West Virginia Coal Association Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton was a panelist at a forum on energy and business at Shepherd University in Martinsburg this past Wednesday evening. The goal was to educate the public about energy as it relates to West Virginia's economy.
The forum, titled "Flipping the Switch: The Business of Energy and West Virginia," included a panel discussion featuring Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association; Mike McKenchnie, president of Mountain View Solar in Berkeley Springs; Corky DeMarco, executive director of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association, and Hoppy Kercheval, vice president of operations and host of Talkline at West Virginia MetroNews, who moderated the discussion.
Hamilton discussed the role of coal in the economies of both West Virginia and the nation as a whole, the challenges the industry faces going forward as well as the opportunities in front of it. He also talked about the impact of recent political changes in West Virginia – both at the state and national levels.
University Student MBA Advisory Council Chairwoman Julia Krall said that while there is no coal mining or gas drilling in the Eastern Panhandle, interest in the topic is high. In fact attendance for the event was put at around 200 people.
"What forms of energy we're using and what natural resources are being used to produce those forms of energy definitely impact all of us,” said Julia Krall, chair of the Student MBA Advisory Council, which coordinated the event.
The forum was the first of what the M.B.A. program hopes will be an annual event encouraging community dialogue on current issues, policies, and events that impact business in West Virginia.
Hamilton said he looks forward to the WVCA participating in other events in the series.