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.