Cassidy Riley

Cassidy Riley is a workforce development and nonprofit management professional dedicated to building resilient economies in coal-impacted and rural communities. As Chief Program Officer at Coalfield Development, Cassidy leads cross-functional teams that create pathways to meaningful employment through advanced energy, sustainable agriculture, creative placemaking, reclamation, and community-based social enterprise.

A first-generation high school graduate who went on to earn a Master of Public Administration from Marshall University, Cassidy’s journey reflects the very Appalachian resilience they work to cultivate. They also actively engage in global dialogues on just transition, connecting lessons from Appalachia to broader conversations about community resilience and economic transformation.

Cassidy specializes in building strategic partnerships across government, higher education, philanthropy, and grassroots organizations. Their work includes advancing abandoned mine land remediation, workforce training initiatives, and food systems development across Central Appalachia. Through regional and international collaborations, they champion models that center people, place, and prosperity in communities navigating economic change.