Family business succession will be explored in two free half-day workshops next month in Charleston and Morgantown.

The workshops,Family Business Succession: Lessons Learned,are the first of a continuing series offered by the new Center for Family Business in the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics.

The Charleston workshop will be 8 a.m.-noon April 5 at the Embassy Suites Hotel. In Morgantown, the workshop will be 8 a.m.-noon April 6 at the Radisson Hotel.

Drew Mendoza, co-founder and managing principal of The Family Business Consulting Group, will conduct the workshops and lead attendees in a highly interactive session that will explore such questions as:

• What do successful, multigenerational family firms tend to have in common?

• How is strategic planning different in a family business?

• What are some typical and unintended consequences of apparently solid estate planning?

• What are some best practices for developing great shareholders in the next generation?

• Do independent directors really help?

• How can next-generation business leaders fulfill family leadership needs?

Family businesses are the cornerstone of West Virginias economy,said Jay Coats, college dean.Many of these firms are seeking a successful transition to second-, third- and, in some cases, fourth-generation owners. We believe our Center for Family Business will help address the unique needs of these firms.

Support for the initial programs of the WVU Center for Family Business is provided by a gift from Laurence and Jean DeLynn, successful family business owners in Morgantown. The workshop is free, but space is limited.

For further information and reservations, call 304-293-7831, e-mail patricia.bohon@mail.wvu.edu or visithttp:// www.cfb.wvu.edu .