West Virginia Executive - Summer 2012

The Making of a Visionary Ben Statler’s Story

SPEED NETWORKING Reconnecting

McDowell County

21st Century Education

Jianbo Yao - Benedum Distinguished Scholar Award Associate Professor of Animal Biotechnology and Genomics

For Humanity Jianbo Yao’s research is helping unlock the large and complex genome of the rainbow trout.

WhY? To preserve life.

With changing ecosystems, we must learn how to help the species we depend on endure. His insight and experience have opened opportunities for further exploration. His brilliance and passion have put something that once felt out of reach, almost in hand.

www.wvu.edu

Only Thomas can perform da Vinci gallbladder surgery using 速

only ne

incision the size of a quarter.

thomaswv.org

T

homas Memorial Hospital performs the only robot-assisted, single-incision gallbladder removal surgery in West Virginia.

Using the exclusive da Vinci surgical robot, our procedure removes the gallbladder by making a small, single incision in the belly button. Traditional gallbladder surgery typically requires a large opening in the abdomen, or in laparoscopic surgery, multiple small incisions in the abdomen. Often, a hospital stay is necessary with recovery times ranging from days to a week. 速

The only hospital in West Virginia offering single-incision da Vinci速 surgery.

With Thomas single-incision robotic surgery, most patients are home the same day and resuming normal activity.

We like to think of it as a small miracle.

Thomas Memorial Hospital An affiliate of Thomas Health System

304.766.3600 South Charleston, West Virginia

West Virginia’spremierbusiness publication!

Published by Executive Ink, LLC Editor in Chief Kensie Hamilton Creative Director Jennifer Jett Senior Graphic Designer Lisa Affolter Intern Marta Tankersley Intern Heather Williams

BUSINESS DE VELOPMENT

Vice President of Business Development Mark Lamborn markwvexecutive@aol.com • 304.543.2505

Managing Member Linwood Hamilton lfh@wvexecutive.com • 304.543.4142

PHOTOGR APHY Carol Petitto, On Eagles’ Wings, Fairmont State University, West Virginia State University, Tyler Evert, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Bob Bird, Jesse Hogue-Morgenstern, Tracy Toler, Mountaineer Montessori School, Lauren Good, University of Charleston, Liu Yang, Marshall University, Brian Persinger, Greg Ellis, West Virginia University Relations-News, CONSOL News, West Virginia Governor’s Office, Greg Henshall, Hwi Deug Lim, Rob Dinsmore, Fred Raven, West Virginia State Archives, Sarah Fawcett Photography, Davis & Elkins College, Shepherd University, Ohio Valley University, West Virginia Wesleyan College, Pam Smith, Jessie Lynn Images, Carnegie Hall, Jim Osborn, Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitor’s Bureau

C O N TA C T U S

We welcome your inquiries. For advertising or information please call 304.941.0600. Send e-mail to jlj@wvexecutive.com.

W E B P O R TA L S

www.wvexecutive.com Subscribe online while visiting our sites. www.executiveink.com www.wvmeetingplanner.com

West Virginia Executive is published quarterly by Executive Ink, LLC, PO Box 6277, Charleston, West Virginia 25362. All rights reserved. All contents are copyrighted by Executive Ink, LLC; reproduction in whole or part without written permission from Executive Ink, LLC is expressly forbidden and punishable by law.

DEPARTMENT OF

COMMUNICATION STUDIES Connecting  People...  Creating  Meaning...

West Virginia Executive is not responsible for unsolicited materials. All opinions expressed within West Virginia Executive belong to the feature’s author and are not necessarily the opinions of the publishers or Executive Ink, LLC employees.

West Virginia Executive and Executive Ink, LLC reserve the right to refuse any idea, material or subject matter, especially those of racist, sexist, pornographic or religiously derogating intent.

Throughout this issue, trademarked names are used. Rather than denoting a trademark symbol in every occurrence of a trademarked name, West Virginia Executive uses the names in an editorial fashion, with no infringement. All trademarked names are still fully protected and anyone who uses them without permission will be prosecuted.

ABOUT THE COVER West Virginia philanthropist Ben Statler.

Fill  in  desired  skill  here.

ď Ž 1 year $26.00â€

ď Ž 2 years $45.00â€

For questions, please call 304.941.0600

ď Ž 3 years $60.00

Mail subscriptions to: West Virginia Executive Magazine PO Box 6277, Charleston, WV 25362

Price includes 6% sales tax; Canada add $10/yr.; Foreign add $20/yr. U.S. funds. Canadian Prices include GST. Quarterly publication; Issues mailed within three days of printing. Check or Money Order only; Payment due before subscription continues.

6

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Editor’s Journal I FIND MYSELF learning from all different

areas of my life. Sometimes the lessons are painful, other times funny or embarrassing.

You would think that some of these lessons would be a no-brainer at this point, but occasionally you need to be reminded to treat others the way you want to be treated, or that the right attitude can make all the difference.

Aside from lessons learned while growing up, there is also an extensive amount of knowledge gleaned from navigating the education system. I don’t think I would be alone in saying that I love to learn by doing and seeing, and there is no shortage of places to visit in the Mountain State that are both educational and hold the possibility of being the spark someone might need to choose a career path or new hobby.

This past July, I was able to check some items off my “West Virginia Bucket List” and learn a few things along the way. I was contacted by Charley McCoy, the president of the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce, to come explore Mingo County. WVE’s senior graphic designer, Lisa Affolter, WVE’s summer intern, Heather Williams, and I spent the day with Charley; Steve Kominar, the executive director of the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority; Natalie Young, the executive director of the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce; Larry Brown, the treasurer of the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce; and Bud Kirk, a superintendent for Alpha Natural Resources.

We were able to witness firsthand what can happen when members of a

8

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

community strive to reach a common goal.

It was awe-inspiring to see the post mine sites that were made possible because of the relationship between the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority and Alpha Natural Resources. We were able to see the King Coal Highway, which is a 12mile stretch of road that involved moving 80 million yards of rock and dirt. We also visited the new Mingo Central High School, the school’s new football field and the new Appalachian Regional Airport/ Mingo County Air Transportation Park.

The property for the new airport, located on the completed White Flame #9 Mine, was donated in 2008, and the airport opened in

July of this year. Close by is the White Flame #10 Mine that will also be donated to the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority once mining is completed. The #10 site will be approximately 1,000 developable acres and will be used for a housing community.

It was a very interesting and educational field trip and special thanks goes out to the great West Virginians who made our visit possible. I would also like to thank the other folks who have invited us to join them for a West Virginia adventure. We look forward to experiencing more of our great state.

As always, let me know if you can think of something I need to add to my bucket list.

All

WORK

and

No

PLAY Makes For a Dull Day

Drink Responsibly Plan a safe way home before festivities begin.

Designate a sober driver and give them your keys.

Use a taxi or call a sober friend or family member.

www.smokerfriendly.com

In

Letter from the Publishers

Jennifer Jett, the creative director at Executive Ink, is a 2012 Regents graduate of West Virginia State University. In light of the education issue, we wanted to share her experience as a nontraditional student whose success story can be attributed to the unique opportunities that exist within the State of West Virginia.

THE DELAY in my bachelor’s degree was

one of choice. As a junior at West Virginia University (WVU), I left the academic world to get married, certain that I would return someday to finish the degree I was leaving behind. With approximately 40 credit hours needed to receive my degree, I worked semester by semester toward that goal. As any nontraditional student with a full-time job knows, though, three credit hours per semester—or six credit hours per year—would have prolonged my education for at least six more years, and the idea of waiting that long was both daunting and discouraging.

Like many adults, I have learned my trade mostly through experience. The road was not an easy one, but I embraced it because I was a born writer who knew my place was behind a keyboard. To some, the absence of that diploma is a yardstick for measuring an individual’s worth; others will say that a diploma isn’t worth more than the paper it’s printed on because no piece of paper can show the value or talent of a human being. I have been blessed to have as my employers print media companies willing to take a chance on me because they saw in me the potential that no four-year degree could define or measure.

I had heard of the Regents Bachelor of Arts Degree Program before but never imagined that it was applicable to my situation. A statewide initiative through the College Foundation of West Virginia to get adults to go back and finish their degrees directed my attention once again to this specialized program. I contacted MiMi

Blaylock at West Virginia State University, where I had been taking classes on and off since 2005. As the advisor for the Regents program, she and I sat down in the summer of 2011 and went over my transcripts, tallying up a total of 31 credit hours still needed for graduation. She explained to me that I could submit a portfolio to show that my work experience met the requirements of certain senior-level classes and that I could be awarded credit for up to 30 of the 31 hours I needed in order to graduate.

In May 2012, I walked across the stage at the Charleston Civic Center and accepted my diploma. A dream was realized in that moment and I have no doubt that I would not have had the same opportunity outside of the Mountain State. The thing about success is that it is addictive, and with diploma in hand, I left the civic center making plans for my next step—a second bachelor’s degree or even a master’s.

If you’re like me and the demands of career and family make even 30 credit hours seem impossible, I encourage you to look into the Regents program at the colleges and universities in West Virginia.

You might be surprised by how close you really are to reaching your goal.

For more information on the Regents Bachelor of Arts Degree Program, visit www.cfwv.com/rba-today.

D AY L O N G C O M F O R T With Lively, you benefit from Haworth’s industry-leading research in ergonomics and human performance. From the seat depth to the forward tilt and lumbar support to the adjustable arms, Lively is engineered to rest and relax your body, opening the opportunity for you to seek the motivation and inspiration you need to get that next project finished.

711 Indiana Avenue | Charleston, WV 25302 10

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

304.343.7551

www.cbiwv.com

Certified Pu blic Accou ntants and Ad visors

Richard L. Slater

Managing Partner, Charleston/Morgantown

•

Comprehensive accounting and advisory services

•

Experienced professionals who understand your industry

•

Accessible, responsive, hands-on style

•

Customized service

Business leaders go further faster with the powerful resources of Dixon Hughes Goodman, a Top 15 US accounting firm, whose experienced professionals pull together and help clients feel like one of a kind.

horsepower

1700+ 11 14th 80

People States Largest CPA Firm in the US Year History of Resources and Relationships

+ handling

CPAs and Advisors throughout the Southern U.S. dhgllp.com | Charleston: 800.924.6697 | Morgantown: 877.826.6372

IN THIS issue SUMMER2012

The Making of aVisionary

The Statlers, who are responsible for the single largest gift to WVU, mean so much to the state.

62

By Marta Tankersley

29 Reconnecting McDowell

107 Speed Networking

Weekend Rolodex Serving South Korea

One Fulbright Scholar shares her experience of living and teaching abroad.

By Lucy Swecker

Hidden Treasures

Let the WV Historic Theatre Trail take you on an adventure of architecture, historic value and theatrical entertainment. By Heather Williams

Nuttallburg

Explore the historical significance and recent renovations of this 1890s West Virginia coal town.

By Joseph Bird

From the Gridiron

Take a little detour from your typical tailgating burger and try a unique version from a local burger joint. By Marta Tankersley 12

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

114 107 111 114 118 122 126

Serving South Korea

Compass

Speed Networking

Experience the modern way to jump-start business relationships and quickly expand one’s sphere of opportunity. By Marta Tankersley

Opportunity Awaits

The WVHCA and the WVDE have partnered to introduce high school students to employment opportunities in longterm care. By Debra Anderson 122 Nuttallburg

Want Your 15 Seconds Of Fame?

A survey says the majority of Americans think 15-second gateway commercials are the sweet spot for online advertisers to deliver ads without losing views. There are several factors that make this type of advertisement effective:

• Getting Attention

• Targeted Advertising

• Focused Message • Recall and Recognition

We can do all of these things and more, give us a call at 304.554.3910.

pikewoodcreative.com

Visual Media Design and Marketing Team

63 Wild, 39 Moving Wonderful, the Wired Mountain West State Forward Virginia

Education

Sticks and Stones

See the devastating results when bullying goes too far and children pay the price.

By Barri Faucett

The Montessori Experience

Montessori schools have a different approach to education that inspires a love for learning.

By JoEllen Zacks

Military Master’s Degrees

The University of Charleston and Marshall University are now providing master’s degree programs specifically for military members.

The Trouble with Truancy

West Virginia’s courts are making progress in preventing the destructive effects of truancy.

By Justice Robin Davis

Banding Together

VH1 is helping put the rhythm back in the classroom with their Save The Music Foundation.

By Randall Reid-Smith

Today’s Students

Governor Tomblin discusses the education analysis results and how the data will help improve education. By Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin

47 53 59 71 82 74 94 78

56 Utilizing Re-Education

50 Innovation Generation 89 Professional Development

From Textbooks to Tablets

The classrooms of today are not what they used to be as technology changes 21st century education.

By Kirsten Smith

Teaching the Millennial Generation

Find out how the millennial generation is influencing the way today’s students are learning and their teachers are teaching. By Denise Getson

EXECUTIVE BUSINESS 4 MASTHEAD 6 EDITOR’S JOURNAL 8 IN INK 10 IN THIS ISSUE 14 CONTRIBUTORS 97 AROUND THE STATE 130 REGIONAL FOCUS 135 MARKETPLACE 136 AD FINDER 14

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

CONTRIBUTORSSUMMER Lisa Affolter Lisa Affolter is a cum laude graduate from Marshall University who received her bachelor of fine arts in graphic design in May 2006. In addition to designing magazines, Affolter works on a variety of projects including print advertising, business proposals and Web sites. She may be reached at (304) 941-0600, ext. 12, or via e-mail at lna@wvexecutive.com.

Debra Anderson Debra Anderson is the director of Communications for the West Virginia Health Care Association where she utilizes her extensive background in media buying, marketing and public relations.

A native of Greenbrier County, Anderson graduated from Bluefield State College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a concentration in marketing and management.

Joseph Bird Joseph Bird is a vice president with Chapman Technical Group, an engineering, architecture and landscape architecture firm with offices in St. Albans and Buckhannon.

He has been involved in the design and construction industry for more than 30 years, and has managed and designed projects throughout West Virginia.

Bob Brown Bob Brown is the executive director of the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.

A resident of Charleston, Brown is senior vice president of the West Virginia AFL-CIO; chair of the West Virginia Public Employees Grievance Board and the West Virginia Community and Technical College Council and a member of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. He is also coordinating the Reconnecting McDowell efforts in McDowell County.

16

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Justice Robin Davis

Carol Petitto

Justice Robin Davis, a native of Boone County, was elected to the West Virginia Supreme Court in 1996. The court’s designee to the Judiciary’s Initiative on Truancy, Davis practiced law from 1982-1996 and served as chief justice from 1998-2010. Under her leadership, the court approved Revised Rules of Appellate Procedure and new Rules of Juvenile Procedure. Davis lives in Charleston with her husband and son.

Carol Petitto, Ph.D., the executive director and founder of On Eagles’ Wings Therapeutic Horsemanship Center, is a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) therapeutic riding instructor, a PATH mentor and an adjunct instructor in the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Design. Petitto is also a certified equine specialist through Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, which focuses on mental and emotional health issues.

Barri Faucett

Greg Puckett is the executive director of Community Connections, the director of Coalitions for a Better West Virginia and the director of the nationally recognized Drug Free All-Stars basketball program for a three-state region. Puckett serves on several state boards and committees, including the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Subcommittee for Crime and Delinquency Prevention and the West Virginia MADD Leadership Committee.

Barri Faucett is the project director of the Adolescent Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention program where she oversees and implements the adolescent suicide prevention and early intervention directives of West Virginia’s Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Grant. Faucett has provided trainings for more than 5,000 professionals, consumers and community members for increased awareness and referral procedures for at-risk youth.

Denise Getson Denise Getson is the director of Marketing and Public Relations for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg. She has a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a master’s degree from Southern Methodist University. Getson has also contributed to business articles, fine arts reviews and a science fiction novel.

Eric Mathis Eric Mathis is the founder and CEO of The JOBS Project, an organization that serves the dedicated communities of Central Appalachia by increasing opportunities for local ownership, employment, education and innovation in the distributed energy generation sector. Mathis is a graduate of Appalachian State University and is currently working on his master’s thesis on economic history with a special focus on Central Appalachia.

Greg Puckett

Randall Reid-Smith Randall Reid-Smith has been the commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History since 2006, where he has introduced several programs designed to support youth involvement in arts and history, including the West Virginia History Bowl and VH1 Save The Music, a free instrument program. Reid-Smith, an internationally successful opera singer, received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in music.

Kirsten Smith Kirsten Smith is a partner at ContactPointe IT Services, a regionally based computer services company. Smith, who holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, oversees her company’s initiatives for technology training and business development. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Arthritis Foundation Great Lakes Region, the West Virginia Board of Advisors and the Jingle Bell Run Committee for the Arthritis Foundation.

Put Our Experience and Skills to Work for You Farmer, Cline & Campbell PLLC, is built on the high-quality relationships we maintain with our clients. Our lawyers take the time to understand your needs and how your case affects your entire family. Our firm has the resources, experience and trial skills needed to successfully handle complex and expensive cases.

Charleston Office 304.346.5990 746 Myrtle Rd. Charleston, WV 25314 Beckley Office 304.252.5990 101 North Kanawha St. Beckley, WV 25801 Morgantown Office 304.225.5990 453 Suncrest Towne Center Drive, Morgantown, WV 26505

Personal Injury

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Premises Liability

Coal Mining Accidents

Catastrophic Injuries

Workplace Accidents

Wrongful Death Claims

farmerclinecampbell.com

Defective Products

Social Security Disability

CONTRIBUTORSSUMMER Lucy Swecker Lucy Swecker is a 2011 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College where she studied elementary education and communications. As a 20112012 Fulbright Scholar, she taught English at Kyungpook National University’s Attached Elementary School in Daegu, South Korea.

Swecker will begin her teaching career stateside in 2012 as a third grade teacher in Upshur County while pursuing a master’s degree in education at her alma mater.

Mark Swiger Mark Swiger is the Social Studies Department chair and Sustainable Schools and Entrepreneur Club advisor at John Marshall High School. He is a member and co-founder of Sustainable Learning Systems and the Green Schools Leadership Institute, and he is a founding member of the West Virginia Sustainable Schools Program. Swiger is also a member of several organizations, including the West Virginia Department of Education Entrepreneurship Stakeholder Committee. An Elkins native, Swiger resides in Wheeling with his wife and family.

Marta Tankersley Marta Tankersley is a communications major at West Virginia State University (WVSU) where she serves as editor in chief of the campus news magazine, The YellowJacket. A 2012 summer intern for West Virginia Executive, Tankersley is a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America and the West Virginia Filmmaker’s Guild. She was also recently named director of Tower Communications, WVSU’s public relations and marketing firm.

18

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Tracy Toler Tracy Toler scaled Seneca Rocks at the age of 5 and has been reaching new heights ever since. Through his business, Tracy A. Toler Photography, he has become a leading pioneer, serving as creative director and feature photographer for many of the region’s largest magazines. Known among his peers as “Mr. McGyver,” he can fix anything with a bobby pin, rubber band or Swiss Army knife. This comes in handy at home with his wife and two children. Toler may be reached by e-mail at tracytoler@yahoo.com.

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin Governor Earl Ray To m b l i n s e r v e s a s the 35th governor of the Mountain State.

Throughout his public service career, the Logan County native has remained dedicated to creating a better West Virginia. Since becoming governor, he has put more West Virginians back to work, reduced the tax burden on families and businesses, made texting while driving illegal, signed landmark mine safety legislation, helped crack down on drug abuse and took bold action to help prevent teenage suicide.

Patrick Varah Patrick Varah is the director of Public Relations at Academy Programs, where he has been employed since 2004. A native of Taylor County, he graduated from Shepherd University before receiving his master’s degree in journalism and mass communications with an emphasis on public relations from Marshall University. He resides near Jane Lew with his family.

Bryan Ward Bryan Ward is a public historian that works as the assistant director of the West Virginia State Archives.

Since his graduation from WVU in the 90s, Ward has been actively promoting the state’s history as an educator, executive director, historian, grant writer, adjunct history professor, historic preservation consultant and all-around ambassador for the state. His work includes publications on Arthurdale and New Deal Communities, the Kennedy campaign of 1960 and West Virginia-focused topics. He is currently working on a book on West Virginia innovators.

