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.