Our History

The Gilliam Family has deep has roots in Southwest Virginia.  Both Leslie and Richard were born and raised in the region—Leslie grew up on a dairy farm in Jonesville, Virginia and Richard grew up on an apple orchard in Wise, Virginia. After marrying, they moved to Abingdon, Virgina where all three of their children were born. It was also in Southwest Virginia that they owned and operated a coal mining company, Cumberland Resources Corporation. Cumberland Resources was established in 1986 and sold to Massey Energy in 2010. To share the blessings they received by working and living in Southwest Virginia, Leslie and Richard launched the Gilliam Family Foundation. The focus was to help fund community programs and initiatives in the region.

Leslie ran The Gilliam Family Foundation, formerly the Richard and Leslie Gilliam Foundation until her passing in 2016 due to ovarian cancer. In speaking about her philanthropic work she said, “Rallying around a common cause increases our sense of community and helps us accomplish big goals. That is where we get our heart and where we get to dream about what we can do together.”

Richard and Leslie shared the values of community engagement and philanthropy.

Richard now resides in Central Virginia and oversees the family foundation. While he no longer lives in Southwest Virginia, he remains dedicated to serving the area.