Heather Williams Heather Williams, a 2012 summer intern for West Virginia Executive, is studying English and journalism at Concord University. During the school year, she is a freelance reporter for The Princeton Times. Williams is the media representative for Campus Crusade for Christ and was recently inducted into the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society.

Thomas Worlledge Thomas Worlledge is a manager of McKinley & Associates, president of the board for the U.S. Green Building Council of West Virginia and former president of the West Virginia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. A nationally recognized expert in sustainable design, he has published numerous articles and spoken to architectural students, engineering associations and business groups on sustainable design issues.

JoEllen Zacks JoEllen Zacks is a mother, lawyer and community leader who spends her days changing the world and the litter box. Before moving to Charleston in 2005, she was the senior director of strategic communication for the American Bar Association where she directed national campaigns and led strategic planning and spokesperson training nationwide.

Zacks currently serves as the vice president of the Mountaineer Montessori School Board of Directors.

Combining Talent & Experience to get the job done.

Harper Engineering, PLLC was founded in 2008 to provide innovative engineering design services to architects, owners and contractors throughout the state. We are a unique combination of eager young talent and proven experience fused together to serve all of your building systems design needs, including HVAC, plumbing, lighting, electrical, fire alarms and sprinkler suppression systems.

Our goal is to design optimized systems that meet all of our clients’ performance, energy use and budgetary needs. The staff at Harper Engineering has a combined 85 years of experience working with clients in a variety of fields including, but not limited to, K-12 schools, hospitals, offices, airports, manufacturing, and water treatment plants.

HVAC Design Heating and Cooling Load Calculations Ductwork Sizing Hydronic Pipe Sizing Equipment Selection

Plumbing Design Pipe Sizing Fixture Selection Sprinkler Design Site Utilities

Electrical Design Electrical Load Calculations Panel and Switch Gear Selection Lighting Fire Alarms Site Utilities Emergency Generators Security and Communications

Drafting Specifications Project Management Construction Documents

52 B Street | St. Albans, WV 25177 | 304.722.3602

ContactPointe IT Solutions for the K-12 Classroom

Protecting Students Boosting Performance Reclaiming the Network

ContactPointe provides content-security solutions for K-12 organizations who are trying to keep up with the hundreds of mobile devices that are hitting the campuses each fall. Whether schools are providing tablet PCs for the classrooms or allowing students to “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD), our mobile device management solutions are keeping IT departments in control of their network.

Powerful malware-blocking protection with multi-layer technologies Highly customizable content filtering to ensure appropriate content only YouTube for Schools integration with safe access to educational videos Fine-grained policy management customizable to students, staff, teachers and parents Off-network policy enforcement when school-issued laptops and tablets are used at home or elsewhere

304-343-0477 | www.contactpointe.net West Virginia • Ohio • Pennsylvania

Comprehensive forensic reporting for CIPA compliance, civil or criminal liability and resource management

The Smart Office Using Sustainable Space to Reenergize an Economy

In the small town of Williamson, WV, something unique is happening in a tiny storefront office on Second Avenue. Situated next to the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce and located on the corner of the Mountaineer Hotel, the Smart Office is an exciting project that very well could be the most sustainable office space in Central Appalachia. The Smart Office will serve as headquarters for Williamson Redevelopment Authority’s comprehensive project, Sustainable Williamson, an effort to reenergize the local economy by connecting health, wealth and innovation and by attracting past, present and future generations to Williamson.

Using an adaptive design with movable walls and transformable space, the Smart Office will simultaneously operate as a welcome center and office for Sustainable Williamson; a highly interactive space for work force development and sustainable construction training; a community space for stakeholder participation and a technology demonstration center. More importantly, the space provides an integrated design approach with the goal of revitalizing an otherwise stagnant rural community while using cutting-edge methods in energy optimization to demonstrate smart grid, renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies that include transparent photovoltaic (PV) windows and demand response technologies.

Designed and developed by a team primarily comprised of West Virginiabased firms and institutions, the Smart Office will earn the platinum level of LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and will meet Living Building Challenge Criteria. Passive solar phase-change heat storage, living walls and gray water systems are featured in the design. In addition, solar PV panels and heat pipe solar thermal collectors will be added to the building’s roof to provide power and heat to the space.

The new walls in the Smart Office, built with gypsum that is used to clean exhaust from a local coal-fired power plant, and the plaza bricks made with fly ash, a by-product of coal combustion, provide a bridge between the new sustainable construction industry and traditional extraction industries.

The educational aspects of this space are perhaps the most innovative component of the project as traditional approaches to training offer very little with respect to realworld applications that are strongly desired by trainees but not typically addressed by contemporary approaches in work force education. Training will be made available at the Smart Office for certification programs and job opportunities with a specific onthe-job training (OJT) emphasis. In order to simulate OJT where the opportunity for hands-on training is not available, an interactive 3-D computer model will share Smart Office technology worldwide, allowing the Smart Office to showcase the new direction in sustainability and work force development through the creation of a virtual curriculum that provides the user with a series of interactive scenarios that better prepare West Virginia’s work force for real-world jobs in the construction sector.

Innovative approaches to work force development include addressing not only

educational barriers but also cultural barriers typically found in our rural regions. To address these barriers the Coalfield Development Corporation’s 21st Century Jobs Initiative has created a transitional mentorship program designed to bridge the gap between school and work by developing community assets such as affordable housing and community buildings. Skills include construction and deconstruction labor. Crews gently demolish dilapidated structures, reusing the materials or recycling them, thereby reducing waste and providing low-cost materials to repair sub-standard structures.

Coalfield Development Corporation’s work crew is presently receiving OJT while constructing the Smart Office and receiving training in a variety of certifications including LEED Green Associates.

The Smart Office is set to open in 2013 and will provide access to advanced technology, world-class training and unique opportunities not only to the town of Williamson but to the entire world. A spark of imagination, access to a world of training and increased opportunity may be all that is needed to excite young West Virginians and reenergize Williamson’s economy. 

By Thomas Worlledge

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

21

On

Eagles’ Wings

By Carol Petitto Photography by Carol Petitto and On Eagles’ Wings

Therapeutic Horsemanship Center Making a Difference in North Central West Virginia

Maddie Franklin is an 11-year-old Morgantown girl with Down syndrome and autism who visits On Eagles’ Wings Therapeutic Horsmanship Center every Wednesday evening for a riding lesson on her favorite horse, Blaze the Wonder Pony.

“One skill that Maddie has developed in her riding lessons is her ability to focus and make the horse start on her own,” says Veronica Franklin, Maddie’s mother. “This involves either a tap with her hand on the horse’s mane or a verbal command, which is important because Maddie is mainly nonverbal with a very limited vocabulary.”

Over time, Maddie has learned to say “go” when she wants the horse to move forward, which has led to even more language skills and has carried over to school where she stays focused on her daily tasks. “We have been pleasantly surprised that Maddie can also now read,” Veronica says. “There is no doubt in my mind that this is a direct result of learning to ride at On Eagles’ Wings.”

Four Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship registered therapeutic riding instructors and two physical therapists are involved with the primary programs that provide therapeutic riding lessons and hippotherapy for more than 35 participants.

The therapeutic riding instructors focus on teaching riding skills to children—some as young as four years of age—and adults with disabilities. Hippotherapy specialists also use the horse’s unique motion as a treatment strategy with children and adults, and treatment can start as early as 18 months of age.

The horse and its dynamic human-like, three-dimensional movement creates beneficial stimulation to the central WVU students work with an On Eagles’ Wings rider.

22

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

nervous system that causes Maddie Franklin significant positive physical, during a riding session at On Eagles’ Wings. cognitive and emotional changes in riders that far exceed conventional types of therapy-based interventions. A typical 30- to 45-minute riding session produces 3,000 to 5,000 repetitions of vertical, horizontal and rotational movement that constantly challenge a rider’s postural control. Those who couldn’t walk independently when they started the program are now running to see their horse when they arrive, and there are others, like Maddie, who have literally spoken their first words on the horse’s back.

There is also the special bonding and corresponding love and affection that the participants show their nonjudgmental equine friends. What better self-esteem and confidence booster exists than successfully learning to ride a 1,200-pound animal?

West Virginia University (WVU) has developed undergraduate curriculum around On Eagles’ Wings equine activities, and soon WVU students will have the option to minor in therapeutic horsemanship while pursuing their certification as a therapeutic riding instructor. WVU students from all majors routinely volunteer at On Eagles’ Wings for community service projects.

Volunteers are extremely important to daily riding lessons and hippotherapy sessions, as some riders require at least three volunteers to act as support staff and horse leaders. More than 60 volunteers work within the program, logging a combined total of more than 2,000 volunteer hours per year.

On Eagles’ Wings’ programming is currently limited because it is an outdoor-based facility and is only open from May through November. Based on its growth and success since it opened in 2007, the facility is in the planning stages of developing a new site for year-round programming that will include an indoor arena, offices, therapy rooms, a classroom/observation area, a new outdoor arena and riding trails. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, On Eagles’ Wings is projected to become a much larger program to serve North Central West Virginia and its community members with specialized therapy needs.

For more information about On Eagles’ Wings, contact the organization at (304) 288-9748 or visit www.oneagleswingswv.org. 

PROTECTING LIVES AND PROPERTY

Appalachian Signals and Products, Inc. is a family owned and operated business built on a foundation of honesty and integrity with a continuing dedication to reliable service and complete customer satisfaction. As we have expanded our commitment to a larger community, our family has also grown, allowing us to offer customers the benefit of our two centuries’ worth of combined experience. At ASAP, we also understand that every facility is different with its own unique requirements. Whatever the characteristics of your property—from commercial to industrial and industrial spaces—we will provide cutting-edge security as well as personal safety and communications systems to match your needs.



INTERCOM/SOUND



BUILDING ACCESS/GATE CONTROL



VIDEO AND SECURITY SYSTEMS



FIRE ALARM/MASS NOTIFICATION

MAILING ADDRESS: PO BOX 508 WINFIELD, WV 25213 VISIT OUR OFFICE: STATE ROUTE 34 WINFIELD, WV 25213 PHONE: 304-586-2913 FAX: 304-586-2914 E-MAIL: INFO@ASAPWV.COM

Let Us Help You With Your Financial Goals INVESTMENTS* Variable Annuities Investment Securities Mutual Funds INSURANCE MEDICARE PLANS Medicare Supplements Disability Income LIFE Health Insurance Long-Term Care

OTHER SERVICES Profit-sharing Plans Money Purchasing Plans Retirement Plans for Groups and Individuals Money Management* Tax Planning College Planning Estate Planning Retirement Plans* Joshua Wood

Registered Representative

330 E Main Street Milton, WV 25541 jwood@ pocavalleyfinancial.com 304.586.5539 Office 304.743.5104 Fax 304.741.1238 Cell 1.877.260.4486 Toll Free

*Securities offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA & SIPC P.O. Box 64284, St. Paul MN 55164 651-738-4000 www. woodburyfinancialservices.com Poca Valley Financial and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. are not affiliated entities.

Neither Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. nor its representatives offer tax or legal advice.

For assistance with these matters, please consult your tax or legal advisor.

PocaValleyFinancial.com ARE NOT INSURED BY FDIC OR ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

MAY LOSE VALUE

ARE NOT A DEPOSIT OF OR GUARANTEED BY ANY BANK OR ANY BANK AFFILIATE

FDIC

BANK

West Virginia Teen Court Association For most adults, when we think of teens going to court, it generally means that they have done something wrong. In the case of teen courts throughout the state, however, most of the youth going to court are volunteering and making a difference along the way by delivering justice to their peers in a positive manner.

For years, teen court programs have existed sporadically throughout the Mountain State. In 2005, however, legislation was amended to assist courts with sustainability by adding a $5 fee on citations written within each county. Since July 1, 2006, programs throughout West Virginia have been able to work with the West Virginia Teen Court Association to link new and existing programs together to help share information and collect data on how to effectively deliver justice to youth in our communities who are alleged to have committed a status offense or an act of delinquency that would be considered a misdemeanor if committed by an adult.

When asked about the continual movement of teen courts in West Virginia, Beth Sizemore with the Mercer County Teen Court says, “I wholeheartedly believe these programs are effective because they utilize one of the most powerful forces in the life of an adolescent—positive peer pressure. Young people will listen to their peers before they will listen to adults, and having volunteers build their own competencies while helping an offender get back on the right track is a win-win.”

Teen court is a legally binding alternative system of justice that offers young offenders an opportunity to make restitution for their offenses through community service, educational classes and jury service. This allows them to avoid fines and sentences

Delivering Justice for Youth Across the Mountain State

handed down by the criminal justice system. The program is also a hands-on education opportunity that tries real cases with real consequences while allowing both offenders and teen volunteers to better understand the system of justice.

A youth referred to teen court has his or her case argued by teenage prosecuting and defense attorneys before a jury of peers that consists of seventh-12th grade volunteers who attend local county schools as well as youth who were previously defendants.

The teen jury determines each defendant’s sentence based on the nature of the offense committed and assigns the number of hours of community service to be performed. Each defendant is also sentenced to serve a number of jury terms.

The mission of the West Virginia Teen Court Association is to assist juvenile offenders in assuming responsibility for their behavior; to hold them accountable for their actions; to teach them to make better decisions in the future while treating them with respect and dignity; to involve the community through volunteer programs and community service opportunities and to promote better communication between youth, parents, schools, law enforcement agencies and communities.

There are currently 14 counties throughout West Virginia operating teen courts. For a complete listing and for additional information, visit www.wvteencourtassociation.org or contact Community Connections at (304) 922-2551. 

By Greg Puckett

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

25

WE SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS. HECK, WE ARE A LOCAL BUSINESS. At Huntington, we make it a point to work with those who move our community forward. As the #1 SBA lender in our region, we’re proud to support local businesses and their efforts to make a difference right here in our neighborhood.

Huntington is the #1 SBA 7(a) lender in the region made up of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and Western PA. Source: U.S. SBA from October 1, 2007, through June 30, 2011.

The Huntington National Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. ¥® and Huntington® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated.

Huntington.® Welcome.™ is a service mark of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. © 2011 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated.

New Year, New Leadership West Virginia’s New University Presidents

As the 2012-2013 school year begins, two universities in West Virginia are welcoming new presidents to their campuses. Last May, Fairmont State University named Dr. Maria Bennett Rose and West Virginia State University named Dr. Brian Hemphill as their new presidents. Rose and Hemphill have both won unanimous votes with their respective Board of Governors and were also favored among the students for their personalities and involvement with the student body. Each comes into office with a plan for the advancement of their respective university and a passion to see growth and additional opportunities come to their students.

Dr. Maria Bennett Rose, Fairmont State University Fairmont State University (FSU) named alumnus Dr. Maria Bennett Rose president following her short service as interim president. Rose has served on FSU’s faculty and in its administration for more than 20 years. This familiarity has already proven invaluable because she has a thorough understanding of the issues facing FSU, including the integration of cloud computing, much needed campus renovations and the reaccreditation process that begins in October.

Under her leadership, Rose intends to strengthen FSU’s academic programs and improve retention and graduation rates.

“Right now, out of 100 students who are enrolled in the ninth grade in West Virginia only 17 will earn a degree in 10 years,” Rose says. “When you look at the projections, West Virginia is going to require at least 20,000 additional degrees by 2018 in order to meet our work force needs.”

Rose holds a bachelor’s degree in education, a master’s degree in reading, a doctorate in curriculum and instruction and a developmental educator certificate. She began her teaching career in a two-room elementary school in Idamay, near Fairmont, and returned to the campus of FSU in the 1980s where she has taught developmental writing, developmental reading and study skills. She has served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, director of Retention and vice president of Academic Services, and she has worked with the FSU School of Education’s Professional Development School initiative and coordinated FSU’s peer tutoring program.

Rose served as a member of the Governor’s Council on Literacy where she worked with family literacy projects from the 1990s through 2005. She has served on a Higher Education Policy

Commission Adult Learner initiative and the commission’s College Completion Task Force. The National Resource Center for First Year Experience and Students in Transition recognized Rose for her work as the 2007 Outstanding First Year Student Advocate.

Dr. Brian Hemphill, West Virginia State University The nationwide search for West Virginia State University’s (WVSU) ninth president ended this spring with the selection of Dr. Brian Hemphill who took office following the retirement of Dr. Hazo Carter, Jr. in June.

Hemphill will begin his work by gaining what he refers to as a “clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of WVSU.” He intends to propel the university to new heights by increasing student enrollment, retention and graduation rates; engaging alumni; improving campus infrastructure; fundraising and rebranding the university.

“There is a lot of work ahead,” Hemphill says, “but, with the commitment and dedication of the State family, we will succeed.

Failure is not an option.”

He credits southern hospitality and the wide array of opportunities that exist at WVSU with making his decision to accept the presidency an easy one. “Every constituent group I had the privilege of meeting was focused on the future of State,” he says. “My focus will be on how we expand on the foundation that has already been laid with a focus on accountability, excellence both in and out of the classroom, student centered service and research and alumni engagement.”

Hemphill has a distinguished career in administration that has taken him from the Midwest to the Southeast. He served his alma mater, Iowa State University, as coordinator of Minority Recruitment and Retention, and he has also served at other universities in the positions of associate professor, assistant dean of students, associate vice chancellor and dean of students and vice president for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management.

In 2009, he was named a Pillar of the Profession by the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Hemphill holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication, a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication and a doctorate in higher education administration. 

By Marta Tankersley and Heather Williams Photography by Fairmont State University and West Virginia State University

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

27

The Talk of the Town

The new Holiday Inn and Suites, Wingate by Wyndham and Charleston Conference Center are proud to unveil our venues for the perfect event in Charleston, WV. Friendly and experienced event planning staff will assist in customizing your conference, social function or corporate meeting. Enjoy exceptional state-of-the-art facilities, including the outdoor courtyard and large conference and exhibition areas.

Complimentary High Speed Wireless Internet (Wi-fi) is available throughout the Conference Center, Holiday Inn and Suites and Wingate by Wyndham.

Schedule a site visit with one of our Convention Sales Managers. Call (304) 414-0469 or visit DiscoverCharlestonWV.com for more information.

The West Virginia History Bowl For eighth graders in our state, studying West Virginia history is a rite of passage. During the year, they learn the history of those who came before and the struggles that have made West Virginia unique. Since 1931, the West Virginia Department of Education has awarded the Golden Horseshoe to those students who excel in the subject. In 2010, the West Virginia Division of Culture and History introduced another recognition program— the West Virginia History Bowl—to further encourage students to learn about their home state and how we came to be.

The history bowl is the brain child of West Virginia Culture and History Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, who, in honor of West Virginia’s Sesquicentennial, wanted to create an academic competition based on the state’s history, people, places, arts, music, architecture and culture.

The first history bowl competition, held in April 2010, had 18 teams that competed at the West Virginia Culture Center at the West Virginia Capitol Complex. In 2011, the history bowl was expanded to include eight regional competitions where 61 teams competed, and first and second place teams in each region moved on to the state competition. In 2012, the competition continued its expansion with more than 100 teams from 41 counties. Each team competed in one of the eight regional tournaments and the state competition.

The West Virginia History Bowl and the eight regional qualifying competitions are double elimination tournaments that are similar to the quiz bowl competitions that were once a common fixture

The Most Coveted Trophy in State History

Frankfort Middle School students celebrate during the 2012 West Virginia History Bowl State Tournament.

By Bryan Ward Photography by Tyler Evert, West Virginia Division of Culture and History

on television. For each match, two teams of four students compete in two halves with the winning team advancing to the next round. In the first half of the match, individual team members buzz in to answer the moderator’s questions. In the second half, team members join together to answer questions that alternate between the teams. Questions for the competition are gathered from quick quizzes and daily trivia questions developed by the West Virginia Culture and History’s Archives and History Section and are available on the section’s Web site.

In 2012, Suncrest Middle School of Monongalia County bested Horace Mann Middle School of Kanawha County to become West Virginia History Bowl champions. Shady Spring Middle School of Raleigh County took third place and Cameron Middle School of Marshall County took fourth place. Along with bragging rights, the winners, as well as the second, third and fourth place teams and each team member who made it to the state competition, were awarded cash prizes. An all-tournament team was also named and its participants were rewarded for their efforts.

