COMMISSION ADOPTS NEW BUDGET WHILE APPROVING 38 FUNDING REQUESTS, INCLUDING FUNDING TO LAUNCH THE FOUNDATION FOR SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA (FASS-VA)

Floyd, VA – The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission held its second scheduled meeting of the year on Wednesday, May 13th at Chateau Morrisette in Floyd County. As one of Virginia’s oldest and best know wineries, Chateau Morrisette is a major tourism driver for the region and an important buyer of Virginia-grown grapes.

The Commission awarded funds to support a variety of agriculture, tourism, and business development projects while also providing ongoing support for community colleges across Southern and Southwest Virginia through its Workforce Financial Aid program. In addition to these recipients, a new and notable Commission grant was the $400,000 awarded to the Foundation for the Advancement of Southern and Southwest Virginia (FASS-VA) to cover 3 years of operating expenses.

The Commission has long sought to establish a non-profit, 501c3 foundation with which it could partner to further its goal of assisting Southern and Southwest Virginia communities. Since 2024, the Commission has worked to establish the Foundation for the Advancement of Southern and Southwest Virginia, Inc., or FASS-VA, through a previous award and the assistance of Commission staff. The award approved at this meeting will provide $400,000 to FASS-VA to fund operations during its first three years and support the hiring of a part-time Executive Director.

FASS-VA will help the Commission in a number of important ways, including:

• Securing additional resources for the footprint that the Commission cannot get on its own. Many important funding opportunities require or prefer a non-profit to be the applicant.

• Serving as a resource that the Commission can direct applicants to for assistance in developing their projects when they are not yet ready for TRRC support.

• Applying for grants from the Commission and other funders to take on critical projects identified by the Commission when no other partner is willing or suitable.

• Taking on administrative duties that the Commission’s status as a political subdivision makes difficult or impossible.

For a full list of projects approved at this meeting please CLICK HERE. For more information, the meeting packet on our website contains detailed project descriptions, staff comments, grant requirements, and other business, including project extensions and modifications to previous awards.

“The projects supported by the Commission here in Floyd demonstrate the wide range of ways the Commission can help our communities grow and prosper,” said Commission Chairman, Delegate Will Morefield. “I am particularly excited to see the Foundation for the Advancement of Southern and Southwest Virginia get started. We have heard from our communities that capacity is their biggest barrier to success, and that with additional resources they could develop more and better projects, pull down additional federal funds and more. The Foundation will provide that additional capacity and empower our local partners to dream big while serving as a key partner in the Commission’s mission to bring economic prosperity to every corner of its footprint.”

“I want to thank the Commission for the work they have done over the last 26 years and for their willingness to continue to adapt to meet the needs of our communities,” said FASS-VA Chairman Jeff Haley. “The goal of this Foundation is simple: We know that with additional resources and expertise our rural communities can thrive. The Foundation will partner with the Commission to deliver that assistance and work hand-in-hand with our communities to help them design, manage and fund high-impact projects. With this funding from the Commission I look forward to hiring an exceptionally qualified Executive Director as soon as possible and getting to work on behalf of the people of Southern and Southwest Virginia.”