FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
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Gov. Justice announces NBC's TODAY to air segment about West Virginia tomorrow morning
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Encourages West Virginians to tune in tomorrow morning
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CHARLESTON, WV — Gov. Jim Justice announced that NBC’s premier morning television program, TODAY, will air a segment about West Virginia during the 8:00 a.m. hour tomorrow morning, May 15. The governor encourages all West Virginians to tune in to see the state in the national spotlight.
NBC News Daily Correspondent Morgan Radford, whose parents are West Virginia natives, recently spent a couple of days exploring the Mountain State, learning about the Ascend WV remote worker program and experiencing our world-class outdoor recreation first-hand.
“I was thrilled to welcome Morgan and the entire TODAY Show team to West Virginia,” Gov. Justice said. “Nothing makes me happier than West Virginia being given the opportunity to shine on a national stage and to be able to share our success story with the world. I hope all West Virginians will tune in and celebrate this amazing state we are blessed to call home.”
This segment was filmed in the Greenbrier Valley, one of the five communities in the Ascend WV program, the nation’s premier talent and attraction program. In just three years, the program has found incredible success.
“West Virginia is known for its natural beauty and hard-working people, but The Mountain State also offers something else - opportunity. And we now have motivated students looking for reasons to stay after graduation, not reasons to leave. Dream bigger, work harder, achieve goals. These lead to lasting impact,” said Brad D. Smith, President of Marshall University and Co-Founder of the Wing 2 Wing Foundation.
Following the first airing on TODAY, an extended version of this segment will be aired at a later date on NBC News NOW.
About Ascend WV
The Ascend WV program was made possible by a $25 million gift to West Virginia University’s Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative from former Intuit executive chairman and current Marshall University President Brad D. Smith and his wife, Alys. Together with Governor Justice and his departments of Tourism and Economic Development, the collective team developed the nation’s premier talent attraction program focusing on access to outdoor recreation opportunities.
The program has received nearly 50,000 applicants since its launch in 2021. To date, nearly 600 people (Ascenders and their families) have moved to the state because of the program. The newest West Virginians hail from 38 states and nine countries, and the program boosts a 96% retention rate. To learn more, visit AscendWV.com.
Additional information about Ascend WV and behind-the-scenes images from the filming can be accessed here.
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