Funding for the competitions comes from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History with generous support from Chesapeake Energy, the Mylan Foundation, the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, the West Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission and Larry Swann, a lobbyist from Doddridge County.

In the few short years of the competition, the level of knowledge and participation in the competition has increased greatly, and student interest in West Virginia history has surged. Teachers who sponsor the teams have told Reid-Smith and tournament organizers that students are studying over summer break, and when school is in session, they come to school early, stay late and use their lunch periods to prepare. In several schools, numerous rounds of testing and school level competitions are needed to narrow down the teams. Parents have remarked that they, too, have learned a great deal as they help their kids study for the competition.

While some eighth graders enjoyed the freedom of summer over the last few months, those with an eye toward the West Virginia History Bowl have spent their break studying West Virginia history in hopes of becoming the next history bowl champion. 

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

29

The Sorento.

A departure from the expected.

2013 Sorento Starting at $24,255

White Kia

339 MacCorkle Ave SW South Charleston, WV 25303 888-238-8137 | www.whitekia.com

Reconnecting McDowell Fighting for a Brighter Future

BY BOB BROWN

OVER THE YEARS, more than

a billion tons of coal have been extracted from the hills of McDowell County in order to help fuel the industrialization of our nation.

Today, most of the coal is gone and what remains is largely mined robotically; it seems that this isolated community has become disconnected from the rest of the country. The once vibrant county is now

counted among the most disadvantaged and troubled in America, and the problems are crushing. The public schools have been struggling mightily; poverty is pervasive; 70,000 coal mining jobs have evaporated over the past 30 years; unemployment is rampant and McDowell leads the nation in unintentional overdoses of painkillers while having the state’s highest obesity rate. Hope is in short supply.

A great education is the vehicle to a better future, whether it’s in urban, rural or suburban America. Educational opportunity and economic opportunity are inextricably linked; yet, in McDowell County, the opportunities are exceedingly limited. ExEdge To reconnect McDowell Welch, the and write a new chapter, a county seat partnership has been formed, of McDowell and the possibilities now County, is the largest city with seem limitless.

Course of Action

a population of just more than 3,000.

It all started during a Source: dinner conversation in http://www.

September 2011 between mcdowellwv.

West Virginia Board of com Education member Gayle Manchin and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. While Manchin was understandably concerned about the unrelentingly low-performing county schools, Weingarten considered other school districts that have successfully brought community services to their school sites to address health care and other outof-school issues, and she believed that An American Federation of Teachers staff member hands out anti-bullying materials at McDowell County’s Drug and Violence-Free Awareness Day in May. WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

31

In Numbers POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT Over the past 30 years, 70,000 coalmining jobs have evaporated in the Central Appalachian Region, hitting McDowell County the hardest.

More than 70 percent of McDowell public school students live in households where no parent or guardian is gainfully employed.

In 2009, 38 percent of the county’s residents were living below the poverty level.

The population, more than 100,000 in the mid 1960s, is down to 22,000, and nearly half of the residents are on some form of public assistance.

The median household income is $21,343.

LOW-PERFORMING PUBLIC SCHOOLS By all measures, McDowell public schools were failing when the state took control of the system in 2001. Reading and math scores finally improved slightly last year, but student achievement remains low based on all assessments and data.

Thirty-nine of the county’s 283 teachers do not meet the definition of a highly qualified teacher.

SERIOUS HEALTH CONCERNS AND LIMITED ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE McDowell leads the nation in the rate of unintentional overdose deaths from abuse of narcotic painkillers and antidepressant drugs.

The county’s childhood obesity rate is the highest in West Virginia.

The county has the state’s second-worst ranking for infant mortality, child death rates, child abuse and neglect, teen births and high school dropouts.

HOUSING SHORTAGES, NO MAJOR HIGHWAYS AND LIMITED ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY There is an acute shortage of housing. Floods between 2001 and 2007 swept away many homes and damaged much of the infrastructure along the creek beds throughout McDowell County. Low-income families cannot afford flood insurance.

McDowell County is 535 square miles of severe mountainous terrain, leaving the area prone to natural disasters and making new construction, including highway construction, extremely difficult.

There is very limited bandwidth, cellular phone capability or Internet access.

such wraparound services could benefit McDowell as well. The two joined forces and decided to identify and tackle the problems facing children and families in McDowell. They also agreed that for this initiative to be successful, the partnership had to include parents, community members and local and national nonprofit groups.

Reconnecting McDowell was born as an unprecedented and comprehensive effort to improve the educational opportunities for McDowell County public school students, address the multitude of outside-of-school factors affecting the success of students, including social and health services, and rehabilitate and reinvigorate the county and the region through additional jobs and economic development projects, improved transportation, expanded technology capabilities and additional housing.

Nothing on this scale had ever been attempted, especially in such a hard-pressed area. While limited efforts had been made, with good intentions, to fix the public schools in McDowell County, the complex problems plaguing the education system and the community are overwhelming and require a more comprehensive approach.

In fall 2011, Manchin and Weingarten convened several town hall meetings with residents, businesses and other community members in McDowell County to identify needs and to seek local input, advice and support for the initiative. Reconnecting McDowell was officially launched on December 16, 2011 with Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, Manchin, Weingarten and 42 partners gathered at the West Virginia State Capitol to announce the initiative and sign a covenant of commitment to the project.

Partners in Hope Reconnecting McDowell, with 80 partners today, has already received multiple and substantial financial commitments and has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. These partners are already making a difference by: • Improving literacy for students and families through Save the Children, First Book and Verizon Communications; • Modernizing and expanding technology in schools via Frontier Communications; • Reducing the overwhelming drug abuse problem, thanks to the West Virginia Supreme Court’s new juvenile drug court in McDowell that works in tandem with the school system;

Former First Lady Gayle Manchin and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin watch as American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten signs the Reconnecting McDowell covenant.

• Attracting teachers to McDowell through a new teacher-in-residence law to fill teacher vacancies with highly qualified candidates from local colleges; • Addressing the housing shortage with the West Virginia AFL-CIO’s contribution for water lines for five new homes and planning the renovation of a large building in downtown Welch, that will be transformed into a teachers’ village housing development and • Creating more job opportunities, thanks to the United Mine Workers’ joint venture with the state’s community college system to accept 25 McDowell County residents into an intensive miner apprenticeship training program.

To improve teaching quality, the American Federation of Teachers sponsored a labormanagement team from McDowell County to attend the Center for School Improvement Leadership Institute in New York City, where team members received intensive training aimed at helping schools succeed.

At an April 2012 planning retreat in Charleston, Tomblin, Weingarten, Manchin and more than 100 partners and friends of the partnership agreed to create a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation for the partnership and create a guiding plan of action focused on the areas of K-12 instruction; early childhood education; college and career pathways; health, social and emotional wraparound services; jobs and the economy; technology and transportation, housing and infrastructure.

Many would look at the staggering statistics in McDowell and arrive at some nottoo-promising probabilities. Reconnecting McDowell partners, on the other hand, refuse to be constrained by probabilities but instead are driven by possibilities.

To keep up with Reconnecting McDowell and to get involved, visit the Web site at www.ReconnectingMcDowell.org.  Photography by Bob Bird and Jesse Hogue-Morgenstern

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

33

1st Avenue at 20th Street • Nitro, WV 25143 304.755.1631 • marrsjewelersinc@aol.com

NO M I NATE NOW

Does something

set you apart

from the rest?

Young Guns was developed by Executive Young GunsWest wasVirginia developed by as a way to recognize and honor West Virginia Executive as a way the state’s strongest young business leaders.

to recognize and honor the state’s strongest young business leaders.

www.wvexecutive.com Nominations will be accepted through September 7, 2012 and selections will be announced in the Fall 2012 issue of West Virginia Executive.

All nominations are thoroughly evaluated. Final decisions are made by the publishers and are completely without regard to advertising status, gender, race, creed, political ideology or profession.

BY HEATHER WILLIAMS

IN THE MAY 2012 Energy Issue of West Virginia

Executive (WVE), we had a positive point to make—West Virginia continues to be a key producer of energy.

In this issue, we explored West Virginia’s essential role in the energy industry and provided our readership with insight into the challenges, effects and opportunities energy has for the Mountain State. It also brought us together for our second annual Executive Energy Celebration.

The Executive Energy Celebration was held at the University of Charleston Rotunda on May 30th. This year’s celebration brought individuals from all around the state, as well as from across West Virginia’s borders, to celebrate the Mountain State’s key role in supplying the nation’s energy needs. The evening began with speeches from event sponsors­—Dr. Ed Welch, president of the University of Charleston; Andy Paterno, regional president of Huntington Bank; Dana Waldo, senior vice president and general manager of Frontier Communications, and Maribeth Anderson, senior director of Corporate Development & Government Relations at Chesapeake Energy and chair of the West Virginia State Chapter of America’s Natural Gas Alliance—and continued with networking and fellowship. As a salute to energy, WVE equipped each of the nearly 230 guests with their very own hard hat.

The West Virginia Executive staff would like to extend a special thanks to our sponsors—America’s Natural Gas Alliance; Brown, Edwards & Company; Chesapeake Energy Corporation; Frontier Communications; Huntington Bank and the University of Charleston—for making this event possible.  Photography by Tracy Toler 36

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

TO SAY HIS DAD TAKES SAFETY SERIOUSLY IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. THAT’S OKAY, SO DO WE. At BrickStreet Insurance, we’ve always put safety first. From mining and drilling to construction and more – we have a strong track record of taking on some of the biggest safety challenges around. With BrickStreet’s 360° services, we develop strategic plans and partner with employers to create safer work environments, as well as give you peace of mind knowing we’re right there beside you, every step of the way. And if an accident happens, let us guide, manage and support your efforts in getting workers back on the job. Log on or call to find out more. www.brickstreet.com | 1.866.452.7425

www.wvexecutive.com

FROM TEXTBOOKS TO TABLETS

21

st

Century Education

The Millennial Generation

Examining Our Schools

The Education Analysis

Academic Rigor with an Understanding Heart Davis & Elkins College is known nationally for its uniquely personalized approach to education. In every field, inspiring faculty mix academic rigor with care and respect for every individual student – a combination that repeatedly leads to success, thoughtful engagement, and changed lives.

Located in West Virginia’s beautiful Mountain Highlands, Davis & Elkins is leading the region with new initiatives in business, tourism, the arts, healthcare and education. Under President G.T. ‘Buck’ Smith, D&E has become a high-energy, vibrant community, where innovation and cooperation thrive. Little wonder that fulltime enrollment is up 57% in the past four years.

www.dewv.edu Chancellor Michael Mihalyo is building on D&E’s tradition of success and new ideas, including: • Business and Entrepreneurship. With primary focus on emerging student aspirations, D&E prepares and inspires students for entrepreneurial as well as corporate success.

Local business partnerships supplement coursework at every level. One example: The new Center for Railway Tourism. It is uniquely integrating the rising popularity of railroading in West Virginia’s tourism industry with the College’s Robert C. Byrd Center for Hospitality and Tourism.

• Renaissance in the Arts. Davis & Elkins College is bringing together unique opportunities for student-artists, including hosting the Governor’s School for the Arts. With its vibrant Augusta Heritage Center, D&E has a 40-year history in the Heritage Arts which has no equal. But D&E’s commitment to Classical studies is equally critical to student learning.

Internationally-acclaimed pianist Jack Gibbons was named artist-in-residence in 2010. Gibbons is a Steinway artist and veteran performer in Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and other major world venues. The newly renovated Myles Center

for the Arts features enhanced performance space, art and multimedia classrooms, as well as a new Gallery housing the College’s renowned Darby Collection of Ancient and Early American artifacts. Complementing the cultural mix on campus, Elkins itself is a Certified Arts Community.

• Healthcare. D&E’s highly regarded nursing program has received national recognition as well as applause for supplying skilled professionals in patient care, meeting the needs of the region and the state.

• Service to Veterans. Designated nationally as a MilitaryFriendly School and long-time sponsor of the only Veterans Upward Bound program in West Virginia, D&E is increasingly a welcoming home to returning veterans.

• Early Childhood Education. During the spring, three D&E faculty members travelled to Italy to become immersed in the innovative early education center at Reggio Emilia, heralded as one of the 10 most distinctive learning environments in the world. Lessons learned are already helping shape D&E’s Teacher Education curriculum.

Since 1904, personal attention has been our hallmark. We’re a small school where big things happen - every day! We invite you to come see for yourself. To make arrangements, just call Robin Price in the President’s & Chancellor’s Office at 304-637-1243.

Moving the Mountain21stState Century Forward Education

BY HEATHER WILLIAMS

THE BASICS of today’s education system—

technology, policy, curriculum—are constantly changing. A solid education is a must-have tool for success, and the continual integration of technology into the school system is the key to preparing students for an increasingly competitive global market. For the 2012 Education Issue, West Virginia Executive asked members of the state’s education, government and business sectors to share what they have identified as the challenges West Virginia’s education system is currently facing. A challenge was only the first part of our request, however; we also asked them to provide a solution to the challenge—suggestions that may provide a jump-start to the conversations that will lead to positive change for our students and teachers.

Josh Stowers Member, West Virginia House of Delegates Alum Creek, WV CHALLENGE: Meeting the 21st century’s global marketplace demands for a high quality work force in order to grow West Virginia’s economy.

SOLUTION: West Virginia must invest in a career/technical path at the middle school level. Reconnecting students through a viable vocational program is critical in stemming West Virginia’s dropout epidemic while providing the state’s employers with a high quality work force. While this effort is currently minimal, data illustrates that most students decide to drop out well before high school. Reconnecting high-risk students with the relevance of school through the development of a marketable skill will better provide for their future and West Virginia’s economy.

Jim Martin President and CEO, Citynet Bridgeport, WV CHALLENGE: Utilizing technology properly to allow our youth to have the same educational opportunities as those in our surrounding states.

SOLUTION: Across the nation, millions of educational institutions and households are receiving 20, 50 and 100 megabit (Mb) broadband Internet service. In West Virginia, however, we struggle to attain the Federal Communications Commission’s current definition of 5 Mb of service in our homes and schools. The current technologies being used in West Virginia have significant performance limitations that can only provide up to 3 Mb of service in most locations. To provide our youth with the same educational opportunities as those around the nation, the State of West Virginia must implement progressive broadband policies to help overcome the current limitations caused by our existing infrastructure.

Patricia Kusimo, Ph.D. President and CEO, The Education Alliance Charleston, WV CHALLENGE: Increasing West Virginia’s high school completion rate while ensuring graduates have the competencies needed to succeed in a career or education after high school.

SOLUTION: Research consistently shows that third grade reading proficiency is a good predictor of success in high school

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

41

completion. West Virginia’s 2011 third grade reading scores indicate only 46 percent of all students were reading at or above grade level and only 35 percent of low-income students were reading at or above the third grade level. More students can meet the third grade benchmark if their pre-K through third grade reading instruction is consistently high quality. Students need to be given adequate time each year in pre-K through third grade—a minimum of 180 days—to master critical reading skills, and community members, especially guardians and/or parents, must promote and model reading for information and fun.

Gary Clay Chairman, West Virginia Manufacturer’s Association Education and Workforce Development Committee Elkins, WV CHALLENGE: Addressing the fact that more than 70 percent of our students either drop out of high school or graduate with a high school degree and don’t graduate from college.

SOLUTION: The business and education sectors need to work together to identify where the jobs are today and will be in the future. This partnership should also determine which skill sets should be taught to prepare our students for these opportunities and set up career paths for students to follow. A statewide marketing plan would inform politicians, parents, teachers, business leaders and, most importantly, students about these careers and how we can prepare our children for the future.

Danielle Dolin-Bane, Ph.D. Director, Extended Learning Organizational MA Program, WVU Fairmont, WV CHALLENGE: Preparing college graduates to effectively use both face-to-face and technological interaction for career success.

SOLUTION: Employers are clamoring for individuals who command the technology at their fingertips and who successfully converse with others face-to-face (F2F). Workforce West Virginia projections are filled with communication skills, abilities and knowledge areas that are expected to be in high demand by 2018. Historically, technology relentlessly forges ahead despite other forces. Higher education must help students weave the two together. Graduates will need to demonstrate F2F skills in interviews and group problem-solving in their workplaces while demonstrating mastery of progressive technology to assist them in these processes. This means equipping every higher education classroom with cutting-edge technology and preparing professors to integrate it into their F2F classrooms.

42

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Chad Barnett Headmaster, The Linsly School Wheeling, WV CHALLENGE: Determining what place tradition should hold in 21st century schools.

SOLUTION: As the headmaster at an independent school founded nearly 200 years ago, I worry that in the scramble to articulate what schools can do for children in the fluctuating 21st century climate, we could talk ourselves out of holding on to the good ideas that got us this far. This means that we need to understand that founding educational principles matter as much today as they did in 1814. Technology and instructional tactics have evolved during the past two centuries, yet perseverance and resilience remain core values in preparing adolescents to thrive in an increasingly complicated world.

Dana Waldo Senior Vice President and General Manager—West Virginia, Frontier Communications Charleston, WV CHALLENGE: Affecting a revolutionary transformation of American education through technology.

SOLUTION: Technology brings to the educational experience new opportunities for teachers and students to access the resources they need when and where they are needed. Distance instruction, collaborative engagement, online research and other forms of digital learning drastically depart from traditional classroom models. Consequently, the technology-savvy teacher of the future will depart from traditional instruction in which students segregated into same-age groups receive the same content at the same pace. The teacher of the future will possess the skills to harness the power of technology. We must include the role of new technologies in future pedagogy curriculum, and we must provide current educators the training for new technologies for the benefit of their students.  For additional challenges and solutions, visit the Web version of this story at www.wvexecutive.com/exclusives.

P L A C E M E N T R E P O RT UC Graduates were EMPLOYED OR IN GRADUATE SCHOOL within six months of graduation

PRIMARY POSTGRADUATE ACTIVITIES

48

94

%*

41%

Employment

%

Both employed and in graduate school

8% UC GRADUATE FACTS

Other: were involved in volunteer service, travel or were undecided about their career plans

100% Radiologic Science Students passed ARRT licensure exam on the first attempt.

Of all students who start and stay at UC, a third either graduate early or move into their graduate field in less than four years.

100% of 2011 MBAL graduates accepted a job before graduation.

3%

Graduate School

ON AVERAGE, 2006 - 2011

The final placement of the University of Charleston 2011 graduates was a resounding success.

Companies Arnett & Foster • Cabell Huntington Hospital • Contemporary Galleries • Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) • Dixon Hughes Goodman • Edward Jones Investments • Executive Ink • Generations Physical Therapy • Kanawha County Schools • McJunkin Red Man Corp. • Prime America Financial • Rite Aid Pharmacy • Siemens Medical • St. Francis Hospital • Sun Trust Bank • Thomas Memorial Hospital • US Census Bureau • US Army • United Way • WV DEP • WV Radio Corporation Graduate Programs Appalachian Law School • Defiance College • Florida Atlantic • Marshall University • Medical University of So. Carolina • Mississippi College • Ohio University • Ohio State University • University of East London • University of Pittsburgh • University of Tennessee • Vanderbilt University • WV School of Osteopathic Medicine • West Virginia University Internship Opportunities UC encourages businesses to establish internship opportunities.

It’s good for the business community and for our students. For more information call 304.357.4977

100% of UC pre-med students that applied to med school the last two years have been accepted.

UC School of Pharmacy graduates have posted a two-year average passage rate on the NAPLEX and MPJE licensure examinations of 92% and 97% respectively.

