RIPLEY, W.Va. — The Agriculture Commissioner-Elect of West Virginia wants to preserve the historic Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Jackson County.
“I want to make sure Cedar Lakes survives,” Kent Leonhardt told MetroNews Affiliate WMOV in Ravenswood. “It’s a premier facility and we have to make sure we’re doing everything right there.”
The facility was on the brink of closing when the Department of Agriculture stepped in and took over the operation from the West Virginia Department of Education. The facility has struggled financially over the years. Leonhardt wants to explore ways to make it a self sustaining facility into the future.
“We need to see what facilities need improvement and what we can do to bring more people in to use the facility,” he said. “I know the problems we’ve had, but I think with some good hard work and getting the right people in place we will be able to make that facility a great place for the state of West Virginia.”