Mr. Boettner is the Development Director for the West Virginia University Center for Resilient Communities. A visionary and systems oriented professional with over 20 years of academic, planning, programmatic, and project development experience. Offers an in-depth and place-based understanding of priorities and the complex social and technical dynamics to develop forward-thinking yet practical plans, projects, and outcomes. A native of West Virginia with a focus on ideas that consider economic development while building and preserving natural resource stewardship, equity, and environmental regeneration and sustainability. Fritz Boettner has 10 years of experience in a wide array of food system development and implementation activities. Fritz holds an M.A. in Environmental Management from West Virginia University and former Principal at Downstream Strategies where he led the Land Program. Over the past five years he spearheaded the development of Sprouting Farms, a farm training center in Talcott, WV and the Turnrow Appalachian Farm Collective, a regional cooperative food hub to grow wholesale agricultural markets.