2300 MacCorkle Ave., SE Charleston, WV 25304 304.347.4800 www.ucwv.edu

*Of the 282 students who graduated in 2011, 234 responded to the survey. Ninety-two percent of the respondents were either in graduate school or working within six months of graduation.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

43

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

1,400 additions, renovations

What began as a product of the West Virginia

more than

Legislature in 1989 has become a vital piece of the

and

education infrastructure in the Mountain State.

school facilities. Today,

Since 1990, the School Building Authority of

Virginia students now attend class in better

$1.67

facilities than they would have in 1990, and they

West Virginia (SBA) has dedicated

billion

to school construction projects across

the state, resulting in

132 new schools and

improvement projects

in existing

75 percent

have the SBA to thank for this.

of West

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Concerns about the poor conditions of school facilities across the state, as well as the inability of both the state and its counties to get general obligation bonds approved for much needed improvements, spurred the legislature to act. The School Building Authority, established in 1989, was tasked with meeting the educational needs of West Virginians in an efficient, economical manner. The first task was to meet the most immediate needs within the state, and the SBA was given bonding authority to raise the necessary funds for these improvements. As these urgent needs were being addressed, the legislature further addressed the funding needs of the improvement projects by creating an annual pay-as-you-go funding system in 1995 with funds from the state lottery system and general revenues. A revolving 10-year bonding authorization was granted to the SBA by the legislature to meet the major needs of the educational infrastructures in the state.

The second step was to establish requirements for longterm planning in order to assure the proper investment and expenditure of state funds. As a result, the Boards of

SBA’s School Facility LEED Certification Endeavors School: New Spring Mills Primary, Berkeley County Architect: Williamson Shriver Architects Goal: LEED Silver Certification Awarded: LEED Gold Certification in June 2012 School: New Eastwood Elementary, Monongalia County Architect: Williamson Shriver Architects Goal: LEED Silver Certification Estimated Date of Completion: Spring 2013 School: Beverly Hills/Enslow Middle School, Cabell County Architect: ZMM Architects Goal: LEED Silver Certification Estimated Date of Completion: Fall 2013

Education of all 55 counties are now required to prepare a 10-year Comprehensive Educational Facility Plan. Studies on demographic and instructional trends and the evaluations of buildings, campuses and athletic facilities by each district allow planners to strategize the best ways to utilize funds to make the biggest impact for students for the next 10 years.

In 2007, the School Access Safety Act was introduced to and passed by both houses of the West Virginia Legislature to further support the SBA’s mission. The School Access Safety Fund, a product of Governor Joe Manchin’s legislation, was a special account established within the State Treasury and used to hold funding for the SBA’s school access grants. In FY 2007 and 2008, the legislature allocated $10 million per year, an amount to be divided up among the state’s counties based on net enrollment. In FY 2009, the $10 million allocated was divided into two increments of $5 million— one half for disbursement among the 55 counties based on enrollment and the other half earmarked for the establishment of a tactical survey mapping program of all West

Status of the 2012 Series A Bond Sale • The SBA’s Bond Finance Team raised $26 million for construction projects and was able to achieve an All-In True Interest Cost of 2.86 percent, which, other than the Qualified School Bonds, represents one of the lowest costs of borrowing in the SBA’s history.

• The SBA’s underwriters, which were led by Citi Bank as senior manager and included Piper Jaffray and Raymond James, were able to generate more than $60 million in orders, or approximately three times the amount of bonds that were being offered.

• The SBA was able to sell the entire issue to in-state West Virginia retail and national retail investors.

• The SBA was able to negotiate lower interest costs several times during the pricing process due to favorable market conditions, a recent lack of State of West Virginia tax exempt securities offerings and strong investor demand.

• Lower interest rates allowed the SBA to retain more debt capacity for future bond issues. These low interest rates combined with the amount of investor interest means that the SBA is in a great position to go back to the market in the near future for another successful bond sale.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Virginia schools. In 2008, the SBA was granted authorization by the legislature to extend the terms of bonds from 10 years up to 20 years and to utilize the SBA’s allocation of $19 million in Excess Lottery Funds.

Hills/Enslow Middle School in Cabell County, with an estimated date of completion set for Fall 2013, are the next two construction projects designated to meet the LEED Silver certification requirements.

As time passed, the needs of the students changed. A new policy to jumpstart the process of designing green or high performance schools in the Mountain State was approved in 2008, and design professionals working on school construction or renovation projects are now required to incorporate the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building System into new construction designs in order to provide high performance school buildings. Every year, one new school construction project in West Virginia is charged with meeting the design needs of a LEED Silver School Design Designation. New Spring Mills Primary in Berkeley County was recently awarded the LEED Gold Certificate, making it the first school in the state to achieve this level of LEED certification. New Eastwood Elementary in Monongalia County, with an estimated date of completion set for Spring 2013, and Beverly

The School Building Authority rose from a great need that struck at the very core of West Virginia’s future: the education of its students. Through time the SBA has established, with the help of the West Virginia Legislature and current governor and former Senate president Earl Ray Tomblin, measures to continually address students’ needs and the financial requirements to meet those needs. The SBA has evolved with the onset of the 21st Century, broadening its focus to adapt West Virginia’s schools to meet the technology needs of its students with an eye to the environmental and energy efficiency issues that arise from having this many institutions of this size all over the state. With a continued focus on the students’ well-being and fiscal responsibility, what began as a band aid for the broken schools of the Mountain State 23 years ago has itself become a staple of West Virginia’s education infrastructure.

SBA Results Since 1990

SBA Bond Sales Review

• 33 New High Schools

• During the 2008 Legislative Session, the West Virginia Legislature introduced and passed Senate Bill (S.B.) 297, which authorizes the SBA to utilize their $19 million allocation of Excess Lottery Funds to issue bonds. This action provided the SBA a funding source that could be leveraged for the sale of School Construction Bonds.

• 31 New Middle Schools • 68 New Primary or K-8 Schools • More than 1,400 additions, renovations and improvement projects completed in existing school facilities

• In 2008, the SBA sold $103 million in Traditional Excess Revenue Bonds.

• When the federal government passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in early 2009, it included language that provided an opportunity for each state to sale tax credit bonds called Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB). West Virginia was allocated $78.2 million in QSCBs for 2009 and another $78.2 million for 2010. In essence, by West Virginia capitalizing on the opportunity to sell these bonds, it will enable the state to borrow funds for school construction at a considerably lower rate than traditional bonds.

• The passage of S.B. 297 during the 2008 Legislative Session provided the opportunity for the SBA to leverage their existing allocation of Excess Lottery Funds for the sale of School Construction Bonds. This action places West Virginia in the position to be the first state in the Union to sale a portion of their allocated Qualified School Construction Bonds.

West Virginia was also one of only a handful of states that were able to utilize all of their first year’s allocation.

• The selling of these Qualified School Construction Bonds enabled the state to provide more funds to school construction at a much lower cost.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Dr. Mark A. Manchin, Executive Director 2300 Kanawha Boulevard, East • Charleston, West Virginia 25311-2306 • Office Number (304) 558-2541 • Fax Number (304) 558-2539

The School Building Authority (SBA) is vested with the responsibility to provide safe, quality, state-of-the-art school facilities to assure today’s students—tomorrow’s leaders—will have the best facilities today’s construction has to offer.

To ensure that we meet this awesome challenge, we have embarked on several exciting initiatives.

First, funding is critical to school construction, and with a growing scarcity of resources available at the state level it is more important than ever to be creative in our financing. Over the recent years, we have been able to leverage lottery funds to secure more than $300 million for school construction. The debt service on these funds has been secured at historically low interest rates, which has saved the taxpayers of West Virginia millions in interest payments and has provided nearly 1,000 good-paying construction jobs here in West Virginia.

Second, as a result of legislation passed four years ago, nearly $40 million has been spent making our schools safer. From keyless entries to digitally mapping every classroom in the state, West Virginia is leading the nation in making our schools safe.

Third, the SBA has adopted a Quality and Performance Standards for all school construction. This standard documents and makes uniform all materials, mechanical systems and other aspects of school construction in West Virginia, ensuring that all schools will be designed and constructed with the best possible materials available. From sustainable “Green Schools” to “Schools of the Future,” the SBA is continually striving to give our students the latest innovation in school construction.

On behalf of the School Building Authority of West Virginia and its staff, we take pride in knowing that what makes West Virginia so special is our citizens and government working together for the common good of all of our children.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark A. Manchin, Executive Director

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”

— Author Unknown

Sticks and Stones When Bullying Goes Too Far

BY BARRI FAUCETT

MANY OF US GREW UP being taught to

buck up and ignore the hurtful words of others. When these words are relentless, continuous messages—when they are posted in public media; when they are inescapable—they take on a power that can break one’s spirit, heart and willingness to go on. Bullying is no longer a rite of passage, nor is it a condition we can continue to ignore or minimize as it can potentially lead to an issue of life or death.

Our youth are tormented to the irretrievable point of escaping the pain and torture through suicide.

According to the Youth Risk Behavior Health Survey of 2011, 20.1 percent of the students surveyed nationwide reported being bullied on school property during the 12 months before the survey.

In West Virginia, 18.6 percent of students ExEdge reported being bullied with a higher “Sticks and rate occurring among girls. In 2000, the Stones” is an National Institutes of Health reported English language that bullying affects more than 5 million children’s rhyme that dates back students in sixth through 11th grades to at least 1872. in the United States alone. Though

Source: http://www. enotes.com/ topic/Sticks_ and_Stones_ (nursery_rhyme)

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

49

bullying is prevalent and is identified as a problem, it often goes on without the objections, interventions and outrage that are necessary to control this unacceptable epidemic among our youth. There are children who go to school every day scared of the violence they will be subjected to.

They are pushed in the hallways, stuffed into trash cans and exposed to relentless torture and abuse from the time they arrive until the time they are allowed to escape the face-to-face torture to go home. Who sees and intervenes? Where does it stop?

Why do we tolerate unjust treatment of our children?

There was a time when susceptibility to bullying, as difficult as it was to endure, was limited once the individual being bullied was able to escape the negative face-to-face encounters in the safe refuge that their home had become. These days, with the help of the Internet, bullying has become a 24/7 event. Cyberbullying is an emerging problem in which people use new communication technologies, such as social media and texting, to harass and cause emotional harm to their victims. According to the National Crime Prevention Center, more than 40 percent of all teenagers with Internet access have reported being bullied online during the past year.

Some adults, particularly those who were bullied themselves, find it hard to understand why today’s youth can’t deal with being picked on by their peers. The introduction of technology has created enhanced opportunities for torment. Not only can bullying be continuous, but the playing field is uneven in that bullying can occur anonymously and harassment can be shared with a much wider audience than the schoolyard playground. Today’s youth can be bullied and ridiculed without even being aware such instances are occurring. For example, there can be a page on Facebook or Topix ridiculing an adolescent and the adolescent doesn’t know about it because he or she is blocked from viewing the page.

50

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

It’s really easy to make statements about someone without real-time, face-to-face consequences. The face and circumstances of bullying have changed, and the effects of such messages have changed as well.

Defined as the ongoing physical and emotional victimization of a person that is perceived to have less power by another person or group of people, bullying involves three distinct roles: the bully, the bullied and the bystander. Individuals within these roles are all adversely affected by bullying, and both the bullied and the bully pose a higher risk for suicide completion than their peers.

Though all parties associated with bullying have negative effects, the individual being bullied does not have control of the circumstance. Bullying is an elective and deliberate activity in which both the bully and bystanders choose to participate, whereas the victim does not elect to experience the bullying and all of the associated negative effects.

The impact of bullying can have a longterm psychological impact on victims.

Children who are bullied tend to have low self-esteem and low assertiveness and

experience social isolation and the internalization of problems.

Such factors are associated with suicide risk; therefore, the children who are at most risk for suicide are those who are bullied.

In this country an average of one youth completes suicide every two hours, and in West Virginia suicide is the second leading cause of death for our youth ages 15-24. While statistics representing adolescent suicide are alarming, the numbers aren’t important when you are talking about the loss of someone’s loved one. When we lose one of our young people to suicide, somewhere someone has lost a son or daughter, nephew or niece, brother or sister, grandchild or friend.

Since suicide is a preventable death, we have to acknowledge the risk factors in our youth and intervene before it is too late.

Eighty percent of individuals who are thinking about suicide communicate their intentions in either a verbal or behavioral manner. Whether present independently or in addition to other risk factors, it’s important to know what to look for. Though not all adolescents exhibit the same signs, there are some common factors identified with increased risk. In general, a change in behavior or interaction is a sign that there is something going on.

Other warning signs include ideation, substance abuse, anxiety, withdrawal, anger, recklessness, mood changes, hopelessness and feelings of being trapped. All signs are worth recognizing, and knowing the signs precipitates interaction, contributing to intervention and, ultimately, deterring the action of suicide. It is our responsibility to be educated and available to youth in need of our help in order to ensure we don’t continue to lose our children to a most preventable death. 

“Growing entrepreneurship in West Virginia is about rediscovering our history, which is rooted in exploration and risk-taking by early settlers.”

Innovation Generation Preparing a Generation of Entrepreneurs

BY MARK SWIGER

WHEN DREAMQUEST, the high school competition that

drew attention to the need for young entrepreneurs, was recently discontinued in West Virginia, the future of student engagement in business looked bleak. Recent movements in restoring an even more systemic approach to entrepreneurship, however, has those involved in K-12 education, higher education, business and government excited about the prospects for keeping our brightest business minds right here in the Mountain State.

The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) is presently developing a K-12 entrepreneurship education strategy with the help of West Virginia’s entrepreneur community, members of higher education and nonprofit business development entities.

According to Dr. Gene Coulson, executive director of the Office

52

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

of Career and Technical Innovation at WVDE, support from the 42 active participants in the education entrepreneur stakeholder meetings this past winter and spring has been tremendous and he hopes that more entrepreneurs will join the movement.

Coulson sees this public-private partnership as a way of providing creativity to the movement while modeling real-world collaborative solutions for the future of West Virginia’s children.

“Building on entrepreneurship education activities developed over the last few years and with the support of West Virginia entrepreneurs and post-secondary institutions, we intend to grow the entrepreneurial culture of West Virginia,” says Coulson.

This move is refreshing for the state, where the median age of its citizens is one of the oldest in the nation. Keeping the brightest and most creative young people here by fostering pathways that

encourage parents and teachers to get students more involved in the real-world application of knowledge is imperative.

Jeff James, the CEO and founder of Mythology, LLC, the founder and chair of Create West Virginia and a board member of Vision Shared, sees the need for entrepreneurship education from a historical, cultural and systemic perspective. A cultural shift from the job paradigm to the career paradigm is essential for West Virginia.

“Growing entrepreneurship in West Virginia is about rediscovering our history, which is rooted in exploration and risktaking by early settlers,” says James. “We have been somewhat stuck in a dependent mindset for the last few generations as a reaction to industrial and government institutional influences brought on during the Industrial Revolution, but West Virginia’s future, like our country’s, is tied to a new wave of grass roots innovation and startup activity. Once we embrace this cultural shift and take pride again in our ability to build self-sustaining economic activity, there is no stopping West Virginia.”

The movement for a vibrant educational environment for young entrepreneurs doesn’t stop with K-12 education. Higher education institutions have begun to embrace entrepreneurship education as well. West Virginia University, Marshall University, Fairmont State University, West Virginia State University and West Liberty University all participated in the most recent stakeholder meeting, and Shepherd University has also been involved in the discussions. These institutions and others have agreed to be a collaborative force for educating and nurturing young entrepreneurs.

West Virginia State University, in partnership with Create West Virginia, has developed DigiSo™, a digital media and startup incubator at the institution’s business development facility on Charleston’s West Side. West Liberty University’s Center for Entrepreneurship in Wheeling has established an educator entrepreneurship certification program that can serve as a vehicle for teacher recertification if districts are interested in taking entrepreneurship education to another level. All of these institutions see the strategies for encouraging young startup businesses as a positive factor in student recruitment and business retention in the state.

James, Coulson and the 40-plus other individuals involved in assisting the WVDE in developing strategies for involving the business community have already seen advances since the first stakeholders meeting in February. Both James and Coulson know that the movement isn’t enough, though, and that action must be taken beyond planning.

The importance of tying learning to application and adaptation through the entrepreneurship challenge is probably best stated by students themselves. Ryan Gellner is a recent graduate of John Marshall High School in Marshall County and a member of the team that was named a semi-finalist in the Conrad Foundation’s Spirit of Innovation Challenge for the “Green Gym,” a sustainable and regenerative business success that ties clean energy, health and nutrition to social entrepreneurship.

“We believe that because we took both AP classes, such as AP government and AP calculus, and career and technical classes like drafting, we are better able to see the whole picture in creating and testing ideas for real-life situations,” says Gellner. He and two of his three business partners will be majoring in engineering at West Virginia University this fall and will continue to grow

Successes to Date • Instructional materials have been developed to turn student fundraising activities into entrepreneurial learning activities.

• A four-course concentration in entrepreneurship education has been developed and is being piloted at the high school level.

• Introductory entrepreneurship activities at the elementary and middle school levels are being used to establish a lemonade stand activity for student engagement.

• Plans for a video that will showcase successful young entrepreneurs in the Mountain State have begun.

• Reorganization of the statewide high school business plan competition has been initiated with guidance and involvement from West Virginia entrepreneurs.

• Expansion of the already successful Junior Achievement program has begun.

• The development of a database of best practices that can tie entrepreneurship education to standards-based instruction has been initiated, bringing awareness to educators and parents of programs like Junior Achievement, the Conrad Foundation’s Spirit of Innovation Challenge and the re-establishment of other business plan competitions.

• A full day of entrepreneurship education programming is being planned during the Create West Virginia Conference in Charleston on October 24th-27th, 2012.

their West Virginia business with guidance from the multiple departments at the institution.

Gellner and his team’s business is just one example that shows that West Virginia is full of young minds ripe for successful businesses at home, and this is all the encouragement Coulson needs to continue the efforts of encouraging entrepreneurship education in the Mountain State.

“If students are exposed to entrepreneurship and encouraged to think about it as a career pathway,” he says, “many of them will choose to open businesses in West Virginia.” 

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

53

The Montessori Experience “Free the child’s potential, and you will transform him into the world.”

BY JOELLEN ZACKS

WHAT DO THE founders of Google,

Wikipedia and Amazon.com have in common? All attended Montessori schools—distinctive learning environments that foster academic excellence, innovation and a lifelong love of learning. The Wall Street Journal describes the approach as the “Montessori mystique,” while the Harvard Business Review calls the CEOs who run America’s top companies the “Montessori mafia.”

West Virginia is home to a number of Montessori schools, and the new Charleston Montessori School is the most recent addition in Montessori education options in the Mountain State. Opening in 2012, Charleston Montessori joined Mountaineer Montessori in the Kanawha Valley and schools in Beckley, Charles Town, Elkins, Parkersburg and Wheeling to become part of a network of high quality education opportunities that promote creativity and collaboration.

The Method The Montessori schools’ educational philosophy is named for Dr. Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy and a pioneer in the study of child development and psychology. In 1907, Montessori founded the Casa dei Bambini in Rome, a school in which scientific research on brain development influenced its subject matter, classroom materials, the student-teacher relationship and even the furniture.

Montessori discovered that young children have an innate curiosity and desire to ExEdge learn, and believed that the role of the Famous teacher is to guide and nurture rather individuals who were former than merely impart knowledge.

“Free the child’s potential, and you Montessori students will transform him into the world,” include actor Montessori said.

George Clooney, In place of large, heavy desks, students celebrity chef used small, portable furniture. Books and Julia Child and Princes William materials were no longer locked away and Harry. but placed within easy reach of curious children. Discipline was a natural by- Source: http://living product of the students’ ability to self- montessorinow. regulate rather than imposition by fiat. com Students were grouped in three-year cohorts instead of being rigidly separated by age, and instead of arbitrary class periods, children explored without interruption for up to three hours at a time.

For the youngest, out went toys and in came everyday household items such as garden tools and kitchen utensils that were used to develop a foundation for the students’ academic learning, sense of order and control and ability to be a contributing member of their family.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

55

skills in high demand by today’s businesses.

The rapid shift to an information economy, globalization and challenging economic conditions have upended the traditional order for many businesses. The only thing constant in today’s environment is change, and survival depends on the ability to adapt, innovate and collaborate.

That’s where Montessori education is at its best. Montessori graduates were noticeably overrepresented in a six-year study of successful executives who had either invented new products or launched innovative companies. The study, conducted by Professors Jeffrey Dyer of Brigham Young University and Hal Gregersen of INSEAD, involved 500 individual interviews and surveys of 3,000 global innovators. Among their notable characteristics were a Montessori education and the ability to follow their curiosity. “To paraphrase the famous Apple ad campaign, innovators not only learned early on to think different, they act different,” said Gregersen in a Wall Street Journal article.

