Community Bulletin
Podiatrists Jennifer Michael, DPM, and Addison Michael, DPM, are accepting new patients at four clinics — Buckhannon, Elkins, Flatwoods and Weston — bringing foot and ankle surgery, wound care and diabetic foot care within reach across central West Virginia. Read more →
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Tygarts Valley Conservation District (TVCD) is pleased to highlight two recently appointed supervisors, Marsha Waybright and Sarah Cunningham. Both bring strong experience, deep community commitment and a passion for conservation to the district. Their service and continued leadership will support TVCD’s mission across Tucker and Randolph counties.
Waybright serves as a conservation district supervisor for Tucker County. She was appointed in June 2026 and serves alongside Jim Nester, who has served on the board since 2012. Waybright is a member of the Education, Publicity and Exhibit Committee; the Work Crew, Equipment and Safety Committee; and the Nominations and Awards Committee.
A native of Randolph County, Waybright grew up on Middle Mountain and now lives in Jenningston with her husband, Kendall. She owns and operates several businesses in Appalachia, including Laurel Fork Farm, Mama Bear Protection, Laurel River Club Bed & Breakfast and the West Virginia School of Traditional Skills, a nonprofit she founded.
Waybright has spent her life teaching, speaking and passing on traditional Appalachian knowledge. Laurel Fork Farm, a 400-acre property, serves as a living classroom for many of her programs on land stewardship, natural resources and heritage skills. She is a Master Artisan in soap making, a Master Gardener, a certified animal trainer and an instructor for hunter safety, firearms, CPR/First Aid/AED and herbal practices. She is also a homeschooling mother of three.
Her family’s additional ventures, including Laurel Fork Falconry, It’s Kendra Paige and Redhead’n Mudboots, help support hands-on workshops and educational programs at the B&B. Waybright is deeply committed to preserving the cultural and environmental legacy of Jenningston, once a thriving lumber town, and works with many partners to support conservation, historic preservation and agricultural literacy.
Waybright’s work has received wide recognition. Laurel Fork Farm was named Tucker County Conservation Farm of the Year in 2023 for its leadership in agritourism. She has been featured in Goldenseal, WV Living, Countryside Magazine and other regional publications. She has also represented rural entrepreneurship in national conversations with Meta Platforms and has spoken at major conferences across the state.
In 2024, Waybright joined the inaugural Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses West Virginia cohort and later served on its national advocacy advisory board. She has spoken in Washington, D.C., at several high-profile events and continues to advocate for small farms and rural communities. Most recently, she won $19,000 in the IgniteWV Pitch Contest to begin construction on a new educational facility and commercial kitchen at Laurel Fork Farm.
Waybright maintains an active digital presence across several platforms, where she shares educational content, farm life and Appalachian traditions with a wide audience.
TVCD appreciates Waybright’s energy, creativity and her strong commitment to conservation and education in Tucker County.
Cunningham serves as a conservation district supervisor for Randolph County. She was appointed in June 2026 and serves alongside James Dean, who has served on the board since 2016. Cunningham is a member of the Building, Budget and Finance Committee; the Grassland/AgEP Committee; and the Personnel Committee. She also serves as chair of the Nominations and Awards Committee.
Cunningham and her family operate a livestock farm in Randolph County, where they are committed to responsible land stewardship and conservation. Over the past several years, they have added two ponds to provide reliable water sources for livestock, including a tire-trough watering system to help during drought conditions. This year, they installed a concrete watering trough to reduce cattle access to streams and protect streambanks.
They also built a waste-management barn to reduce rutting, erosion and runoff during wet weather. This project has helped improve manure handling and livestock management while protecting soil and water resources.
Their farm experience includes livestock production, pasture management, hay production, fencing, equipment operation and daily farm maintenance. Cunningham and her family work hard to conserve natural resources while maintaining a productive and sustainable farming operation.
TVCD values Cunningham’s dedication to land stewardship and her service to the residents of Randolph County.
