Join the Charleston Area Alliance for Business After Hours at the Marriott Charleston Town Center, presented by the Marriott and the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau on August 10, 2017 from 5 - 7 p.m. at the Marriott located at 200 Lee Street, East. 

The Marriott is the official hotel partner and the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official meeting planner for the International Pageant System, which is hosting its final competitions in Charleston Aug. 11-12.

Business After Hours will feature a silent auction with baskets donated by Mrs. International Pageant contestants who are competing in the Charleston-based final competition. Proceeds from the silent auction benefit Go Red for Women and the American Heart Association, the official platform of the International Pageants System.

The cost is $15 for Alliance members and $25 for future members who register online before 5 p.m. on August 9.  Prices increase after 5 p.m. on August 9 to $25 for Alliance members and $35 for future members.

Invoicing available for 10 or more; no refunds issued within 48 hours of the event.
 

Leah Curry, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, Inc. (TMMWV), will share how she cultivated her own success in the male-dominated automotive industry and highlight the Buffalo manufacturing plant’s growth in West Virginia over the past 20 years at the Charleston Area Alliance Elevations Professional Women’s Network Luncheon at noon Tuesday, Aug. 15 at the Charleston Marriott. 

TMMWV, established in 1996, manufactures 4-cylinder engines for the Corolla and V6 engines for the Highlander and Sienna. In addition, TMMWV manufactures 6-speed automatic transmissions for the Avalon, Camry, Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Lexus ES 350. Curry is responsible for all manufacturing and administrative functions of the manufacturing plant.

Presented with title sponsorship from Dow Chemical, the Elevations luncheon and workshop series supports the economic enrichment and empowerment of women in the Kanawha Valley. 

Prior to this assignment, she was vice president of Manufacturing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, Inc. (TMMI) in Princeton, Ind., where she oversaw all manufacturing operations at the plant that produces the Highlander, Sienna and Sequoia.

During her 20-year career with Toyota Leah held several other manufacturing management positions at TMMI including general manager of Assembly and management positions in Body Weld, Stamping, Maintenance, Production Engineering and New Model launch. She started her career as a team leader at TMMI in 1997.

Curry studied Industrial Electronics at the University of Evansville and Ivy Tech Community College in Evansville, Ind. She holds a TPC Certification in Industrial Electronics.

Leah serves on the National Board of Directors of the Manufacturing Institute and is a member of The Education Alliance, a private, non-profit organization that advocates for public school student achievement in West Virginia. She lives in Hurricane, WVa, and is a native of Haubstadt, Ind. She and her husband David have four adult children.

Elevations with Leah Curry is presented with supporting sponsorship from Appalachian Power and United Bank.

Invoicing is available for groups of 10 or more. No refunds are issued within 48 hours of the event. 

Downtown Charleston business and property owners and Charleston Police Department officers will come together for Coffee with a Cop Tuesday, Aug. 22 to voice concerns, ask questions and get to know officers. 

Coffee with a Cop sessions are scheduled for 8:45 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. at Capitol Conference Center. Both events are free and open to the public. 

Presented by the Charleston Area Alliance in cooperation with theCharleston Police Department and City of Charleston Council Members Mary Jean Davis and Mary Beth Hoover, Coffee with a Cop provides the opportunity for Downtown Charleston stakeholders to sit down with officers – over coffee – and ask questions or share what is on their mind.

In a short time, business and property owners and police officers get to know each other and discover mutual goals for the community they work in and serve. 

Coffee with a Cop gives police officers opportunities, outside of crisis situations, to relax and chat with citizens in the community, while the event provides business owners access and opportunity for distraction-free conversations with local officers.

Downtown Charleston business and property owners and Charleston Police Department officers will come together for Coffee with a Cop Tuesday, Aug. 22 to voice concerns, ask questions and get to know officers. 

Coffee with a Cop sessions are scheduled for 8:45 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. at Capitol Conference Center. Both events are free and open to the public. 

Presented by the Charleston Area Alliance in cooperation with theCharleston Police Department and City of Charleston Council Members Mary Jean Davis and Mary Beth Hoover, Coffee with a Cop provides the opportunity for Downtown Charleston stakeholders to sit down with officers – over coffee – and ask questions or share what is on their mind.

In a short time, business and property owners and police officers get to know each other and discover mutual goals for the community they work in and serve. 

Coffee with a Cop gives police officers opportunities, outside of crisis situations, to relax and chat with citizens in the community, while the event provides business owners access and opportunity for distraction-free conversations with local officers.

West Virginia became the 29th state with a comprehensive medical cannabis law in April. This Lunch & Learn will provide an in-depth discussion about the medical marijuana law and the real estate and financing issues that you should know prior to developing a business plan and applying for a medical marijuana permit. 

This Lunch & Learn is presented by Ryan White and Mark Matkovich, members at the White Law Offices and Tim Paxton, vice president of commercial lending at Premier Bank.

White operates the White Law Offices, a boutique transactional firm that focuses on public finance and government relations law. He served as law clerk to the Honorable Judge Joseph Robert Goodwin in 2005-2006, counsel to the West Virginia Senate Finance and Economic Development Committees in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 legislative session and served on Governor Tomblin’s Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force in 2012-2013.

​Matkovich is a member at the White Law Offices and former West Virginia Tax Commissioner, serving from April 2013 to January 2017. He is an executive lawyer, combining perspectives of entrepreneur, law firm attorney and policy/lawmakers. He creates and implements competitive policies to raise revenue and stabilize budgets, while also promoting business growth, economic development, and modernization of infrastructure. He plays key roles in strategic planning, economic development, revenue and capital raise, risk management, and fiscal health of agencies, industries, and businesses statewide.

Paxton is senior vice president of commercial lending at Premier Bank, a $980 million West Virginia chartered bank with 25 locations in West Virginia, 4 location in the DC Metro Area and 2 locations in Virginia. An experienced and veteran banker, Paxton works to build the bank's commercial loan portfolio in the Huntington, Charleston and Jackson County markets.   

Registration is $15 for Alliance members and $20 for future Alliance members and includes a boxed lunch. Seating is limited. 

This Lunch & Learn is the third in a series about West Virginia's medical marijuana legislation, its implementation and the local business impact. 

Head down to Capitol Street for the Downtown Streetfest block party Saturday, Aug. 26 with the Voo-Doo Katz.

Meet up with friends and family between 4:30 and 9 p.m. for live music, food and drinks, kid's activities, pop-up shops and much more. Grab a bite to eat at your favorite downtown establishments and listen to some live music.

The event coincides with the Kanawha River Navy annual Funeral Parade. The parade will kickoff at 5 p.m. on the corner of Kanawha Boulevard and Capitol Street and parade through to Downtown Streetfest. 

The event is presented with title sponsorship support from City National Bank, beverage sponsorship from Capitol Beverage Company and Sprigg's Distributing Company, placemaking sponsorship from GAI Community Solutions Group and the Charleston Convention & Visitor's Bureau, and supporting sponsorship support from the Kanawha County Public Library and Tony the Tailor. 

A Downtown Streetfest block party is also scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 23.