The Evidence The Results More than a century later, an estimated 4,000 schools around the world, including 400 in the United States, incorporate the Montessori approach. Many Montessori schools specialize in preschool education while others serve students through the 12th grade. Most Montessori schools are private, nonprofit, non-sectarian organizations, but a growing number of religious and public schools are also adopting the program.

In addition to fostering academic achievement, Montessori schools excel at cultivating the executive and leadership

56

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

“We are living in an age of knowledge,” says Brian Glasser, a Rhodes Scholar and founding partner of the law firm Bailey & Glasser. “Only the highly educated will be positioned to succeed.” Glasser, who holds degrees from West Virginia University, Oxford and Harvard, and his wife, Lena, sent all four of their children to Mountaineer Montessori School. “The Montessori method gives children the intellectual discipline to understand how learning is a personal responsibility.”

Some may attribute the success of Montessori students to their families’ socio-economic status, parental educational attainment and involvement or other factors, but a landmark study of inner-

city Milwaukee students with comparable backgrounds found that Montessori students outperformed peers on standardized tests in reading and math, and interacted more positively in social situations as well as exhibited better social cognition and executive control. The study, reported in the September 29, 2006 issue of Science, also found that in higher grades, Montessorieducated children “wrote more creative essays with more complex sentence structures, selected more positive responses to social dilemmas and reported feeling more a sense of community at their school.”

If West Virginia ever needed an Exhibit A as evidence of the value of a Montessori education to an individual student, a business and a community, it need look no further than 32-year-old Clifton Clark.

The BB&T vice president, who holds a master’s degree and a juris doctorate, says his Montessori education unleashed his reasoning and abstract thinking skills by allowing him to follow his curiosity and direct his own activity.

“I’ve always been a naturally curious person, wanting to learn anything I possibly could,” says Clark. “I find that there are a lot of situations in work and in life in which a person can take the easy way out. I do not approach situations with a ‘this is how it has always been done’ view; instead, I approach them with a ‘how can this be done better?’ view.”

“Questions are the new answers,” says Peter Sims, author of “Little Bets: How Small Breakthroughs Lead to Big Discoveries.”

By helping children ask why and think differently, Montessori schools just might be the answer our businesses—and our state, nation and world—are looking for.  Photography by Mountaineer Montessori School

Meet WVU IMC West Virginia University’s online graduate program in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) provides students the practical skills they need to build, implement and measure IMC campaigns in today’s dynamic digital environment.

Enhance your career with courses including:

Offered through the P.I. Reed School of Journalism, the program guarantees a rich, relevant curriculum that is always evolving to stay ahead of the industry and anticipate change.

Brand Equity Management

Learn the latest communications tactics in class today. Use them on the job tomorrow.

Social Media and Marketing

Web Metrics and SEO Digital Storytelling And, much more!

Learn more at

imc.wvu.edu

Utilizing Re-Education Helping At-Risk Youth

BY PATRICK VARAH

IMAGINE A PLACE committed to addressing and

treating social ills in its state while simultaneously having a profound economic impact on its community. In Marion County one such place is Academy Programs, which is celebrating 10 years of service to West Virginia’s at-risk children and families.

With 82 employees in a privately owned behavioral health center, Academy Programs provides a significant economic impact. Opened in 2002, the company, which is located in Pleasant Valley near Fairmont, is owned by Marion County natives Dr. David Bonasso and Dr. Ronald Pearse.

More than 95 percent of children who enter Academy Programs graduate successfully. Pearse attributes that, in part, to the company treatment process. “Academy Programs’ treatment model provides hope for troubled adolescents to develop skills and confidence to become productive citizens,” Pearse says, adding that Academy Programs’ occupancy rate for both residential programs was more than 99 percent during the past year.

Integral to the company’s treatment process is a philosophy known as Re-Education, created by Nicholas Hobbs of Vanderbilt University in the 1960s. “Re-Education works because its essence is that you never give up on a kid,” says Steve Fairley, an Academy Programs’ executive. “In other words, all we need is more time to successfully treat and retrain a child for living competently. Hobbs believed that intelligence can be taught.

By making the child’s ecology better and continually teaching the child, one impacts the life of a child in a positive manner.”

Academy children agree. According to a young man named Daniel, “I’ve been to other programs and this one has made a difference. The staff has stuck with me.”

Charlie, another young man at the academy, says, “The staff and peers have helped me through things that I hadn’t dealt with yet. I get the support I need that I was missing before. I was always kind of a problem kid and I had no self-motivation.”

Academy Programs, which is funded in part under an agreement with the Bureau for Children and Families within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR), provides residential and in-home services for children and families. The company’s first endeavor was the Youth Academy, which serves boys and girls with behavior disorders in the custody of the WVDHHR. The second residential program, the Yore Academy, serves boys and girls with substance abuse diagnoses. The company also provides in-home services that allow professionals to go into the homes of at-risk children and families to teach life skills and diagnose family issues so that they may be addressed.

The services provided by Academy Programs are quite valuable in West Virginia’s child welfare system. Sadly, approximately 300 children are in out-of-state residential programs. This comes as a tragedy for children who are separated by several states from their families and communities. Additionally, this comes as a greater fiscal loss for the state, explains Fairley.

“When a child is placed in a facility in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio or anywhere else outside of the state, our state is unable to utilize federal Medicaid funds to pay for that child’s treatment.

It is only state general revenue money that is accessed.” Fairley notes that West Virginia receives nearly $3 from federal Medicaid

for every $1 it spends in state Medicaid. Most in-state residential facilities provide Medicaid services, thus being a better financial placement option as well as a more humane one. “Not to mention,” Fairley adds, “the jobs needed to treat and supervise West Virginia children are being sent out of state as well.”

Also, each incidence of a child being sent to an out-ofstate facility handcuffs local school boards. “When a child is placed out of state, his or her home county pays for his or her education while out of state,” explains Fairley. “This process is forcing county boards of education to subsidize teaching jobs in other states.”

Another unique aspect of programming at ExEdge Academy Programs is the relationship with the West Virginia Department of Education and its Office The 12 principles that summarize of Institutional Education Programming (OIEP). the philosophy The on-grounds school at Academy Programs, via of Re-Education OIEP, is charged with bridging academic deficits that include the many children who require residential placement importance of trust between a have. On average, each academy resident enters child and adult, with a grade point average of 1.5 and discharges and living life in the present. with a GPA just over 3.0.

Academy Programs also has a meaningful Source: http:// relationship with its lead lender for its physical www.warea.org/ plant. “The business conducted by Academy whatis Programs is extremely important and beneficial reeducation. html for the development of youth in need of direction for their lives,” says Jeff Yoho, senior vice president at BCBank, Inc. “There are few companies that undertake this undertaking in West Virginia and none of them provide the quality of services that the Academy Program does on a daily basis. The relationship has been rewarding for us and for the youth that Academy Programs supports.”

Community professionals serve as Academy Programs’ board members. One member is a Morgantown attorney who has served since its beginning. “Being an original member of the board and having the academy as a client of Meyer, Ford, Glasser and Radman, PLLC is more than a professional relationship to me and my law firm,” says Scott Radman. “It is a relationship that defines me personally.”

Also impactful is the nearly $3 million the academy pays annually in payroll and benefits while availing all employees with the opportunity to receive health insurance along with access to retirement benefits.

Fairley adds that regardless of the positive economic impact, the mission to serve West Virginia’s at-risk children and families is what binds academy owners, leadership, staff, board members and other stakeholders. “We are here to successfully treat the citizens of our state who are the most vulnerable,” he says. “We exist to serve those people.”

Bonasso says Academy Programs is a pursuit that has been years in the making. “Years ago we had a dream, a vision.

We set out to create a program that would set a standard for others to emulate, to change kids whose lives are in turmoil so they may actualize their dreams and visions. That has made it worthwhile for me as an owner.”

To learn more about Academy Programs, visit the company’s Web site at www.academyprograms.org. 

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

59

Military Master’s Degrees Educational Opportunities for Our Soldiers

BY JENNIFER JETT

THERE’S NO question

that our soldiers make sacrifices on a daily basis. From missing family events for drill weekends to leaving the comforts of home for months at a time, their schedules are inundated with the demands of doing things for others. Two universities in West Virginia are providing master’s degree programs specifically for military members so that they have the option—and assistance—to continue their education.

The University of Charleston has worked with the West Virginia National Guard to provide an executive Master of Business Administration program exclusively for the Guard’s members, and Marshall University is partnering with the U.S. Marine Corps College of Distance Education and Training to offer Marines a Master of Arts in leadership studies. These two programs allow our service men and women to grow as individuals, prepare for their futures beyond the military and strengthen their skills to better serve their country.

The University of Charleston and the West Virginia National Guard

What do a Charleston policeman, a soccer player and a military information technology officer have in common? They’re all members of the West Virginia National Guard (WVNG), and all three have decided to devote their very limited free time to pursuing a master’s degree in business administration through a tailormade University of Charleston (UC) program.

One of UC’s newest offerings is an executive master of business administration (EMBA) program exclusively for members of the West Virginia National Guard.

Guardsmen often have duty on the weekend, so classes meet on Tuesday evenings and online rather than the traditional weekend schedule. The curriculum follows that of UC’s EMBA program, including problembased classes, frequent guest lecturers from the local business community, a team-based strategic analysis of a local company and

BY JENNIE OVROM FERRETTI

an international trip designed to acquaint participants with topics in international trade.

The full cost for West Virginia Army National Guard personnel is covered by state and federal funding plus a UC scholarship. Members of the Air National Guard are also eligible at a reduced rate.

UC announced the program at the end of March 2012, and enrollment hit the upper limit of 20 by the end of June.

Jeff Setzer tallied 22 years with the WVNG before he began work on his EMBA. A member of the Charleston Police Department for the past 17 years, Setzer can retire after 20 years and is planning his next move. “I graduated from Belmont Abbey in North Carolina with a degree in business and always wanted to go back to get a master’s,” he says. “Financially, I couldn’t do it until this came around.”

What’s in it for him? “When I was in college I focused on girls and partying.

Now I want to learn the new theories and really focus on learning. I’m looking at what my next career will be.”

Jeff Setzer, Ted Haddox and Taryn Conklin, three of the University of Charleston’s EMBA Leadership Studies students.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

61

Taryn Conklin came from Milwaukee, WI, to the University of Charleston on a soccer scholarship. A self-described jock who admits that grades were not her priority in high school, she graduated from UC in 2010 with a double major in finance and business administration. She went straight from commencement to basic training, where she was an honor graduate. After a stint as a financial advisor in Milwaukee, Conklin returned to West Virginia to attend officer candidate school.

“I’m one of the first people in my family to go to college, and I have this drive to take it to the next level and be one of the first to get a master’s degree,” Conklin says. “An MBA wasn’t an option for me financially, so as soon as I found out that the National Guard was collaborating with UC, I jumped on it. Officer candidate school is 18 months, and I’ve already started, so I’ll earn my commission and my master’s right around the same time a year and a half from now.”

Captain Ted Haddox joined the National Guard in 2001 after several years of active duty performing aviation maintenance for the Army in locations from Germany and Korea to Fort Bragg and Fort Campbell stateside.

He earned a degree in computer science from Marshall University in 2003 and works as an information technology officer for the West Virginia National Guard. “Looking forward, a lot of my job is management, so I want to learn those skills,” he says.

Man or woman, civilian or military, young or old—these Guardsmen and their classmatesto-be share a common purpose with many in the private sector: to take their careers to the next level with an advanced degree.

President Stephen Kopp (R) and Marine 62 Marshall WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE Corps CDET’s Dean John Hemleben (L).

Marshall University and the U.S. Marine Corps Military service members have a lot on their plates.

Balancing a demanding career and family commitments—often while serving far from home—is challenging, to say the least.

Finding time to pursue an advanced degree may seem out of reach, but a new partnership between Marshall University and the U.S. Marine Corps College of Distance Education and Training (CDET) in Quantico, VA, is designed to help.

Last fall, Marshall and the U.S. Marine Corps announced an initiative to give active duty officers the opportunity to earn a Master of Arts in leadership studies through a flexible program geared specifically to their needs. Through the program, Officers take six classes online through Marshall’s Graduate School of Education and Professional Development in South Charleston. Additional credits, equal to four classes, are earned through the Marine Corps Command and Staff College distance education program or the Expeditionary Warfare School.

Completion of the online Marshall courses and these transfer credits will qualify the officers to graduate with a master’s degree in leadership.

Kelly Sweetman, Marshall’s director of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, says approximately 22,000 active duty Marines worldwide are eligible for the program.

“This is something that we are excited about at Marshall because it allows us to

BY GINNY PAINTER

bring our education to our active duty service members regardless of where they are in the world,” says Sweetman.

“We currently have officers deployed to Afghanistan in our master’s program as well as officers right down the road here in Huntington.

“Having the program online and a great team of professionals back in South Charleston teaching and ensuring our Marines are getting a first-class educational experience without restrictions is something we are both very proud of and honored to do. Our service members deserve the best and we are constantly striving to make sure they get it through working with Marshall.”

Although it’s early in the program’s development, several Marines are already signed up and have begun taking classes at Marshall, with positive feedback getting back to the CDET Assistant Dean Dennis Haskin, who oversees the arrangements for the Marines.

Haskin says he has been pleased with the military-friendly staff assisting the Marine students at Marshall, “This will be a very positive and long-lasting relationship with the Thundering Herd.”

According to Sweetman, Marshall joins the universities of Oklahoma, Maryland and Indiana in having similar agreements with the Marines.  Photography by Lauren Good, the University of Charleston and Liu Yang, Marshall University

The Making of a Visionary

Benjamin Statler’s Story

“I feel that WVU’s engineering school and WVU as a whole should be recognized as the energy engineering college of the country.”

BY MARTA TANKERSLEY

GROWING UP in rural Monongalia

County, life on the farm taught budding entrepreneur Benjamin Statler life lessons that would one day improve the lives of people throughout the Mountain State. He spent his childhood in Daybrook, which has a population of only 171 according to the 2010 census, but that little hamlet nestled in the hills produced one of the state’s most prolific philanthropists who, along with his high school sweetheart and wife, Jo, is responsible for the largest single monetary contribution to West Virginia University (WVU) in its 150-year history.

The Statlers’ $34 million gift will be allocated toward building an advanced research and development facility for the newly named Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources on the Evansdale Campus, the endowment of three energy research academic chairs and 25 engineering undergraduate scholarships and the funding of graduate research fellows.

“I feel that WVU’s engineering school and WVU as a whole should be recognized as the energy engineering college of the country,” Ben says. “Because of all our natural resources and everything we have in the state, we should be able to take full advantage of that in an environmentally and ecologically friendly way.” The Statlers know it will require hard work and extensive research but are determined to do whatever it takes to attain that goal, and they believe their monetary gift has the potential to make a real impact.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

65

Climbing the Corporate Ladder Ben feels that while higher education is what keeps individuals competitive in the global market, education is not limited to a college degree. “It starts from the time you are born,” he says. “You learn every day from family, friends and the community.” Throughout his years in corporate America, he also had in the back of his mind thoughts of his early life at his father’s side where he learned that a man has responsibilities and that in order to be successful he must recognize that it requires hard work, diligence and perseverance.

Although he credits his father’s entrepreneurial spirit and his mother’s devotion for his life philosophies, Ben remembers helping care for his family’s large farms and thinking that he wanted to do something more when he grew up. Already exhibiting an aptitude for engineering while in high school, he thought a degree in agricultural engineering would be his most logical educational option, but applying for a summer job just before graduation in 1969 led him down a different path entirely.

Ben accepted a position in the Pursglove Mine of Consolidation Coal Company, now known as CONSOL Energy. The Pursglove Mine was located near his family farm in Pentress and also near where his father worked as a welder for CONSOL. While Ben had anticipated work above ground, he soon found that he was

66

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

scheduled for underground work. As it turned out, Ben enjoyed working underground so much that he changed his degree to mining engineering, and he continued to work for CONSOL for the next 30 years.

Ben began his career working in the mines as a laborer, doing various jobs and whatever needed to be done. Through these different jobs he gained invaluable experience and learned all aspects of the industry, soon setting his sights on upper management.

Able to move quickly through the ranks at CONSOL, he was a mine superintendent by the time he was 26, an assistant vice president by 28 and a vice president by 32. Ben retired from CONSOL Energy in 1999 as a senior vice president and was responsible for half of the company’s operations.

It was then that he made the career move he considers his greatest success—the purchase of United States Steel’s mining subsidiary, which he named PinnOak Resources. Under Ben’s leadership and with a management team that included former CONSOL executives, the new company was able to change its financial structure and operating procedures in order for the new leadership to turn the company around and resell it. “It was much more successful than I had ever dreamed,” Ben says of the entrepreneurial endeavor, “and that was very rewarding.”

As it turned out, Ben enjoyed working underground so much that he changed his degree to mining engineering, and he continued to work for CONSOL for the next 30 years.

Balancing Career and Family Ben married his high school sweetheart, Jo, the year they graduated from high school, and the couple started their family in a little 10’x50’ mobile home where

they welcomed their children, Julie and Ben II, into the world. Jo had worked as a secretary at the WVU School of Dentistry prior to having their children.

Ben continued to work the midnight shift at the mine while carrying a full class schedule at WVU until he graduated in 1973 with a degree in mining engineering.

Balancing work and family can be challenging, but for the Statlers there was never a question of keeping priorities in check. They operated under the premise that in order to best provide for their family they had to be dedicated both to the children and to working hard at their careers. Ben feels that his biggest success in life is his family and the relationships he’s built with them. “Being able to have those relationships over the years with grandparents, parents, children and now grandchildren is success to me.”

Landscape Architecture

Doing it right.

Nuttallburg Mining Complex New River Gorge National River

St. Albans / Buckhannon / Martinsburg, WV (866) 727-5501

www.chaptech.com

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

67

A Legacy of Philanthropy

Building lives on a firm foundation since 1973.

Cross Lanes Christian gets a “thumbs up” for: • High Student Test Scores • Exciting and Challenging Courses • State of the Art Classrooms, Labs, and Library • Great Athletic Programs • Safe and Spacious Campus

First Time Family Incentive Call for details

5330 Floradale Drive Cross Lanes, WV 25313 304.776.5020

www.crosslanes.org

68

There is still time to enroll your child for the 2012-2013 school year!

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

“We have always had a desire to do more in West Virginia because we grew up here,” Ben says of the couple’s charitable contributions to the Mountain State. “While we are very, very committed to doing something to help, we don’t just do things to be doing them.” As visionaries, the Statlers see their $34 million donation to WVU as seed money that is not strictly for use by the engineering school. The couple hopes that there will be collaboration between all the colleges at WVU as there exists a need for legal, medical and business school partnerships to accomplish the energy goals of the state and the nation. They also see the possibility of the collaboration expanding beyond just WVU to the universities of the Big 12 Conference through WVU’s education and athletics departments.

Ben and Jo are no strangers to philanthropy and have a reputation for giving back to their state. In 2007, they contributed $1.2 million to the Monongalia County Board of Education to build a gymnasium at Clay Battelle High School, their alma mater, which was named the Statler Wilson Gymnasium in honor of their parents who also graduated from the high school.

When Jo’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1974 and lost her battle in 1992, the couple was inspired to help other women beat the illness. Through discussions with the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, they learned that there was a need for digital mammography in the underserved parts of the state. The couple acted to resolve the problem so that needed testing could be done statewide. “Our funds provided a digital mammographic machine in a bus to go around the state and provide testing,” Ben says. “So far the bus has been used to screen more than 3,000 women.” The mobile testing unit, called Bonnie’s Bus, is named in honor of Jo’s mother, Bonnie Wells Wilson.

The Statlers have received much recognition for their generous gifts to West Virginia and its citizens. “I’ve been flattered, honored and humbled by every award I’ve ever received,” Ben says. Although he can’t say one form of recognition is more important than another, he is extremely happy to have been named as a WVU Distinguished Alumni. “When I was working the midnight shift, all I wanted to do was graduate,” he says. “I never dreamed of being a distinguished alumni. I just wanted to be an alumnus.”

