About the Center

Vision and Mission

The Vision: The vision of the Center for ActiveWV is to increase the physical activity levels of both children and adults in our state to meet or exceed the national physical activity recommendations (2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans) and to, therefore, improve the health and quality of life of all West Virginians.

The Mission: The overarching goal of the Center for ActiveWV is to provide an effective statewide physical activity framework that will promote sector input and collaboration, facilitate physical activity research among multidisciplinary teams, and guide state and local policy and practice.

Priority Areas

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Health Advocacy and Networking

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Research in Policy, Environments, and Systems

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Program Evaluation and Surveillance

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Continuing Professional Development

Meet Our Team

Meet the Center for ActiveWV Directors and Staff, and the West Virginia Physical Activity Plan Advisory Board.

West Virginia Physical Activity Plan Advisory Board

Kristen Dieffenbach

Professor, School of Sport Sciences, WVU

Sam England

Executive Director, WV TRAIL, Retired Chief of State Parks and Recreation, WV Division of Natural Resources

Josh Grant

Coordinator, PE/Health/PA, WV Department of Education

Wanda Hembree

Chief Medical Officer, Aetna Better Health of WV

Alice Jaglowski

Vice President, Center for Advancing Healthy Communities, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

James Vance

Associate Director, Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease, WV Department of Health

Sharon Lansdale

Rural Advisor, Center for Rural Health Development, Inc.

Brian Leary

Assistant Professor, Exercise Physiology, School of Medicine, WVU

Melanie Seiler

Executive Director, Active Southern WV

Kent Spellman

Board Chair, WV Trail and Recreation Advocacy and Information Link

Danny Twilley

Assistant Vice President, Economic, Community and Asset Development, Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative

Frank Vitale

CEO, Forge Business Solutions

Laurie Whitsel

Vice President, Policy Research and Translation, American Heart Association

Sherri Young

Physician, Past Cabinet Secretary, WV Department of Health

Leadership Team

Eloise Elliott, PhD

Director

Sam Zizzi, EdD

Associate Director for Research and Evaluation

Sean Bulger, EdD

Associate Director for Communication and Education

Emily Murphy, PhD

Associate Director for Outreach

Staff

Kaitlyn Shaffer, MPA

Project Coordinator, WV CARDIAC Project

Angela Watkins

Project Coordinator, WV Healthy Schools in Action Project

Jessica Riffee, MEd

Assistant, WV Physical Activity Plan

Leanne Watson

Graduate Assistant, WV Healthy Schools in Action Project

Samantha Moyers-Kinsella

Program Manager, Be Healthy HOP Project

Treanor Lee

Graduate Assistant, WV CARDIAC Project

Emily Murphy, PhD

Kristin McCartney, MPH, RDN

Christiaan Abildso, PhD

Andrea Taliaferro, PhD

Annual Reports

2024

2024 Annual Report

2023

2023 Annual Report

2022

2022 Annual Report

2021

2021 Annual Report