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photo by: Emma Delk
Grow OV board members and employees gathered alongside city officials to commemorate the opening of the new office. Board Chair Susan Hogan helped cut the ribbon with executive director Jason Koegler. From left, Robert Herron, Rosemary Ketchum, Sister Kathleen Durkin, Pam McKim, Susan Hogan, Jason Koegler, Suny West, David Rose, Matt Porter and Kurt Zende.
As Grow Ohio Valley opened the doors to its downtown office, Executive Director Jason Koegler saw the new location as an opportunity for the nonprofit to transition from “phase one” of its business.
The transition will stem from the new office “creating more structure for GrowOV” while also platforming them into “even more growth,” explained Koegler.
The structure will be created by Grow OV moving their executive office to the new location, allowing them to house their financial, fundraising and leadership teams under one roof.
The original Grow OV building in Grandview will remain their “AmeriCorps hub,” according to Koegler. Their directors of farming and education will work there alongside the nonprofit’s 15 Americorps employees.
The separation between the executive leadership and the more farming-oriented side of the business is important to Koegler. He explained that the Grandview office houses most of the organization’s younger employees in college, allowing them to foster “a more fun atmosphere,” while the executive downtown office will focus on the financial and fundraising side of the business.
On top of the structure, growth will be brought by the new building since the office is located in what Koegler calls the “footprint of downtown Wheeling.” Tucked between Elle and Jack’s and The Alpha Store on 12th Street, the location will allow Grow OV to be more collaborative with local businesses while only being a short walk from their Public Market store.
“We do a lot of grant writing with other partners,” said Koegler. “So to be physically close to partners and potential stakeholders is important to us.”
The physical location of the new store is also important to Matt Porter, Community Engagement and Development Manager for Grow OV. He views the new building as “symbolic,” demonstrating that Grow OV is “committed for the long haul” when it comes to developing downtown Wheeling.
“I think right now people are shying away from downtown,” he explained. “From our standpoint, it’s important to show that we’re willing to sustain whatever challenges may happen now because we believe so much in the future of the city.”
Porter added that the new location will also connect Grow OV economically to the downtown area, which will allow their vendors to reach customers faster. He says the vendors they work with, “from farmers to bakers to craft makers,” will see that Grow OV are committed to getting their products on the market fast.
Koegler wants Grow OV to continue to “celebrate downtown Wheeling” because that is where the nonprofit was founded in 2014. As executive director, Koegler wants to drive the organization’s transition into “phase two” with the new office while revitalizing Grow OV’s birthplace.
“There’s a lot of energy downtown already, and we’re excited to be a part of the dynamic area it will be in the future,” said Koegler. “Although streetscape is the talk of the town, we have our sights set on the future.”
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