mission together during challenging times,
what gives her hope today, and how her story offers powerful guidance for every leader
navigating change.