Ohio Valley Schools, GRIT Partners Unite at Statewide Workforce Conference in Marietta

Mat Reno, Lisa Scott, and Amy Jo Queen traveled to Washington State College of Ohio in Marietta this week to represent Adams County at the 2026 GRIT Days of Learning Conference, a statewide convening that brought together educators, workforce partners, and community leaders from across Ohio to strengthen school-to-career pathways.

Reno attended as Career Navigator for the Ohio Valley School District, while Scott and Amy Jo Queen served as GRIT Community Outreach Partners supporting local students through the GRIT Project. The two were photographed with Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, who delivered the conference keynote and drew on his coaching career to make the case that helping young people set goals, and building the willingness to work toward them, is foundational to long-term success. Dr. Denise Reading, CEO of Future Plans, also presented at the conference alongside other state workforce leaders.

Wiley Shipley, public relations and marketing specialist for Future Plans, defined the initiative plainly: "GRIT stands for Growing Rural Independence Together." The program started in Adams County in 2019 as a grassroots coalition and has since expanded across Appalachian and similarly situated counties throughout Ohio. Shipley described the program's approach as "boots on the ground" work in schools and communities, built on partnerships with OhioMeansJobs, Job and Family Services, chambers of commerce, schools, and businesses. "We really value our partnerships," Shipley said, "with the goal of helping youth and adults find out what they're doing next."

Through the GRIT partnership, students engage in career assessments, participate in summer programming, and connect with opportunities that support workforce readiness and career exploration.

The conference also handed out awards recognizing standout performance across its network. Jenny Higgins, Career Based Intervention Specialist at Warren High School, was named Navigator of the Year after coordinating coaching sessions for 99 students in a single day. Alison Boggs presented the award to Higgins during the ceremony at Washington State College of Ohio. Ohio Valley Employment Resources, Area 15 received recognition as a GRIT Partner of the Year for promoting the GRIT workforce and economic development model regionally.

The conference comes as workforce demand in Southern Ohio is growing sharply. In September 2025, GRIT Community Outreach Partner Angela Pinson attended an announcement at Centrus Energy's uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, where federal, state, and industry leaders unveiled a multi-billion-dollar expansion projected to create roughly 1,000 construction jobs and 300 long-term operations positions. That announcement underscored the urgency of the pipeline work GRIT does locally.

Adams County has also been active on the economic development front beyond Marietta. The Future Plans team attended the Elevate Adams County 2026 Economic Forecast at The Riverbarn in Manchester, hosted by the Adams County Chamber of Commerce. Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge welcomed attendees, followed by updates from Tom Cross on travel and tourism, Paul Worley on economic development, Matt Abbott representing SOESC, and Ohio Valley School District Superintendent Dawn Wallace.

The GRIT Project's roots in Adams County make the district's continued presence at these statewide convenings something more than symbolic. The program that started here seven years ago is now the model other Appalachian communities are replicating, and the educators and partners who built it locally are still at the table shaping its direction.