McDowell County Commission on Aging holds grand opening for technology center in Welch
Center includes nursing department, telehealth rooms and FM radio station
WELCH, W.Va. (WVVA) - The McDowell County Commission on Aging is holding the grand opening of its new technology center in Welch.
“We’re having the grand opening of the Karen and Dick Preservati Training and Technology Center. This is a center that is going to open the door to technology for not only our center, but for McDowell County,” said Vivian Anderson, president of the board of the McDowell County Commission on Aging.
The N. Karen Preservati Training and Technology Center will provide resources for the community. They include a COA nursing department, a training room, telehealth rooms for seniors who lack an internet connection or struggle with computers, and an FM radio station on 95.7.
The center has been a project of the commission for many years. The commission used local resources, including McBride Electric and RCS Communications, to finish the work. The center benefits seniors of McDowell County and beyond.
“We have an exceptional executive director that is aggressive and he looks to the future of things and that’s what we’re building off here in McDowell County,” Anderson said.
The tech center will also lease some of its office space to Spokes, an education and job-readiness program that offers specialized training for adults. Spokes collaborates with the West Virginia Department of Education.
The Commission on Aging said it hopes the facility expands resources for the county and increases the quality of life for every Mountaineer.
“We have a deep need for everything that goes on here in McDowell County because we have to fight for everything that we do down here, but I think we’re ahead of the game,” Anderson said.
Copyright 2026 WVVA. All rights reserved.