Generation West Virginia has named Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner as its new executive director, the statewide workforce organization announced Tuesday.
Skinner, a lifelong West Virginian, brings a combination of municipal leadership, entrepreneurship and economic development experience to Generation West Virginia. As mayor, he has led infrastructure investments, community revitalization and economic development initiatives that have positioned Buckhannon as one of Appalachia’s most forward-thinking small cities.
His professional background spans banking, insurance, real estate development and business consulting. He founded The Squire on Main, a fine jewelry store in downtown Buckhannon, and has served on the Executive Board of the West Virginia Municipal League.
As executive director, Skinner will lead Generation West Virginia’s efforts to expand workforce development programs, deepen employer partnerships and connect talent to opportunity across the state.
“West Virginia’s greatest asset is its people,” said Skinner. “Generation West Virginia has built a powerful platform for connecting talent with opportunity, and I’m honored to lead the next phase of that work. Our state is evolving fast — and so is the opportunity to ensure people can build meaningful careers here.”
Kel Cecil, board chair of Generation West Virginia, said Skinner’s combination of private sector expertise and civic leadership made him the right choice.
“Robbie understands how West Virginia communities work from the inside out,” said Cecil. “That kind of ground-level experience — combined with his ability to build partnerships across sectors — is exactly what this organization needs to move to the next level.”
Under Skinner’s leadership, Generation West Virginia will expand key initiatives including the annual Pathways to Progress Conference, widely recognized as West Virginia’s premier workforce development convening; the Career Connector program, which helps employers identify and retain emerging talent; the WV Connected Communities Network, supporting broadband access and digital infrastructure; and the Generation WV Fellowship, a leadership development initiative for the next generation of West Virginia leaders.
Skinner is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he earned a B.A. in Public Relations with concentrations in Marketing, Political Science and Business Administration. He has been named a “Young Gun” by West Virginia Executive magazine and “Citizen of the Year” by the Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce.
More information about Generation West Virginia is available at generationwv.org.
