As Executive Director of Westside Together, Tiffany Tyson is guiding the organization’s next chapter with decades of lived experience, community service and advocacy. 

Tiffany’s story is deeply rooted in Charleston’s West Side. In the early ‘90s, she moved with her mother, Sandra Pope, to a family home on Grant Street and has stayed connected to the community ever since. 

Tiffany remembers the ‘90s as a “good time to be alive,” especially when it came to the music and culture of the era. She was a junior or senior in high school when she and her mother moved to the West Side. One of the main aspects Tiffany loved about the neighborhood was the gatherings that occurred. She recalls meeting up with friends on Florida Street, stopping by local shops, and simply spending time walking around. 

“We could meet our friends, and we would always just go over to Rally’s,” Tiffany says. “That’s when they had tacos back then – they were the best tacos I’ve ever had in my life. I wish they would bring those tacos back, actually.” 

Another young experience Tiffany valued was her time at Capital High School, where she was among the first fully graduating class after the merger of Stonewall and Charleston high schools. Although Tiffany grew up on the East End and did not move until her late teens, she already formed strong West Side connections as a student at the newly consolidated school. Her mother often allowed Tiffany’s classmates to gather on their porch and spend time together. 

Tiffany’s mother, Sandra, has deep roots in social services supported by a passion to build strong, healthy communities. Her father, Michael Wayne Tyson (Mike), was a beloved West Side resident with a gift for naturally connecting with people. 

“Whoever met my dad, they left a friend,” Tiffany says.  

Mike’s roots ran deep in the neighborhood, where his children – Tiffany’s half-brothers – were raised on Main Street. He also mentored local youth through football, track and field, and the Capital City Striders. Mike was even an exceptional athlete himself. 

“My dad was probably one of the best athletes to come out of West Virginia,” Tiffany says. “He still holds records in Kentucky for track and field and football.”

Tiffany’s mother holds a master’s degree in social work and spearheaded the implementation of Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) in West Virginia. Sandra is also known for her work with the Health Sciences & Technology Academy (HSTA). 

As a little girl, Tiffany remembers being alongside Sandra in downtown Charleston while feeding people without housing. It is a memory that Tiffany says she will never forget. It sparked a passion within her to work with people unfairly stereotyped as the “undesirables.” 

“I remember sitting there watching her make the best buttered steaks and putting them on white bread,” Tiffany says. “ … I always say I’m drawn to the people that you avoid on the sidewalks –  I’m going to those people, and that started with Sandra, big time.” 

Tiffany has built her professional pathways around social services, higher education and community outreach. She has worked as a Family Support Specialist with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WV DHHR), a Student Services Specialist Supervisor–TANF at BridgeValley Community and Technical College, and a Senior Transition Agent with Jobs & Hope WV.

Tiffany also got into the nonprofit realm, leading rapid response and canvassing efforts in Charleston and surrounding areas. Her commitment to service extended to the national level, where she advocated in Washington, D.C., against proposed Medicaid cuts. 

She currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for Cabin Creek Health Systems (CCHS), which operates a health clinic on the West Side. She is also a member of the NAACP’s Charleston Branch and remains involved in several coalitions and advisory boards across the state. 

Tiffany returned to live on the West Side when her son Jared was born, thankful to raise him in a vibrant community he continues to hold close. From his early days at Mary C. Snow Elementary to his time at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, these experiences helped shape who he is today: a Marshall University senior studying business with a minor in digital marketing. 

​​Tiffany credits her time on the West Side as a teen and later raising her son there as another driving force behind her passions for leadership and community engagement. She remembers doing community service in high school and finding plenty of opportunities to give back in the neighborhood. One of her favorite experiences was working with children through a group called Xinos, where she read to kids and helped teach them etiquette. 

“The community spirit of the West Side was even evident back 30 years ago when I moved over here, and it’s even stronger today,” Tiffany says. 

As Executive Director of WST, Tiffany plans to carry the torch of the West Side’s community spirit. She has eagerly taken on some adjustments in the new role, coming from previous direct service positions that focused on meeting people’s needs face-to-face. Her work now focuses on supporting the collaboratives and implementation teams through the McGee Foundation and funder investments. Tiffany says that so far her role has brought on a lot of excitement and inspiration.

“I’m used to getting out there and making sure that people are connected to whatever resources are out there, and they know about it,” she says. “Now, as Executive Director of Westside Together, I’m not going to be so front-line in that nature, but I’m going to empower the people who are providing those resources in our community by grant-making or just by funding their initiatives, so that’s the difference.” 

Tiffany also brought on Joi Oden as WST’s Community Programs and Outreach Manager. While Joi has been connecting with the community and organizing the implementation teams, Tiffany has supported the work from a strategic angle. Tiffany says she is especially excited about the resident engagement aspect of the implementation teams and is closely working with the West Side Neighborhood Association on that effort. 

Additionally, Tiffany describes the Home Ownership and Repair Implementation Team as a standout effort, especially when it comes to the disaster resiliency plan. She is also enthusiastic about WST’s small business and family support initiatives, along with other resources. For Tiffany, what makes it all work is a shared commitment among people who believe in the same core value: the West Side comes first. 

“We all have agreed that the West Side is the most important thing, and we’re going to continue to work together, build these collaboratives, and just make the West Side the best that it can be,” Tiffany says.