April 5, 1996

Dear Community Leader:

The economy of the United States and the larger global market as well are shifting to an information/communication base. The majority of new positions and opportunities will either directly or indirectly be tied to the incorporation of technology into the workplace and the home. In West Virginia, the signs of change are already visible. In order to take advantage of these changes, West Virginians need to be prepared to understand and utilize the technology that is transforming the world.

To prepare West Virginians for these changes, the West Virginia Rural Development Council (WVRDC) is coordinating and facilitating an effort to make people across the state aware of the technology that currently exists and how it can positively impact their lives. The WVRDC is leading this initiative with the support and collaboration of a number of organizations throughout the state (see accompanying list) and funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The WVRDC is coordinating a series of forums at 14 sites across the state, beginning with two
of the sites in late spring. The objectives of these forums are:

To act as a catalyst to begin dialogue at the community level about telecommunications

technology;

To identify community resources ranging from technical capabilities and facilities to human

resources;

And, to create outcome based plans that allow the communities to move forward on the

technological wave of the future.

We firmly believe that the success or failure of such an effort depends on the level of community interest and involvement. Without co-leadership from the community, we fear that any such initiative will be unsustainable. While the WVRDC and its partners will fulfill all of the necessary coordination and facilitation needs, we must have members of the communities from a number of different perspectives who are willing to act as local leaders. The input and knowledge of the local leaders is crucial to an undertaking of this nature. We will work closely with these individuals to assist them in areas such as planning the forums, advertising of the events, and other support services.

Community Leader
April 5, 1996
Page 2

Your community has been selected as one of the fourteen sites. We are inviting you and/or your organization to partner with the WVRDC and other leaders in your community in this undertaking. We would like to form a collaborating group of local leaders such as yourself to be our contacts in your community. We believe that you are a vital community asset who could be extraordinarily valuable in helping your community prepare for these future changes and opportunities. Since each of the sites have distinctive needs and opportunities, we would like to compose each community's forums with its specific characteristics in mind. Thus, your knowledge of your community is vital to our efforts.

We realize and appreciate that your time for such an initiative is limited, and the WVRDC will do all of the work except that which necessitates community efforts. However, if you are interested in being involved with this initiative, please call my assistant, Jeff Neurman, so we can together begin shaping the plans to assist your community. Thank you for your cooperation and we look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Sincerely,

Joe Barker, Executive Director

West Virginia Rural Development Council

Enclosure

101 DEE DRIVE * CHARLESTON, WV 25311 * (304)558-1240 FAX (304)558-1241