On the road in SWVA: CECE team spends the day in Abingdon and Damascus

For their fall retreat, the CECE team traveled to Abingdon and Damascus, starting the day off by gathering at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.

CECE faculty and staff heard from Crystal Breeding, program director for EO; Kim Davis, executive director of Friends of Southwest Virginia; and Mayana Rice, SWVA community and municipal development expert.

The team also visited Abingdon’s Cultural Center and Marketplace, a visitor’s center where you can buy beautiful artwork and crafts from artisans local to the 19-county region of Southwest Virginia.

The CECE team ended the day with a walking tour of downtown Damascus, led by retiring Town Manager Chris Bell and incoming Town Manager Isaiah Thomas. They visited the Damascus Trail Center, Old Mill Inn, and Damascus Outfitters.

The 17 miles of the Virginia Creeper Trail between Damascus and Whitetop that was damaged by Hurricane Helene will reopen on March 31, 2027. The Damascus‑to‑Abingdon section remains fully open.

Below CECE team members share a few of their takeaways from the retreat.

It was really great getting back to Damascus and seeing the progress they’ve made. Over the past year it has been amazing to see their sense of community and resilience after the hurricane, and it is wonderful to see it paying off in all that is going on in town! I would encourage all of our friends across the university to mark spring 2027 as a great time to get down to Damascus, ride the Creeper Trail, and support local businesses!
Dylan Andrews, Economic and Community Development Specialist

The retreat reinforced how much we can learn by spending time in the communities we serve. Hearing directly from partners in Abingdon and Damascus helped me better understand their priorities and how we can work together to connect Virginia Tech’s strengths with local goals. 
Ashley Crouse, Economic and Community Development Specialist

I was surprised to hear the impressive statistics regarding the quality of their schools especially with respect to the fact that they spend about $2,000 less per child than the Virginia average. Damascus is a beautiful area and a town reliant on outdoor recreation. I think my OIA colleagues should consider visiting the area especially once the Creeper Trail reopens at the end of March. 
Kim Gray, Office Assistant

Since I last visited this region, there have been new amenities in Damascus that have opened including a gym, coffee shop, and indoor mini golf. I loved getting to walk around downtown Damascus and see the busy roads and new stores that have opened since I was last there. I enjoyed seeing Damascus' public art trail; there are many different murals and a couple of LOVEworks! It was interesting to learn more about EO, an organization focused on programs and initiatives that increase quality of life in the area. For example, EO has the Career Commons, which provides hands-on activities for students to learn more about different career pathways, such as veterinary medicine, pharmacy, healthcare, coding, retail, and truck driving.
Julia Kell, Communications Specialist

What truly struck me from the retreat was the 1) the magnitude of the losses incurred in Damascus and on the Creeper Trail, and 2) the extent to which groups in the area collaborated to help families and businesses recover. The retreat built on the We Impact VA event the day before, when we learned a lot about the recovery efforts. Then the day after, we got to actually see Damascus, which brought things home, including for example, seeing the discolored wood in the bicycle shop where the water had been. For Abingdon, the Barter Theater always amazes me. We got to see the Barter Theater at the opening reception for We Impact Virginia and got to meet an actor!
Afroze Mohammed, Associate Director of Strategic Alliances

What stood out to me is the extent to which Allison Mays and the Virginia Tech Southwest Center are embedded in the region's communities and valued by partners. I was surprised by the dynamism and vibrancy of Abingdon and Damascus on a random weekday, with new businesses and travelers. I am familiar with the community there, but was struck anew by the resilience and creativity of its people, businesses, and leaders especially as seen in the post-Helene recovery. OIA colleagues should know that Allison knows everybody and second, that it is good to travel beyond Abingdon and away from the interstate corridor when you can, as southwest Virginia has so much to see and offer.  
Scott Tate, Associate Director for Community Innovations