ELKINS — A “Community Conversation” event focusing on education is set for next week in Elkins, with Dr. Shawn Dilly, superintendent of Randolph County Schools, on the panel.

The Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce, the Randolph County Development Authority, and Elkins Main Street will host the fourth installment of this year’s planned community conversations on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

The session is part of a new program billed as “Elkins-Randolph Together: A Community Conversation.” The upcoming conversation is entitled “Education: What is the road ahead?” and will be at the Myles Center for the Arts on the campus of Davis & Elkins College. 

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will include an Educational Fair that will feature one-on-one discussions. The Fair will be open before and after the conversation, which will feature three guest panelists: Dilly; President Chris A. Wood of Davis & Elkins College; and Sarah Wamsley from the West Virginia Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education.  

“We’re grateful to have Sarah Wamsley from the WV Department of Education, as well as our own superintendent, Dr. Shawn Dilly, and President Chris Wood of D&E,” Lisa Wood, Elkins-Randolph County Chamber director, told The Inter-Mountain.

“In addition, we hope to have many organizations represented at the Education Fair that will be available for one-on-one discussions about what they have to offer learners of all ages.”

The panel discussion and conversation will begin at noon and will be facilitated by Melanie Gribble, Chair, D&E Teacher Education. There is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is recommended and can be done through the Chamber’s website at www.erccc.com.

“This is going to be a wonderful opportunity to have a meaningful conversation about what the road ahead is for education in Randolph County,” Wood said. “We’re focusing on three areas of Education during this event: K-12 students, college-bound students, and students in opportunities for career and technical education.” 

The three previous Community Conversations held this year included discussions on Housing and Housing Development, Entrepreneurship, and Transportation. Another Community Conversation is scheduled for Jan. 8 and is labeled “Building A Vibrant Community 2.0.” 

For more information, contact the Chamber at 304-636-2717.