22 Jan Press Release: Friends of Southwest Virginia and the Clinch River Valley Initiative Formalize Staffing Partnership and Announce New Regional Leadership Position
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Ryan Vaughan
Marketing Manager, Friends of Southwest Virginia
rvaughan@myswva.org
Friends of Southwest Virginia and the Clinch River Valley Initiative Formalize Staffing Partnership and Announce New Regional Leadership Position
St. Paul, Va. (Tuesday, January 20, 2026) – Friends of Southwest Virginia and the Clinch River Valley Initiative (CRVI) have formalized a staffing partnership designed to strengthen long-term coordination, accountability, and capacity for one of Southwest Virginia’s most successful place-based conservation and community development efforts.
As part of this collaboration, Friends of Southwest Virginia is now accepting applications for a new Clinch River Valley Initiative Manager position.
The Clinch River Valley Initiative Manager is a Friends of Southwest Virginia position, employed and supported by the Friends team. Under the agreement, Friends will serve as the fiscal and administrative employer, providing human resources, financial management, and organizational support, while the position works programmatically with the CRVI Board and partners to advance shared priorities across the Clinch River Valley. This structure reflects a growing regional model that emphasizes collaboration, sustainability, and strong administrative foundations for place-based initiatives.
“The Clinch River Valley Initiative has demonstrated what sustained collaboration can achieve,” said Kim Davis, Executive Director of Friends of Southwest Virginia. “By housing this position at Friends, we are ensuring the long-term stability, compliance, and operational support needed to build on CRVI’s success and continue delivering impact for communities throughout the region.”
Now entering its second decade, the Clinch River Valley Initiative has established itself as a national model for watershed-based collaboration. Over the past ten years, CRVI partners have worked together to expand public river access, launch the Hometowns of the Clinch program, develop regional branding and wayfinding signage, support environmental education and stewardship, and strengthen sustainable tourism throughout the watershed. These efforts contributed to the establishment of Clinch River State Park, further elevating the river as a driver of conservation, outdoor recreation, and economic opportunity.
“The accomplishments of the past decade reflect the strength of CRVI’s partnerships and shared vision,” said Nick Proctor, CRVI Board Chair. “This new staffing arrangement positions us to better coordinate projects, pursue funding, and continue protecting and promoting one of the most biodiverse river systems in North America.”
The Clinch River Valley Initiative Manager will focus on coordinating regional projects, building partnerships, managing grants, supporting communications and outreach, and implementing CRVI’s annual work plan. The position will report administratively to the Executive Director of Friends of Southwest Virginia and programmatically to the CRVI Board, which provides advisory guidance and strategic alignment.
The position is based at the Oxbow Center in St. Paul, Virginia, and requires regular local travel within Russell, Tazewell, Scott, and Wise counties, as well as occasional travel to Abingdon and other locations across Southwest Virginia.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled. For full job details and application instructions, visit www.friendsofswva.org or apply directly through Indeed at https://www.indeed.com/job/clinch-river-valley-initiative-manager-da0e4272ea3a4f40.
About Friends of Southwest Virginia
Friends of Southwest Virginia is the region’s state-designated tourism and community development organization serving 19 counties and cities across Southwest Virginia. The organization provides regional leadership in destination development, marketing, placemaking, and economic development, and serves as steward of the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace (Heartwood). Through collaboration with local governments, nonprofits, businesses, and state partners, Friends works to strengthen local economies, support small businesses, and enhance quality of life in rural communities. Learn more at https://friendsofswva.org/.
About the Clinch River Valley Initiative
The Clinch River Valley Initiative (CRVI) is a regional partnership dedicated to conserving, promoting, and enhancing the Clinch River watershed through collaboration among local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community partners. Recognized nationally as a model for watershed-based collaboration, CRVI works to expand public river access, support environmental education and stewardship, strengthen sustainable tourism, and advance community and economic development throughout the Clinch River Valley. These efforts have played a key role in elevating the Clinch River as a driver of conservation, outdoor recreation, and economic opportunity, including the establishment of Clinch River State Park. Learn more at https://www.clinchriverva.org/