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Ascend West Virginia incentivizes remote workers to put down roots in the Mountain State.
Photo Above: Ascender participants benefit from free gear rentals and outdoor recreation vouchers.
Photos Courtesy of Courtesy of Ascend West Virginia.
A Detroit native who moved to Washington, D.C., shortly after college, Michael Phillips is no stranger to traffic sounds. High-pitched car alarms, screeching brakes, whirring tires, clunking transmissions—it’s all white noise to his urbanite ears. But there is one sound Phillips isn’t all that accustomed to: the friendly honk.
The friendly honk is less of a honk and more of a congenial toot—a vehicular tip of the hat, if you will. It’s a way of saying “howdy” or “mornin’” without ever leaving the driver’s seat, says Phillips, who started hearing the chummy beep after leaving the nation’s capital for White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, last April.
“It’s much different from D.C.,” Phillips says of the tiny burg (population: 2,198). For starters, there are no skyscrapers—just soaring mountain peaks. The social tapestry of the Greenbrier Valley is also softer and tighter knit. Folks linger around cups of dark roast at Tootsie’s Place, ask about each other’s kids while grocery shopping and, of course, tap their horns whenever they spot a neighbor out and about.
“I take my dog, Ava, on a long walk down Main Street every morning,” says Phillips. “Since the town is so small, it’s inevitable that someone I know is going to see me and honk.”
Needless to say, Southern hospitality runs deep in White Sulphur Springs. But that’s not why Phillips traded his metropolitan existence for a decidedly rural one. Instead, he owes his move to Ascend West Virginia.
A collaborative endeavor between West Virginia University and the West Virginia Department of Tourism, Ascend seeks to boost local tax revenues by offering $12,000 in cash, plus other benefits, to telecommuters who relocate to one of five areas in West Virginia: Morgantown, Greenbrier Valley, Eastern Panhandle, Greater Elkins and the New River Gorge.
According to program director Emily Huguenin, the initiative officially launched in April 2021 after receiving a $25 million donation from Brad Smith, the CEO of Intuit (TurboTax) and his wife, Alys. Since then, more than 30,000 remote workers employed by out-of-state and out-of-country companies have applied with hopes of putting down roots in Almost Heaven. But only applicants who showed “a strong interest in West Virginia and their community of choice” have been selected, says Huguenin.
So far, 155 individuals have made the move to the Mountain State—Phillips included.
As a federal consultant to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, Phillips spent more than 20 years living in the metropolis of D.C. And while the location was convenient for work, it wasn’t all that convenient for play.
“I enjoy snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking and camping,” he explains. “I could travel and do those things while living in D.C., but I just wanted to be closer to outdoor adventure.”
Thus, moving to West Virginia—a state that pegs itself as “Wild and Wonderful”—was an obvious choice. “It’s four hours from D.C. in case I need to meet a client,” says Phillips, who works remotely. “But I can also walk out my door and immediately see mountains. And in less than 10 minutes, I can be hiking in Greenbrier State Forest or paddling down the Greenbrier River.”
Phillips isn’t alone in his passion for the great outdoors. All winter long, he joined several members of the 22-person-strong Greenbrier Valley cohort for snowshoeing in the mountains. There have been other escapades too—everything from ziplining to off-roading—all thanks to the free gear rentals and one-time experience vouchers given to every program participant. “To be outside adventuring on a weekday is amazing,” quips Phillips.
But the Ascend program isn’t all about summiting peaks and paddling whitewater. In exchange for monetary incentives, participants are encouraged to “find purpose and belonging in their new community,” says Huguenin. This looks different for every Ascender but may involve volunteering with an area nonprofit, coaching youth sports or participating in business networking events.
The great outdoorsman that he is, Phillips has channeled his energy into the local International Mountain Bicycling Association chapter. Though still in its infancy, the group hopes to connect mountain bike trails in Ronceverte, Lewisburg and White Sulphur Springs to create a continuous stretch of singletrack that will serve as a tourist attraction and economic driver.
“We’re all starting to figure out how we want to give back,” Phillips says of his Ascend cohort. “Because, after all, that’s what this program is about: enhancing the local community.”
To learn more about Ascend West Virginia, visit ascendwv.com.
The story above first appeared in our November / December 2023 issue.
