About

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. 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 thriving economies. We aim to inspire the courage to grow, activate the creativity to innovate, and cultivate communities of opportunity across central Appalachia. This work begins with building trust through tangible action.