WHEELING, W.Va. — Twenty-five young leaders had the opportunity to delve into the oil industry’s impact on the local economy as part of the “Leadership Wheeling” program on Thursday.
This initiative, organized by the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, aims to connect professionals in the community through a nine-month course that exposes participants to various job fields in the Ohio Valley.
Sonja Thoms from the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, a participant in the program, highlighted the diversity of industries represented.
“Everything from banking, healthcare, the arts, and some attorneys, so it’s really great to meet people from different industries, but at the same time we’ve got a lot of different challenges we are trying to overcome in leadership,” she said.
The group learned about “Expand Energy,” formerly known as Southwestern Energy, which became the largest producer of natural gas in the country following a merger with Chesapeake Energy in October 2024. A presentation detailed the significance of oil and gas, followed by a visit to a drilling rig in Marshall County.
“What better group than to have a group of motivated folks who are already motivated enough to show up and apply and be a part of Leadership Wheeling, but just to be able to educate the community leaders about who Expand is and the importance of natural gas both locally and globally in the economy,” Expand Energy Community Relations Manager Stephanie Paluda said.
“It’s great to get out of the office and into these new spaces, and the cohort is so great, the people in my class, I think we made fast friends, we’re all here and eager to learn so it’s been a wonderful time so far,” Thoms said.
The next session of Leadership Wheeling will focus on the City of Wheeling.