Communities

Sturm honored as Community Champion

PHILIPPI -- Cheri Sturm has been honored as the 2025 WV Living Best of West Virginia Community Champion for the Mountaineer Country tourism region, a special recognition awarded to one individual or couple in each region for their transformative impact on their community.

Community Champions are nominated during the Best of West Virginia contest and selected by the WV Living team, separate from the reader‑voted Statewide Gold, Silver, Bronze and Regional Winners.

The Community Champion award celebrates people who move their communities forward through their businesses, organizations, volunteerism, philanthropy and more. The couple was recognized for dedicating his time to championing Elk View, Clendenin and its local businesses.

"Best of West Virginia shines a light on great places, but our Community Champions are the heart behind those places," says WV Living publisher Nikki Bowman Mills. "We choose just one Community Champion in each tourism region because we want to spotlight the people who are truly moving the needle. These are leaders who don't wait for someone else to step up -- they see a need, take action, and inspire others to join them."

The old Alderson Broaddus University campus has found new life as Battlers Knob, an event and performance venue managed by Cherri Sturm. By renting out the campus' spaces for sporting events, concerts, weddings, office space and much more, Sturm is helping new activities, businesses, and entertainment find their way to Philippi.

Mills notes that, while readers choose the Statewide Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Regional Winners in 85 categories, Community Champions represent the heart behind those successes --the people whose vision and dedication keep small businesses thriving and towns vibrant. All honorees are featured in the Winter 2025 issue of WV Living and at wvliving.com.