These days, the Statlers enjoy the fruits of their labor the same way most of us would. They often go boating, play golf, travel and spend time with their friends and family. Ben doesn’t hold ownership in coal property or the coal industry anymore, but he is always evaluating investment opportunities and has a greatly diversified portfolio. He enjoys watching his three grandsons grow and can see talents in all of them. Chips off the old block? Perhaps.  Photography by Tracy Toler, Brian Persinger, Greg Ellis, West Virginia University Relations-News and CONSOL News

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

In Marion County, we like to say

“It’s what’s inside that counts.”

Marion County lies in the heart of the I-79 Technology Corridor in North Central West Virginia, and it has been the mission of Marion County Schools to meet the changing educational needs of our students in the Past, the Present and into the Future. Marion County Schools takes great pride in the accomplishments of its students, staff and schools.

Individually, many Marion County students have used athletics as a springboard to fame and notoriety. Whether it is coaches like national champion Nick Saban, athletes like Olympic champion Mary Lou Retton or national icons like NFL Hall of Famer Sam Huff, former Marion County students have used athletics to help make their mark in the world. Even former Governor and present U.S. Senator Joe Manchin was a standout Marion County student-athlete.

While our athletic teams, fine arts departments and other organizations represent Marion County Schools well, it’s what’s inside that counts. Schools at all levels have achieved exemplary status, some of them numerous times. Each of our Title I schools have been named a National Distinguished Title I School multiple times. Several schools have been recognized as a West Virginia School of Excellence.

Recently, Fairmont Senior High School was named a National Blue Ribbon School. Previously, East Dale Elementary School was named a National School of Excellence. Marion County Schools continues to challenge students to set high goals, then help provide each student with the tools with which those goals can and will be accomplished.

As Marion County Superintendent Gary Price likes to say, “There’s a great education waiting in each of our schools— you just have to go get it.”

© Tim Kiser

“Marion County Schools is committed to providing each and every child with a high

quality 21st century education in a safe environment.”

—Gary Price, Superintendent, Marion County Schools

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Past, Present and Future During the mid-20th century, Marion County had as many as nine large coal mines and other large employers such as Owens-Illinois Glass Plant, Westinghouse Lamp Plant and Sharon Steel Works. These mines and factories employed thousands of workers from all over North Central West Virginia. There were plenty of entry level positions available for any high school graduate willing to work.

Education wasn’t changing as much as it was speeding up. Students weren’t being taught differently as much as they were being taught more things faster in the same way.

After a few years, it became apparent that a different approach was needed. Students might be taking classes at a younger age, but they were not necessarily better prepared for college or the world of work.

School construction in Marion County during the early and mid-20th century reflected the societal needs and expectations of the time. Students and citizens were expected to conform with what was presented to them. There was little room for experimentation or flexibility, so the schools were built as rows of classrooms stacked on each other.

At the same time, parents and faculty members alike became alarmed with some of the growing social pressures, such as drug abuse and teen pregnancy. Marion County Schools established clinics in local high schools and provided families with information where they could obtain medical and psychological support. Society was changing and Marion County Schools changed to meets its growing obligations.

Students educated in such an environment were expected to feed into the working environment of the time, which required mainly minimally skilled individuals who could perform repetitive tasks as part of a larger production line.

Factory work, labor intensive mining and other jobs were plentiful, and schools graduated workers who were well prepared for conformity. Students were not seen so much as individuals as they were seen as “parts of the whole.”

Other social impacts of the early to mid-20th century were World War II and the Korean War. Again, conformity was more critical than individual skills to make a military unit function properly. For decades, the social requirements were for schools to produce students who could attain one of two goals—factory work or military service—and Marion County Schools produced them well.

However, Marion County and Marion County Schools each reflect the social and economic changes that have occurred in most of West Virginia. Since the mid-1970s, the number of schools in Marion County has been reduced from 46 to 22. At that time, Marion County had eight high schools, with two of those being ninth though 12th grade high schools that still exist—Fairmont Senior and East Fairmont—and the other six being seventh through 12th grade high schools that have all closed.

It was during this time that the emphasis shifted from preparation for employment to preparation for college.

Marion County Schools implemented college tracks to fast-pace students into more advanced math and science classes and foreign languages. Math skills have long been acknowledged as a gatekeeper to a variety of lucrative jobs such as engineering or medicine. Students began taking high school level math courses in middle school to make room for additional advanced math classes in high school.

The closing of the old high schools has helped determine the physical layout of our current schools, with each of those previous high schools now being used as a middle school. Rivesville High School and Barrackville High School have been converted to K-8 schools, while Mannington, Monongah and Fairview High Schools are now fifth-eighth grade middle schools. Farmington High School was razed due to mine subsidence.

While the previous high school buildings filled an immediate need of providing a physical location for the middle school students in those areas, it was not always the best fit academically. Schools meant for a different population and age group were often too big or too small, didn’t have some facilities needed for middle school-age students and typically had not been upgraded for a number of years.

The citizens of Marion County have supported a number of small bonds to help upgrade the overall facilities. In addition, the School Building Authority of West Virginia has supported a number of projects. Recently, Marion County has passed bonds to build East Fairmont High School, upgrade the Marion County Technical Center, build a new West Fairmont Middle School and, most recently, construct a new East Fairmont Middle School and perform a major renovation project at Fairmont Senior High School.

The changing landscapes of the buildings on the outside have had a difficult time keeping pace with the everchanging social and educational landscape on the inside.

Education has changed dramatically from the one-size-fitsall classroom of the past to the enriched yet challenging environment found in today’s classrooms. Therefore, we continue to emphasize middle schools in the construction

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

plans. Presently, the Marion County Board of Education is gathering citizen input to determine whether taxpayers will support future bonds for construction of new middle schools in the North Marion High School attendance area or if they prefer to renovate the existing buildings.

As we move into the 21st century, we continue to be concerned with the ability of our buildings to house a 21st century educational environment. Classrooms have become more flexible. Teachers no longer lecture students in straight rows, but employ problem-based learning where groups of students identify a problem, research issues involved, draw conclusions and implement strategies to solve the problem. Marion County teachers have a long-standing record of keeping pace with the ever-changing demands of the student learner, ensuring academic success. Through obtaining advanced degrees, National Board Certification and participation in seminars

and conferences, our teachers remain committed to their professional growth, thus enabling them to provide the highest quality education to our students.

Students use technology as naturally as their parents used a pencil. Given a question, students are likely to search the Internet on their smartphone or tablet and come up with a variety of up-to-date resources in seconds, compared to combing through stacks of outdated research in a library.

Today, Marion County Schools finds itself at the far end of the scale from cookie-cutter classrooms. We have arrived at a new frontier called “personalized learning.” We now have the test data, technology, materials and excellent teachers who determine the needs of the individual student and who provide these 21st century learners with the highest quality education possible.

200 Gaston Avenue, Fairmont, WV 26554 • (304) 367-2100

www.marionboe.com Gary L. Price, Superintendent gprice@access.k12.wv.us

The West Virginia circuit judges who created truancy programs were inspired to do so because they saw many of the same people in adult criminal court they had previously seen as truants.

The Trouble with Truancy

BY JUSTICE ROBIN DAVIS

IN THE LAST 15 years, the Supreme

Court has made improving the lives of West Virginia children a priority.

The court has made many updates to abuse and neglect and juvenile law procedures so that children can have safe, permanent homes more quickly. The state’s judicial system has established several civic education programs, and last year the Supreme Court made it a point to help circuit judges address the growing problem of truancy.

Research shows eight out of 10 high school dropouts end up in prison. They get frustrated. They lose hope. They soon discover that someone with a high school diploma is much more likely to get a job than someone with a history of quitting when times get tough, which is exactly how the world perceives a dropout, so they look for other ways to make money, and that usually involves crime.

The West Virginia circuit judges who created truancy programs were inspired to do so because they saw many of the same people in adult criminal court they had previously seen as truants. The judges want to stop that progression. West Virginia’s jails and prisons are bursting at the seams. In 1991 there were 1,630 inmates in the state system. Twenty years later, in 2011, there were 6,870. West Virginia can’t afford to build more prison cells.

Dropouts are also a drain on our communities when they are not in prison. If they do find jobs, they are not well paid, so they often receive public assistance.

Statistics also indicate that many truants and dropouts have parents who were also truants and dropouts, and they will likely teach the same bad habits to their own children. This problem needs to be addressed before it expands into the next generation.

A community’s time and money is best spent keeping children in school so ExEdge they can have a chance to go to college Truancy is a or learn a trade. Not everyone needs status offense to go to college. Nineteenth Judicial —an act that is Circuit Judge Alan Moats has found a a crime due to the young age direct correlation between the dropout of the actor but rate in his circuit of Barbour and Taylor that would not counties and the closure of the career and be illegal for technical education center there. He was someone older. one of the first circuit judges to start an Source: http:// anti-truancy program, and in the fall of www.truancy 2011, he helped lead more than a dozen prevention.org/ regional meetings around West Virginia urging other local groups to work together against truancy. Since then, several circuit judges have started their own truancy dockets or are beginning to hold their own truancy community meetings.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

73

CAMPUS VISIT DAY: October 27, 2012 9 am - noon

Never, Never, Never Quit.

Call and make an appointment

ROM A FAMILY’S FIRST CAMPUS VISIT to Graduation Day, these words echo throughout the Linsly Experience. To persevere through adversity. To show grace in victory and defeat. To respect the opposition.

These values serve students well while they are at Linsly and through their college and professional lives.

FACEBOOK.COM/LINSLYSCHOOL TWITTER.COM/LINSLYSCHOOL

Please call us at 304-233-1436 or visit our Web site at linsly.org

©2012, THE LINSLY SCHOOL, 60 KNOX LANE, WHEELING, WV 26003. THE LINSLY SCHOOL IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL.

LinslyWV executive2012.indd 1

74

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

7/16/12 2:06 PM

Judges want to let children know that someone other than a teacher cares about them because, sadly, some children may not have anyone at home who does. Some parents refuse to take their children to school even when children want to go; perhaps they don’t value education or they are drunk or addicted to drugs. There are also occasions when parents simply don’t know their children are skipping school because they are not paying enough attention.

When a truant child goes to court, a judge sometimes discovers that truancy is only one symptom in a child’s troubled life.

Those regularly not in school are more likely to have conflicts with their peers or come from poor, single-parent households.

Truancy can be a symptom of a defiance disorder or depression.

It can also be the end result of bullying because some children may be too afraid to go to school. At the other extreme, there are students who—either through choice or necessity—have to work.

Judicial officers want to work with teachers, social workers, parents, church officials and business and community leaders around West Virginia to design truancy programs. West Virginia is a diverse state, and a model that works in one county may not be well-suited to another.

For example, in Nicholas County, Circuit Judge Gary Johnson has worked with the Nicholas County Board of Education on a new procedure. Before, cases went first to a magistrate; Johnson now handles them in circuit court. Parents of elementary schoolaged children can be charged with educational neglect through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources system. Children old enough to get up and go to school by

themselves can be charged with truancy. Either route leads to Johnson, and he usually keeps truants on probation until they finish school.

In Putnam County, Judge Phillip Stowers set up a truancy program based in magistrate court, where he works closely with Magistrate Linda Hunt, a former school counselor. As a result, Putnam County truancy complaints are about half the number of what they were in previous years. In Logan, Wayne, Mercer and a growing number of other counties, circuit judges have assigned probation officers to deal solely with truancy, and the salaries of those officers are paid by the county boards of education. In Greenbrier County, sheriff’s deputies personally deliver truancy notices. Kanawha County Circuit Judge Louis “Duke” Bloom and Cabell County Circuit Judge Paul Farrell have begun holding regular truancy courts in which they hold parents accountable for their children’s absences and in some cases have sentenced parents to spend a few days in jail. Officials in each circuit have made the best use of local resources.

The Supreme Court is ready to help in any way possible with the hope that local businesses will provide support in the effort. Some businesses are supplying mentors and incentives for good attendance and offering internships or scholarships for students with improved attendance. Large companies and small businesses alike could—and should—contact individual schools to address root problems that lead to truancy in that school.

Educators and judicial officers welcome ideas and help in this effort. West Virginia can’t afford to wait another minute to address this problem or to allow another young life to be wasted. 

A constant source of local information.

connect-bridgeport.com WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

75

Banding Together

BY RANDALL REID-SMITH

“I PLAY IN THE BAND.”

People aren’t surprised to hear this simple statement from high school or college students.

Now, thanks to outside-of-the box thinking, many West Virginia middle school students are saying the same thing.

An innovative partnership between VH1 Save The Music Foundation, the West Virginia Division of Culture and History (WVDCH) and several community-oriented organizations is bringing musical instruments to qualified public schools throughout the state. So far, the program, which began two years ago, has reached more than 20 schools and will reach middle schools in every county within five years. Each school receives $30,000 of new Yamaha music instruments as part of the matching grant program.

West Virginia is on course to bring music instruments to every public elementary and middle school in the state that has a qualified music teacher. Within a few years, these middle school programs will begin to feed into high school band and music programs, increasing the number of students who participate in band programs.

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation helps the WVDCH reach one of its most important goals: encouraging young people to explore their creativity through music and the arts. Every opportunity that provides young students with the chance to participate in visual arts, music, drama and dance builds West Virginia’s arts community and future audiences.

“The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is enormously proud and excited about our initiative in West Virginia,” says Paul Cothran, executive director and vice president for VH1 Save The Music Foundation. “The foundation generally works in partnership with local districts and community leaders to develop a strategic plan to restore instrumental music education for all students within that district. West Virginia is the first statewide effort and one of the largest projects we have ever undertaken to ensure greater access to music education.”

A student at Bridge Street Middle School tries one of the new instruments provided by VH1 Save The Music.

Cothran says the foundation is delighted to have the commitment of the state’s leaders and the generous support of local sponsors. The enthusiastic support for the program makes this initiative possible and, undoubtedly, will serve as a model for other parts of the nation.

West Virginia’s First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin was on hand in the fall of 2011 when Raleigh County’s Shady Spring Middle School showcased its new instruments for the public.

“It was a wonderful day at Shady Spring Middle School,” says Tomblin. “The students held the ExEdge instruments in their hands ready to play. Music and arts education is so much more than learning The WVU Marching Band notes and marching bands. It is about the growth was formed and development of our students. I encourage our in 1901 as an students to find the art they love and enjoy it each all-male ROTC and every day. Learn to play an instrument, take part band of eight members that in a play or paint. Throughout your school years marched at and all through your life, the arts will bring you football halftimes comfort, joy, pleasure and challenge. It will be that and community part of you that brings your heart and soul to life.” events.

As a matching grant program, VH1 Save Source: http:// The Music provides $15,000 for each school. wvuband.

Interested organizations and individuals donate org/about_ the_band/ the other $15,000. The schools, in turn, complete marching-banda comprehensive review of their music programs history.html to demonstrate eligibility. The early success of the program in recruiting donors is a strong demonstration of the importance that business and community organizations place on supporting educational and arts-based programs in the state.

One of the organizations, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, has provided matching funds for several Northern West Virginia middle schools.

“Chesapeake is very proud of our record of philanthropic giving and our efforts to enhance the quality of life in the communities in which we live and work,” says Jack Thompson, public affairs manager for Chesapeake. “We strive to find worthwhile community-supported projects that benefit those in the areas where we operate. This partnership has been extraordinary for Chesapeake, VH1 and the State of West Virginia. It benefits our children, schools and entire communities.”

In addition to Chesapeake Energy, matching gift sponsors to date include Alpha Natural Resources, the Doris M. Carter Family Foundation, the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, the Derik Kirk Foundation, the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, the Gilmer County Board of Education, the June Shott Foundation, Winans Industries, Wincore and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.

At least 20 schools in Brooke, Doddridge, Hampshire, Lincoln, Marshall, Mingo, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Randolph, Tucker, Wetzel and Wood counties have already received instruments. In the upcoming 2012-2013 school year, at least 20 more schools will benefit from the program.

To learn more about VH1 Save The Music Foundation, visit www.vh1savethemusic.com.  Photography by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

77

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

HONORING 40 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN MEDICAL EDUCATION Our graduates and their patients celebrate with us TO COMMEMORATE 40 YEARS OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL EDUCATION, WVSOM HAS BEEN TRAVELING THROUGHOUT WEST VIRGINIA TO RECOGNIZE OUR GRADUATES WHO PRACTICE IN THE STATE.

GERARD O’LOUGHLIN, D.O., CLASS OF 1988

JAMES BLUME, D.O., CLASS OF 1986

UPSHUR COUNTY, WV FAMILY PRACTICE

SUMMERS COUNTY, WV FAMILY MEDICINE & EMERGENCY MEDICINE NATIONAL COUNTRY DOCTOR OF THE YEAR, 2002

“My patients are my family. I want to connect to them the same way I would connect to anyone I care about. I try to be on time. I don’t want my patients to wait. When my younger patients require a specialist, I assure them I would never send one of my patients to a doctor I wouldn’t trust with my own kids.”

PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE: “Dr. O’Loughlin has been my family doc for 15 years. He totally gets the practice of family medicine. He understands that you have to look at people, talk to them and touch them to understand their total health. Everything in your body is interconnected and Dr. O’Loughlin brings that philosophy to the care he gives his patients.”

Susan E. Long, M.D.

“I always wanted to be a country doctor, a family doctor. At WVSOM, they never treated me like a number. I felt like I was part of something. There was a personal approach that appealed to me.”

PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE: “Dr. Blume will tend to whatever ails you. He treats all the normal things like a cold or the flu, but if you lose a thumb, he’ll sew it back on good as new; he’s the first person on the scene when there’s a wreck and he still makes house calls.”

Sandy G.

DID YOU KNOW...

* 1981-2006 WV Graduates ± 1981-2008 U.S. Graduates ** Academic Medicine, 2010

WVSOM alumni represent

WVSOM alumni represent the

WVSOM is #1 in the nation

40% of W.Va. primary care

highest number of practicing

graduating primary care

doctors educated in

physicians (all specialties) in over

physicians who practice

West Virginia.*

half of West Virginia’s counties.±

in rural areas.**

WWW.W VSOM.EDU

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

WVSOM Reflects on Turning 40 The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) is turning 40 years old.

As the school enters this milestone year, there is recognition of important lessons that have been learned, along with the excitement of charting new directions.

To walk the WVSOM campus today is to sense the history of those who have come before, but also to experience new vigor among corridors and classrooms. There have been a number of “firsts” this year, which have combined to imbue the school with a sense of possibility and purpose.

In April, the school published its first ever annual report. Among the pages, readers saw demonstrations of the medical research undertaken by students and faculty and examples of the dedicated medical care being provided by graduates throughout the State of West Virginia. Student achievements, alumni achievements, new rural outreach programs, and increasing research grants demonstrate WVSOM’s commitment to excellence in medical education and health care innovation in the region.

The April 2012 issue of Academic Medicine recognized the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine as the No. 1 institution in the nation graduating primary care physicians who

practice in rural Appalachia. The school also secured the top rank among other U.S. medical schools for students graduating in primary care specialties, according to information released by the publication.

WVSOM has achieved all of this without losing the highly connected family atmosphere that makes this institution one of the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For,” according to recent surveys by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

By the age of 40, there’s often an awareness of the need for work-life balance. WVSOM is approaching that need for balance with television programming designed to inspire children to make healthy lifestyle choices. The “Abracadabra” television series spearheaded by WVSOM President, Michael Adelman, D.O., D.P.M., J.D., launched on West Virginia PBS stations in July. The show employs magic, ventriloquism, and gentle humor to teach important lessons about nutrition, health, and fitness. As always, there are also opportunities throughout the year for students and faculty to engage with the community via the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Clinics and free health screenings at the West Virginia State Fair or Taste of Our Town activities.

Life begins at 40—or at least begins anew—for those with the courage of their convictions and the energy and passion to make positive change happen.

WVSOM has a reputation for being a place where scientific study and compassion are joined in one curriculum. As the school turns its eyes to the future, it feels like a very good place to be.

