Crystal Mersh, a Calhoun County native and founder of Quality Executive Partners (QXP), has returned home to start The 1982 Foundation.
The foundation purchased the historic Calhoun County High School building with a vision to convert the grounds into a mixed-used building to provide “recreational activities and community support for the children and residents of Calhoun County.”
The 1982 Foundation is a non-profit, self-funding organization that purchased the abandoned yet beloved building in the wake of the high school’s 100th anniversary. Mersh’s maternal grandfather was a vital member of the 1921 construction crew that contributed hand-chiseled stone for the exterior of the building.
Mersh envisions the community center as a one-stop cafe, retail and office space for the burgeoning community. In addition, the center will offer Airbnb rentals for travelers and a summer camp for children, complete with educational courses and a swimming pool.
“I want to bring people back to West Virginia,” said Mersh. “[The center] will be a place full of life.”
She is hopeful the community that invested in her so many years ago will take advantage of the center and empower others to take hold of the project in an attempt to preserve the storied history of Calhoun County.
Mersh’s interests are varied, as the CCO of Entrepreneur and the president of QXP, a globally leading pharmaceutical consulting firm. After leaving Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Mersh took her training as a chemist and skills as a marketer to found the company.
The firm is at the forefront of product testing, vaccination development and other pharmaceutical projects. For example, Mersh and her team recently developed a medicinal product for women of color who suffer from a rare form of breast cancer. Until QXP’s efforts, no product of its kind existed on the market.
If you’d like to keep up with Crystal Mersh at The 1982 Foundation and QXP, you can visit www.qualityexecutivepartners.com and on Facebook at The 1982 Foundation.
Read more about the foundation’s project at the Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
Listen to the full podcast here: https://positivelywv.com/podcast/episode-190-crystal-mersh-qxp_1982-foundation/
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