BIG STONE GAP, VA – AUGUST 12, 2026 –An up to a $196,667 grant from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) will be used in part to assist in the operation of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Mountain Empire Community College (MECC), as well as for workforce development and training for entrepreneurs and small business owners in the VCEDA region.
“The VCEDA region has two Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offices — one at MECC which primarily serves Lee, Wise and Scott counties, parts of Dickenson County and the City of Norton; and one at SWCC which primarily serves Buchanan, Russell and Tazewell counties and parts of Dickenson County,” said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher. “Both of these SBDC offices have been a crucial part of VCEDA’s successful Seed Capital Matching Fund program, which has now helped more than 200 small businesses to start and grow in the region, creating hundreds of full-time and part-time jobs.”
The SBDC offices also are involved in helping a wide variety of many other clients, including traditional business prospects and serve an important role in helping the workforce in small business development and entrepreneurship, Belcher noted.
The SBDC offices are part of a statewide network of SBDC offices.
The funding approved by VCEDA will provide the match funding needed by the MECC SBDC office for two fiscal years (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028). Additionally, the funding will be used for workforce training and development for VCEDA Seed Capital recipients.
“VCEDA’s investment in the MECC Small Business Development Center is an investment in the people and businesses that power Southwest Virginia’s economy,” said Dr. Kristin Westover, MECC president. “This funding will allow us to enhance support for entrepreneurs, strengthen workforce training initiatives, and help local employers develop the talent they need to grow. We are proud to partner with VCEDA in advancing economic opportunity throughout the region.”
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
(PHOTO CAPTION: A $196,667 VCEDA grant to the Mountain Empire Community College Foundation will assist with the operation of the Small Business Development Center at the college as well as with workforce development and training. Pictured from left with a ceremonial check representing the grant are Dr. Clint Pinion, MECC vice president of academic and workforce solutions; Dr. Amy Greear, MECC vice president of institutional advancement; Dr. Kristin Westover, MECC president; and Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel.)