Our goals are simply not being met when data shows that our state ranks near the top for education expense yet our students score below average on the majority of education assessments.

Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Work Force Addressing West Virginia’s Education System

BY GOVERNOR EARL RAY TOMBLIN

AS A FORMER TEACHER, I know a solid

education is the foundation on which one builds a secure life in today’s competitive global economy. With roots in business, I also understand the value of reliable, hardworking employees and entrepreneurialspirited people who go the extra mile because it makes all the difference. As governor of the State of West Virginia, I remain committed to seeking out new opportunities for all West Virginians and pursuing a greater future for our children.

With the development of new jobs and the revitalization of established industries, it is important that we work together to ensure our children receive the best education possible so

80

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

that we can continue to prepare them for the demands of our growing economy. At the same time, it is important that we receive a significant return on our investment. That is why I moved forward with the statewide education efficiency audit and why I continue to seek input from parents, community leaders, business owners and many others. We each have a vested interest in our state’s education system and we are each responsible for making sure our children are prepared to succeed long into the future.

Last year, Public Works LLC began “The Education Efficiency Audit of West Virginia’s Primary and Secondary Education System.” The group’s initial report resulted in more than 50

findings and recommendations that have the potential to improve student education. Public Works and its partner firm, MGT of America, conducted the audit, held community events and oversaw surveys and other assessment methods to encompass the entire education system in West Virginia. Results from the eight-month-long process include state, regional and local level insights into how the system can be improved.

Consultants from around the country brought an array of experience in identifying benchmarks and best practices in education, as well as a fresh perspective that unveiled some efficiencies we previously had not considered. Together, we learned a lot.

Horace Mann students discuss the dangers of dropping out of school with Gov. Tomblin.

Since the report was released, I’ve been asked “Why the review?”

West Virginians are proud of our schools and I want to make sure we are rightfully proud. Our schools must produce for our children, and we, the taxpayers, must receive the highest return on our investment.

Our goals are simply not being met when data shows that our state ranks near the top for education expense yet our students score below average on the majority of education assessments.

Statistics show West Virginia ranks eighth in the country in education expenditures relative to income levels. However, West Virginia students score below the national average on 21 of the 24 indicators of student performance as reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Gov. Tomblin and middle school students discuss their education.

Gov. Tomblin reads to Kanawha City Elementary students at the annual Read To Me Day.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

81

Perspectives “The education audit opened the door for Vision Shared to really concentrate on one of our strategic goals: to improve student performance. When our students achieve and begin entering the work force, our companies thrive from the injection of new, cuttingedge knowledge. This makes our businesses and the economy stronger, which leads to more stable and vibrant communities across the state. This all begins in the classroom and we are honored to work with Governor Tomblin and help shine a spotlight on this important economic issue.”

—Rebecca McPhail Randolph, President/CEO, Vision Shared

Education is important to every industry in West Virginia, and leaders from across the state have weighed in about the education audit and its impact on the Mountain State.

“Our economic future is only as bright as the future work force is prepared. Governor Tomblin understands this, and the business community appreciates his leadership on this important issue of educating today’s youth for tomorrow’s economy. From the audit and community forums to future potential policies, the effort underway is monumental and of the utmost importance for our children’s future and that of the entire State of West Virginia.”

—Steve Roberts, West Virginia Chamber of Commerce

“The audit is an opportunity for all stakeholders— students, teachers, parents, lawmakers, community members and business leaders—to reconnect themselves with education in an effort to determine the practices, policies and statutes that best support the needs of today’s children as we together develop good kids who do great work. All of the audit recommendations should be reviewed in the aforementioned context. Meanwhile, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) has already begun addressing some of the issues highlighted in the audit such as teacher evaluations and the reorganization of the WVDE.”­ — Dr. Jorea Marple, West Virginia Superintendent of Schools

TOP 500 HOTEL IN

THE WORLD.

2 Waterfront Place Morgantown, WV 26501 304. 296. 1700 WPHotel.co

82

Meeting at the best doesn’t cost the most and you deserve the best. With 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, awardwinning service and luxury accommodations, Waterfront Place Hotel is the premier destination for your next event. Call to book your meeting space today!

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Perhaps the biggest test of our education system is how our graduates perform in the workplace. Our businesses compete in a global economy and their expectations of worker and leader productivity continue to rise.

We must meet that challenge by providing a work force with a solid educational foundation that is able to not only meet but exceed the demands of tomorrow’s business world. This begins by developing high-achieving schools that graduate a prepared work force—a work force that will facilitate more jobs.

The results, specifically the more than 50 findings and recommendations reported from the “Education Efficiency Audit of West Virginia’s Primary and Secondary Education System,” left nothing off the table—just as I had requested.

The report’s recommendations included reducing administrative overhead through the reorganization of major functions at the Department of Education, reassessing current facility operations, implementing efficiencies in school building capital projects through the School Building Authority and reorganizing professional development for educators. These flexibility-enabling recommendations, if adopted, may have the potential to save the state $90 million over a five-year period.

The financial savings is luring, but we cannot lose sight of our second goal: improving student performance. The report recommended that we improve the connection between the classroom instruction of today and the work force and career futures our students face.

This can be done by embracing distance learning capabilities and evaluating our teachers on a national best practice model so our children can achieve to the best of their ability. During the 2012 Legislative Session, I introduced legislation to support these goals.

Perhaps one of the most resounding observations the authors of the audit shared was that West Virginia has one of the most highly regulated systems in the country. The authors report that this regulation is to the detriment of school policies and operations. This would be a fundamental shift to transition from Department of Education governance of the school system to a more individual initiative and accountability strategy. Because of this, I believe the people must decide. We are a government and education system of the people and for the people. That is why I have, from the very beginning, encouraged every West Virginian to read the reports and let me know how we can make the next step—the right step.

In June 2012, my office joined with Vision Shared and the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce to hold a series of forums across the state. At these gatherings, education, business and community leaders worked together to review the report’s findings and map out a plan of action.

There’s the old saying “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Whether one’s professional interest is in education, business or the public sector, each of us are important village members. I believe we have a village full of knowledgeable, eager parents, grandparents, educators and business and community leaders from hometowns across the state who want the best for our children. I’m honored to work with them as we find ways to operate our schools better so that when our students are ready to become our employees, the transition is smooth and efficient from day one. Helping our children make their dreams a reality started with the education audit. It is now up to us to lay the groundwork for our children’s years of prosperity.  Photography by the West Virginia Governor’s Office

From Textbooks to Tablets

Education in the 21st Century

BY KIRSTEN SMITH

IMAGINE HELPING your child get ready

for his or her first day of school and all that is packed in the extra-large, trail king backpack is a bottle of water, a mid-morning snack and a couple of number two pencils. Later that day your child comes home with a mobile computing device that contains all of his or her textbooks, supplemental charts and graphs, videos and an assignment notebook.

For homework, he or she is asked to watch a YouTube

84

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

video on how to dissect a frog, and when the kids return to school, the teachers function as facilitators in the classroom, not just the sole source instructor. Making this vision a reality is just what K-12 administrators, teachers and information technology (IT) departments are striving to accomplish. Smartphones, tablets and e-readers are ready to take our students from flat, print-based learning to high definition, interactive, collaborative learning solutions.

Smartphones, tablets and e-readers are ready to take our students from flat, print-based learning to high definition, interactive, collaborative learning solutions.

22nd Century E-learning George Aulenbacher, the principal of George Washington High School, envisions a day when his staff will deliver all of their instruction through 1-to-1 technology available from tablet computing. Aulenbacher knows that current and emerging technologies offer the best ways to unleash his students’ potential for learning. If kids had to make a choice between shoes and their smartphone, they would grab their smartphone every time because smartphones are a lifeline to the students’ social and informational world. These hand-held devices have paved the way for the larger screened tablets like the iPad, and students are so familiar with these devices that picking one up for computing, reading and searching the Web is second nature.

GWHS is the first school in the state to provide an e-library where students can check out books via desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other e-readers. Aulenbacher is striving for a 22nd century library that is available 24 hours a day and is a resource for SAT study guides, AP exam study books and all the novels for the students’ English classes.

“We envision students having access to all types of information digitally instead of just print copies,” says Allison Fisher, GWHS’s librarian who was hired to make the idea of the 22nd century library idea a reality. “In the future I hope if you walk in my library you will not see dusty books on shelves but students actively engaged in their school work using tablet devices or our computer stations.”

E-learning Challenges Everywhere you look school systems are investing in mobile devices for what they can do—or potentially do—with them.

“Because mobile technologies are so emergent and present in everyone’s life, we know that we need to get mobile technologies in the hands of our teachers as both a teaching and learning tool,” says Jennifer Hornyak, the director of Instructional Technology for the Department of Catholic Schools Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.

The diocese recently provided several three-day workshops for teachers and administrators to receive a broad overview on what these technologies can do for them and how they might apply the devices to their particular schools. While each school will need time to plan out its infrastructure so it can create a blueprint for increased bandwidth, wireless security, mobile device management and correct classroom implementation, some are already making progress. In January 2012, St. Vincent de Paul Parish School in Wheeling placed iPads on the desks of all of its sixth, seventh and eighth graders, and beginning in the 2012-2013 school year freshmen and sophomores at Bishop Donahue Memorial High School in McMechen, WV, will see iPads integrated into their education curriculum. Additional diocesan schools have chosen to use the iPads as 10 packs that travel from classroom to classroom or provide one iPad to each teacher to use as an instructional aid with their existing curriculum.

In the neighboring states of Ohio and Virginia, funding has been awarded to grade schools to deliver 1-to-1 learning on iPads in fourth grade social studies classes. Using the applications iBooks Author and iTunes, the students and teachers are working together to create their own content. The app iBooks Author allows users to author their own books, create graphical presentations that replace poster boards, incorporate videos and multimedia into their creations and keep bulky school supplies out of the classroom. Apple has partnered with textbook companies to provide interactive courseware so that students can swipe through

Teacher-Friendly

Technology

By M.E. Yancosek Gamble Opportunities for using digital tools in our classrooms are available more than ever, changing not only how students learn, but how teachers teach. Developments in technology allow teachers to provide real-time feedback to students that can be referred to when studying, debating or criticizing. Teachers can furnish Web sites, PowerPoint presentations or even scholarly articles as support.

Complementing today’s student’s ability to text and use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to contact teachers after school hours or on weekends, this teacher-friendly technology is creating a new world of interaction both inside and outside the classroom.

Teachers have always incorporated technology into their instruction, from slate blackboards in 1890 to iPads today. For example, educators who include iPads in their lesson plans can use a smartphone application called Conference Pad that allows the students to send text messages to ask questions, make comments or otherwise interact with the class on various topics through the iPads. Valerie McGregor, a high school teacher, uses iPads to access articles that are required reading for her students, who are “encouraged to use their e-readers for independent reading and when additional reading time is needed outside of class and only a classroom set of books is available.”

Other examples of classroom technology devices are smartboards, or large whiteboards that, according to kindergarten teacher Mary Ann Kervin Haines, “offer endless hands-on interactive lessons for students of all ages.” Smartboard activities, she reports, assist her kindergarten students in reading before they leave her class. She finds the availability of such technology empowering. “Currently, I use many lessons that I have created on my laptop with lessons and apps I have found online.

Last spring, our school purchased several iPads for the classrooms. We will be able to use them for individual use, and we can connect them to the smartboard for lessons for the entire class.”

For many teachers, the benefits of using social media as a teaching/ learning tool are clear. Social media tools increase student involvement by providing an almost intuitive way for students to interact by posting documents on shared sites where all members can collaborate, allowing them to work at their own time, pace and location, and learn from each other’s comments rather than from the one or two students who respond aloud in class. Through additional instructional technology, students and their teachers become joint stakeholders in the success of class discussion, research and curricular exploration.

pages of history and then click on a URL link to see an interactive presentation. Bishop Hartley High School and Defiance High School in Ohio have gone completely iPad. For $15 per student per class, the courseware can be pushed out to each device with mobile device management tools. Countless man hours are saved because textbooks don’t have to be printed, shipped and physically distributed, and content is subscription-based so you don’t have to wait several years for the latest print edition.

When 130 iPads were distributed across the 10th grade English classes at Lancaster High School, the students were challenged to utilize the iPads for project-based learning with online collaboration.

During the project, titled “The Power of Word,” students met online and in person to coordinate the development of presentations

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

85

Solutions that work!

Pierpont Community and Technical College can customize innovative solutions for your specific needs delivered onsite.

High Quality Professional Development for –

www.pierpont.edu/ce

• Management, leadership, customer service and supervisory skills • Information systems and software applications 86

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Contact us at (304) 367-4920 or e-mail ceinfo@pierpont.edu

for local community members. During the course of the year, seniors took on leadership positions, guiding the freshmen and sophomores through their project development. Presentations to community members like the chief of police and the mayor kept the students serious and accountable. Skype technology was used to disseminate the information and online peer reviews kept the student comments respectful and thoughtful.

Virtual Safety The IT departments of school systems are preparing as quickly as possible for the potential increase of mobile devices in the classroom.

Before the innovation of the smartphone and the tablet, the K-12 network administrators could focus their security efforts on the computer lab and one or two desktop computers in a classroom.

Now they will need to apply new policies across all the mobile devices that are on school property whether they are brought from home or supplied by the school. Defending the students against bullies, stalkers and predators and complying with strict Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) regulations will require constant up-to-date security measures, like blocking spyware and viruses and enabling forensic reporting to manage liability.

Administrators and teachers are ready to embrace these mobile devices that deliver 1-to-1 learning because they see the power it has in reaching all the different learning styles of their students. Educators believe that technology in mobile devices can deliver results that were not previously attainable with the desktop PC. By moving from textbooks to tablets, the students have all their written content at their fingertips and they gain powerful new tools for experiential learning. 

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE J.B. CHAMBERS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The finest performing arts venue of any West Virginia school system was unveiled on April 10th by Ohio County Schools on the campus of Wheeling Park High School.

The J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center Grand Opening, an event 16 years in the making, was attended by U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, U.S. Rep. David McKinley, West Virginia School Building Authority Executive Director Dr. Mark Manchin and many other Mountain State dignitaries. Elected officials, the Board of Education and school system officials joined the community in raising the curtain on a facility that will benefit the children of Ohio County for generations.

Interest in the $10 million, state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center was so great that an estimated 2,000 curious and excited guests attended the center’s March 12th open house. A second open house attracted hundreds of additional onlookers

to the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center. Ohio County Schools Superintendent Dr. Dianna Vargo believes the grand opening of the Performing Arts Center was the most anticipated moment in school system history.

“There was nothing like it,” Vargo says. “It was such an exciting moment to see something so many people have worked so hard for come to fruition with results that are absolutely stunning. We could not be more proud of the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center, and the students are just amazed that they are able to perform on such a massive stage and in such a magnificent facility.”

“Inspiring Dreams” Ohio County Schools

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Ohio County Schools The J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center is a state-of-the-art, 1,200-seat performance theater on the campus of Wheeling Park High School. It provides the staff and students of Ohio County Schools with a 21st-century venue for teaching and learning. It also serves as the cultural hub for expansion of the arts within the school system and is an extension of the classroom for art, music, theater, speech, television and radio students. The Performing Arts Center is available to elementary, middle and high school students and to groups in the community.

The venue features dress-circle seating, a mezzanine and two galleries. It also has a 30-by-50-foot set shop and multiple dressing rooms. There are nearly 100 miles of wiring in the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center. Almost 1,000 yards of concrete were poured in its construction. There are more than 350 computerized lighting circuits in the Performing Arts Center. The rigging for the stage and the curtain are operated by touch-screen computer. More than 100 local workers were involved in the construction of the facility.

The Performing Arts Center cost approximately $10 million. The project is being funded by a $5 million grant from the West Virginia School Building Authority and private donations.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

The Reviews Are In!!!

“Here in Wheeling...you’ve given the young people—the future of not only West Virginia, the future of this country—a chance to find themselves, and they will. And it will be because of your investment, because of your vision, because of your belief in the arts. This beautiful facility will truly bring this community together like never before.” - U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV “This is our town. And this is our facility. This is our school, but it’s all of our children and our future. So I can’t tell you how proud I am, to stand here knowing how it all began, when it was nothing but a dream.

And here it is, a reality. This is going to transform a lot of students’ lives.” - U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-WV

“‘Wow!’ ‘Amazing!’ ‘Awesome!’ ‘Oh my goodness!’

‘Fantastic!’ ‘Unbelievable!’ Those are just some of the words spouted during a walk-through at the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center at Wheeling Park High School.”

- Phyllis Sigal, the Wheeling News-Register “The J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center is vast and elegant...With 1,200 seats and two galleries, this $10 million project was built with the performers and audience in mind.”

- D.K. Wright, WTRF 7 News

“Discussions about the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center began about 16 years ago. No one could have ever imagined that what would result from those initial discussions would be something that is so amazing. I’m so proud to have been involved in that process. The J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center is something that will be a source of pride for Ohio County students and this community for years to come.”

- Former Ohio County Schools Superintendent George S. Krelis

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

An educational leader in the State of West Virginia, Ohio County Schools provides innovative learning opportunities for more than 5,000 students in pre-school through 12th grade. Utilizing highly qualified teachers, a rigorous curriculum and state-of-the-art technology, the school system serves children from Wheeling and the surrounding communities of Bethlehem, Triadelphia, Valley Grove and West Liberty.

In addition to its commitment to preparing students for success in a 21st century global environment, Ohio County Schools is dedicated to educating well-rounded young people by offering renowned fine and performing arts programs. That effort has reached new heights with the completion of the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center at Wheeling Park High School, Ohio County’s comprehensive 9th-12th grade institution.

In April 2008, the West Virginia School Building Authority awarded Ohio County Schools a $5 million matching grant toward the construction of the facility. Since that time, the J.B. Chambers Memorial Foundation has donated $1 million and other local organizations, businesses and individuals have invested in the project.

The J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center is the premier facility of its kind in the Wheeling area.

Professionally designed by McKinley and Associates as well as theatrical and acoustic consultants, the facility seats 1,200 people and is available for use by all public, private and parochial schools in the area. Colleges, universities and performing groups also will be invited to utilize the center.

The Ohio County Schools’ administration and board of education are grateful for the support of legislators, the Small Business Association, state board of education members and Wheeling-area foundations, organizations, businesses and individuals who have donated to the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center project. The facility, however, still has room for your support. To learn more, call the Ohio County Board of Education office at (304) 243-0300.

To receive a list of naming opportunities or to obtain the necessary form to purchase a seat, call Ohio County Schools Communications Coordinator Gabe Wells at (304) 243-0493.

Professional Development

BY JENNIFER JETT

THE WORLD is ever-changing, and,

as a result, the wants and needs of consumers—and businesses—continue to evolve. As the business community adjusts to a global market, employees must be active learners in order to be viable, valuable members of the work force.

Opportunities for professional growth in West Virginia are easy to find. Pierpont Community & Technical College, The EdVenture Group and SCORE provide classroom and online learning, from how to start your own business to leadership development and how to balance work and life.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

91

Pierpont Community & Technical College Many companies in North Central West Virginia excel through the creation of innovative technologies, and for all of these companies, the one priority that ensures their continued success is talent management—helping their employees perform at their very best. Pierpont Community & Technical College has helped close the gap between where a business needs to go and the talent it must have to get there through a variety of work force development solutions. Pierpont offers a robust assortment of customized solutions that enhances a company’s ability to attract, retain and develop exemplary employees.

Pierpont provides facilitated professional development opportunities that teach leaders how to get results through team member accountability. These courses provide team members with a set of proven interpersonal skills, instill within them an understanding of the leadership essentials for meeting today’s challenges and increase their awareness of their role as a transformational leader within the organization.

Today’s professionals often find it hard to attend developmental opportunities due to busy and conflicting schedules. That’s why Pierpont also offers a full line of online courses in a variety of industries, including hospitality, health care, information technology, energy and management. Pierpont’s e-Learning curriculum is provided through a partnership with the industry

BY BO SELLERS

leader in online learning for adults, providing the highest quality online continuing education courses at very affordable rates.

Pierpont also offers a complete line of Microsoft software training that is deliverable on-site or online as well as training for hardware and software tools. These training options will increase employee productivity and expertise, allow professionals to accomplish more in less time and train them to utilize the full, and often unknown, potential that business productivity software has to offer.

