A Charleston, West Virginia native, Marilyn Wrenn joined Coalfield Development in 2016 and serves as the Chief Strategy and Development Officer. With 30 years’ experience as a community and economic development professional in Appalachia, prior to joining Coalfield, she worked in the public sector for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the West Virginia Department of Commerce, and in the nonprofit sector with a statewide organization focused on connecting rural women to economic opportunities through small-scale manufacturing. Her focus areas include microenterprise, employment social enterprise, generational poverty alleviation, nonprofit capacity building, program development and fundraising. Wrenn holds a master’s degree in communications and environmental Systems, and a B.S. in communications/minor in sociology from the University of Kentucky and is accredited by the Economic Development Institute. Wrenn enjoys travel, painting, gardening, ornithology, and spending time at her mountain farm with friends and family.