Pierpont is a successful partner for many businesses because it brings together a strategic mindset, a proven developmental process and engaging training environments required to systematically develop an organization’s talent. Pierpont combines a team of instructors with real-world experience, world-class curriculum and the tools and technology needed to ensure a successful and sustainable professional development plan.

Pierpont Community & Technical College also provides a competency-based leadership development system that addresses the challenges managers, team leaders and supervisors are facing. Pierpont works with businesses to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in their current talent pool; define how success will be measured; identify gaps in the knowledge, skills and abilities of the current employees and deliver a strategy aimed at closing the talent gaps.

The EdVenture Group Many aspects of life are evolving and changing, and the workplace is no exception. Today’s employees and professionals experience new programs, policies and tools on a daily basis and must constantly seek new skills to stay competitive in their field. In a joint report in 2010, the American Management Association and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills emphasized the growing need in the business community for employees that have critical thinking and problem-solving skills, communication skills, collaboration skills and creativity and innovation skills. These skills are essential in the global economy and ones that are becoming more and more of a priority to be competitive in today’s market.

The EdVenture Group (EdV) recognizes the need to provide 21st century growth opportunities through training for employees at all levels. EdV has addressed this need by developing training sessions that focus on and integrate critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity and innovation skills in a format that participants find engaging and interactive. Group discussions on current challenges and opportunities in the workplace allow participants to share ideas on real-world issues, and sessions are facilitated in a relaxed environment that allows and encourages time for focused thinking and reflection.

BY LYDOTTA TAYLOR

92

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Today’s leaders require traditional leadership skills as well as 21st century skills to successfully lead their organizations.

The ongoing development of current and aspiring leaders is vital to building the necessary leadership team for competitive companies in the future. EdV recognizes the importance and unique challenges of being a leader in the 21st century and offers customized leadership sessions on many topics, including transformational leadership, coaching, communication, leadership skills and styles and generational leadership.

A focus on personal development should also be considered as individuals seek new skills for themselves and organizations provide opportunities to advance the skills of their employees.

EdV’s individualized coaching sessions allow clients to discuss and develop goals for their career and other aspects of their lives. Group sessions provide participants the opportunity to discuss workplace issues, create or revise the mission and vision of the organization and plan growth opportunities for the company and individual employees. For instance, Life Balance is a workshop that helps the professional improve the work/life balance; Coaching for Professionals is a program to help professionals as they grow in their career and strategies for coaching others in the workplace and the Leadership Mini Series covers multiple leadership theory topics, current issues and challenges over a timeframe.

Where You Belong Unique High Adventure Program Only Central West Virginia Collegiate ROTC Program First Four-Year Bachelor of Arts Degree in Bluegrass Music Nationally Acclaimed Land Resources Degree Program Morris Criminal Justice Center Where West Virginia’s Division of Corrections, Division of Juvenile Services, and Regional Jail Authority Employees are Now Trained One of Five National Department of Homeland Security Computer Forensics Internship Programs Through the Open Source Information Exchange

Degree Programs Include: Art History Bluegrass Education Chemistry Criminal Justice Forest Technology Go Pioneers

@gopioneers

English Biology Nursing Spanish Business Land Surveying and many more!

www.glenville.edu • (800) 924-2010

SCORE – West Virginia Small business owners and entrepreneurs often wonder where they can turn for help with their small business challenges. These management conundrums vary from deciding how to expand product lines and when to bring on new employees, to strategically thinking through the best way to take their business to the next level. West Virginia’s SCORE volunteers can help those who aren’t afraid to ask for advice navigate the waters of business management.

Nationally, SCORE is an extensive network of more than 13,000 retired and working volunteers of experienced entrepreneurs, corporate managers and executives. These volunteers provide free business counseling and advice as a public service to all types of businesses in all stages of development. Locally, SCORE has five offices located throughout the state in Charleston, Fairmont, Lewisburg, Buckhannon and Huntington.

“SCORE basically matches volunteer business management counselors with clients in need of expert advice,” says David Cross, SCORE’s district director in West Virginia and a 48year veteran of the wholesale drug industry. “We have experts in virtually every area of business management and maintain both a national and a state skills roster to help identify the best counselor for a particular client.”

Volunteer counselors share their management and technical expertise with present and prospective small business owners.

BY KIMBERLY DONAHUE

“The key qualification SCORE counselors bring to clients is real-world experience,” says George Daniels of the Charleston chapter. “SCORE business counselors have both general management and specific industry experience that can benefit any business.” Daniels, a chemical engineer by trade, has more than 50 years of management and research and development experience, including five years as the technology coordinator between Union Carbide and British Petroleum.

Why would someone agree to offer their time up for a stranger?

“My reward is knowing I still have good ideas—to know I can take my years of business experience and translate that into value for a new generation of business owners,” says Billie Nichols, who spent 37 years in the glass industry and now serves as a volunteer with the Upper Monongahela Chapter in Fairmont.

“Sometimes a business owner just needs an unbiased person with real-world business experience with whom to lay out the issues. Then we work together to develop strategies to address their goals.”

In addition to their extensive individual resumes, all new SCORE counselors receive specialized training in counseling and mentoring. Any small business can obtain confidential and personal help from SCORE, which is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

AN EDUCATED WORKFORCE.

A STRONGER ECONOMY. It’s a simple fact — West Virginia needs more college graduates.

Economic projections indicate that by 2018 more than 49 percent of jobs in this state will require education or training beyond high school. But only 26 percent of West Virginians have completed an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

To grow our economy, we must work together to ensure that all West Virginians have the opportunity to get the education and training they need to be successful, productive citizens.

That’s why West Virginia’s colleges and universities are offering programs to help adults return to school to earn a degree while balancing life and work responsibilities.

To learn more, visit the state’s free college- and career-planning website at www.cfwv.com.

College Foundation of West Virginia Pictured: Amy from Fairmont, WV

94

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Strong Catholic Identity High Academic Achievement Financial Stability

Catholic Schools of the

Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston www.WVCatholicSchools.org

1-888-434-6237

Our Catholic schools are developing students who live Gospel values combined with high academic achievement for success in the 21st Century.

Our graduates were offered $21,400,000 in scholarships this year alone and will attend 65 of the finest colleges and universities in America.

Family

Strong Catholic Identity Shared Values

C

C

Faith

unity mm o

f o

unity mm o

f o

unity mm o

f o

C

Our communities come together to make this happen.

Schools

Common Curriculum High Expectations iPad Technology Integration

21st Century Students

Teaching the Millennial Generation

BY DENISE GETSON

THE WORLD is increasingly being shaped by

the millennial generation—the connected, communicating, content-centric generation that has never known any reality other than that defined and enabled by the Internet, mobile devices and social networking. By 2020, this group will make up 40 percent of the population in the U.S., and they will constitute the single largest demographic worldwide. Through them, the pace of innovation will accelerate, creating an ever more digital world that touches every aspect of our daily lives. Needless to say, this generation is having a profound impact on education.

Digitizing Education According to a recent study, when students are confronted with a research problem, more than 93 percent search for the solution online rather than in a textbook or at the library. Despite the best efforts by faculty members to discourage its use, Wikipedia—an open source reference site with questionable credibility—is often the first site checked. Students aren’t the only ones relying on the Internet for their homework, either. An increasing number of faculty members use social media in the courses they’re teaching and eight out of 10 report using online videos for class instruction.

It’s not surprising to discover that this generation and the digital technology it relies on is changing education in both the ways

96

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

through which students are taught and the methods by which they learn. An article published in the July/August 2008 issue of The Atlantic titled “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” reported dramatic evidence that the explosion in digital technology usage is not only changing our daily lives and how we communicate, but it’s actually altering how the human brain is wired, strengthening new neural pathways in the brain and weakening old ones.

For instance, some have noticed that it is a challenge to read long blocks of uninterrupted text. Thanks to technology, human beings are becoming scanners of information, and this is nowhere more evident than in the classroom.

“We find that students avoid reading long texts, but they love to have different types of information at their fingertips,” says Elaine Soper, Ph.D., the associate dean of Assessment and Educational Development at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM). “One thing we try to impart to the students is the importance of determining the credibility of the sources they use.

The first page of search results may deliver what’s most popular but not necessarily what’s most authoritative.”

It’s a hard lesson for this generation to absorb. They like their answers delivered quickly so they can immediately jump to the next thing that interests them. “The millennials are active learners,” Soper says. “To keep them engaged, WVSOM has responded with high-tech teaching aids, patient presentations

that represent real-world teaching opportunities, new curriculum modules that include team-based learning, video demonstrations of clinical techniques and case studies and simulated scenarios.”

This new generation of students is different from any that have come before them. They are plugged in to multiple devices throughout the day, texting on mobile phones, instant messaging via the computer, listening to music through ever-present ear buds and constantly scanning their digital environment for what’s new and what’s relevant. This has led to a shorter attention span and a demand for instant gratification.

Academic Adaptations Educators are recognizing this and adapting to these new needs—some more quickly than others.

Mary Euler, PharmD, the associate dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Charleston’s (UC) School of Pharmacy, is one of the early adopters of new technology to engage students.

“I’ve been teaching for 25 years and there’s one thing I’ve learned,” Euler says. “You have to meet students where they are.

At the School of Pharmacy, we issue laptops to all our students.

We can’t control what they’re looking at in the classroom, of course, but our goal is to keep them engaged through the course material, and the computer is part of that interactivity. It’s not just for notetaking.”

Like many universities, the UC School of Pharmacy videotapes and audiotapes every lecture so students can use them as a resource.

“All our educational material and drug information is online and available for students to access and search via their computers and mobile phones,” Euler says. “Textbooks are becoming obsolete as students rely more heavily on electronic resources that pertain directly to their coursework and requirements.”

It’s not just coursework that’s increasingly shared via digital methods. “Right now, 80-85 percent of all exams are taken online with an exam software application. The application stores questions, analyzes data and provides immediate feedback. The students and the faculty who have tried it love it,” Euler says.

William “Chip” Zimmer, Ph.D., the coordinator for Shepherd University’s MBA program, says he’s noticed another characteristic of millennials. “I find, overall, the interpersonal skills—the speaking and writing skills—to be weaker in this generation,” Zimmer says. “They spend so much time plugged into their

Defining a Generation Who exactly are these millennials who are driving these changes?

They are the last generation born in the 20th century, typically considered to have been born between 1982 and 2000.

Social commentators have ascribed a number of unique characteristics to this generation, including: • A tendency to form active and engaged communities • A gravitation toward social media sites where they can find like-minded individuals with whom to explore diverse topics and ideas • A desire to be in control of their lives and an ease with complexity

machines and texting with abbreviated communication, some of the subtleties of face-to-face interaction have gotten lost along with the ability to speak and write effectively.”

Business success is often connected to an individual’s ability to form trusted, personal relationships, and Zimmer emphasizes the opportunity for students to build close connections with faculty members in Shepherd’s business program. “I find many entering students crave those close bonds that go beyond the limitations of an electronic relationship,” he says. “We want students to understand how to execute technology to achieve success, but we also value those strong interpersonal connections.”

Online Opportunities When it comes to the issue of new communication channels and the role of social media in the classroom, opinions are mixed.

“Students love to communicate through their technology,” Euler says, referencing the engagement of students on social networking sites. “Sometimes, it’s the most comfortable channel for them to participate in conversations.”

Zimmer doesn’t disagree, but he wonders where the line is drawn between a professional relationship and a personal one.

“There is no doubt that social networking sites are a viable and formidable communication tool,” he says. “It can be the most effective way to reach a student, but many faculty members are also cautious about committing fully to a presence on Facebook or other sites. They’re more likely to maintain boundaries between separate aspects of their lives, although increasingly we do see faculty and students forming relationships through LinkedIn, a site created to foster networking among business professionals.”

While the adoption of social media has grown well beyond the generation that created it, other educational challenges require entirely new solutions.

WVSOM is responding to these demands by launching a revitalized medical curriculum for the Class of 2016 students who arrived on campus in June. “Everything is about relevance to what future physicians will actually experience in their practices,” Soper says. “Integrating information with experience is paramount. Take a simple thing like a cough. What other symptoms commonly accompany a cough? What’s the anatomy of the cough? What’s the histology of the cough? What are the different types of diagnosis, treatment, pharmacology? What exams or tests might be indicated? What do the electronic health records of a patient tell us about his or her medical history and family history? All aspects of learning are now integrated for greater relevance. New teaching models reflect that.”

Shepherd University’s MBA program has responded to the new realities of educating future business leaders by adopting a 50/50 hybrid approach. “Instruction is divided equally between seated classroom time and activities that can be performed online,” Zimmer says.

Euler acknowledges pushing faculty members toward more electronic platforms and encouraging students to accept a greater measure of responsibility for their own learning. “Recently, I taught a paperless class,” Euler says. “My teaching exercises and the students’ responses were all uploaded into a learning management system. I graded everything online.”

Historically, educators worked hard to stay a step ahead of their students. With the millennial generation, many are simply struggling to keep up. 

• A need to work in more creative environments, unconstrained by rigid social conventions WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

97

Jeffrey L. McIntyre, President West Virginia American Water

We couldn’t be prouder Each day, West Virginia American Water treats and pumps 50 million gallons of water through 3,500 miles of water main across the state. That’s more than 200,000 tons of water being moved as far as 70 miles through mountainous terrain before it reaches your home or business — all of this at a price of about a penny per gallon. As you can imagine, this process requires an immense amount of power. When that power source is disrupted, it takes an incredible team to keep the water flowing — a monumental effort to say the least.

This is why I am so proud of West Virginia American Water’s employees for placing our customers first and working around the clock for days following the severe storms earlier this summer that left our state in crisis. Thanks to their dedication, expertise and tireless hours, these men and women were able to maintain uninterrupted water service to more than 90 percent of our 171,000 customers throughout the entire event — an outstanding achievement they can certainly be proud of.

I would also like to recognize the families of our employees, who spent days, nights and holidays apart from their loved ones.

Your support has made a difference in the lives of thousands in your community, and we can’t thank you enough.

Finally, thanks to you — our customers — for your patience and cooperation during this event, and to the thousands of utility workers, emergency responders and volunteers working as diligently as our own employees to get through this challenging time.

Bottom line: The real power lies in our team.

For that, I am truly grateful. We couldn’t be prouder.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey L. McIntyre, President West Virginia American Water

www.westvirginiaamwater.com

Visit www.westvirginiaamwater.com to learn more about West Virginia American Water. Customers can also check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/wvamwater and Twitter at twitter.com/wvamwater.

Around

the State Advancements in Education

COMPILED BY JENNIFER JETT

Marshall University Professors Bring Forensic Science to Youth Science Camp Marshall University faculty brought forensic science to high school student scientists from across the state who were attending the West Virginia Youth Science Camp in late July at the Cedar Lakes Conference Center near Ripley.

Dr. Terry Fenger, director of the Marshall University Forensic Science Center, and John Sammons, an assistant professor in Marshall’s Integrated Science and Technology Department, were invited to address the students as visiting scientists at the second annual West Virginia Youth Science Camp.

Fenger’s interactive presentation involved placing the students in the role of Sherlock Holmes to assess whether evidence found at a crime scene was from the victim, a possible perpetrator of the crime or someone not related to the crime scene. “It was a pleasure interacting with such inquiring, bright young individuals,” he says.

Sammons spoke to the students about digital forensics and their impact on the world.

Students in attendance at the 2012 West Virginia Youth Science Camp.

Because Tomorrow Starts Today Unleash your child’s potential for a lifetime of learning and success with a Mountaineer Montessori School education. With a 36 year record of exceptional results for children 3-12 years, MMS offers:

• Rich academic curriculum approved by Kanawha County Schools • Collaboration with University of Charleston Education Department • On-site reading specialist; music, Spanish, art and computer classes • Physical education classes at University of Charleston pool and gymnasium • After-school and summer camp programs • American Montessori Society member school • New financial aid program

Help your child create her future today by contacting us at (304) 342-7870 or info@ mountaineermontessori.org.

308 20th Street • Charleston, West Virginia 25304 www.mountaineermontessori.org 100

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

“I explained that crime today is being facilitated more and more with technology,” Sammons says. “It’s not just identity theft and child pornography. Traditional crimes such as robbery, burglary and murder also generate digital evidence.”

Sammons says he also went over other uses of digital forensics such as civil litigation, the military, intelligence and administrative investigations.

The West Virginia Youth Science Camp is made possible through a partnership between the National Youth Science Foundation and the West Virginia Department of Education.

The two-week program offers lectures, outdoor activities and hands-on studies directed by visiting scientists and educators.

West Virginia University Develops Hospitality and Tourism Social Media Course @students trying 2 figure out social media in hospitality industry? Valued skills learned. Contact @wvucobe #hospitalitymanagement #WVU That 135-character Twitter message may actually be music to the ears of students looking to break into management in the hospitality and tourism industry.

With social media—Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Foursquare—playing a major role in business every day, it only stands to reason that students involved in management of the hospitality and tourism industry should be well versed in those tools. As a result, West Virginia University’s (WVU) Dr. Ajay Aluri has developed an inventive course aimed at utilizing social media platforms in the hospitality and tourism industry, the state’s second largest industry.

According to a 2010 study, tourism is a $4.2 billion industry in West Virginia, accounting for 44,400 jobs, $531 million in travel-generated state tax revenue and $51 million in travel-generated local tax revenue. According to the U.S. Travel Association, total U.S. travel expenditures for 2012 are forecast to be $839.3 billion.

“Social media has evolved into a must-have communications vehicle for the hospitality and tourism industry,” says Aluri, an assistant professor in the Department of Management in the WVU College of Business and Economics. “It influences plans for travel and special events by individuals, and it influences the messages and news that is distributed by the travel and tourism industry. And that ranges from airlines to festivals and hotels to special events.”

Aluri says a major component of social media in the hospitality and tourism industry is the encouragement of customer engagement. He cites the hotel industry, where among the top 98 hotel brands in 2011, 94 percent used at least one kind of social media channel on their Web sites. He also notes that many hospitality organizations are creating full-time positions to manage multiple social media channels.

“The fact is that social media is changing the way these customers make their purchase decisions,” says Aluri.

“More people are using social media to make travel plans and purchases, and that underscores the growing need to explore social media’s influence on travelers using online Web sites.”

West Virginia Division of Tourism Commissioner Betty Carver says the demand for information via social media vehicles has virtually exploded in the industry.

“This new course offering is a reflection of the forward thinking of the WVU College of Business and Economics and increases the hospitality and tourism industry’s ability to capture and engage the travelling public,” says Carver. “The hospitality industry is driven by the strength of its ability to communicate its message, and social media is an integral part of that effort at all levels of outreach.”

Best Named President of Statewide Science Organization Dr. Jason Best, professor of astronomy and astrophysics and director of the Shepherd University Observatory, has

been named president of the West Virginia Academy of Science (WVAS) for a twoyear term that began July 1st.

“I am humbled to have the opportunity to be able to work with so many people at numerous institutions who not only understand the value of science in their own lives, but are passionate about communicating that importance to broader audiences across West Virginia,” says Best.

The WVAS, which was founded in 1924 for the purposes of the advancement of scientific knowledge and the promotion

James Best

s ' t a h W @ @ W ne

A new addition to the Weirton campus houses classrooms and labs for Mechatronics and the Health Sciences while construction is under way for two new buildings on the Wheeling campus. New Martinsville campus has led the way for high demand gas and oil industry job training.

Coming soon to Wheeling

Mechatronics at Weirton

WHEELING

WEIRTON

304-233-5900 304-723-2210

NEW MARTINSVILLE

304-455-4684

www.wvncc.edu WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

101

of scientific work in West Virginia, oversees numerous activities at both the higher education and K-12 levels. Most recently, the WVAS held its first joint meeting with the West Virginia Science Technology and Research (STaR) Symposium in late April with featured keynote speakers Senator Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Dr. Subra Suresh, director of the National Science Foundation, and Dr. Paul Hill, chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.

OVU Students Selected for Career Mastery Pilot Course Ohio Valley University (OVU) officials recently announced that 15 select freshmen were chosen to participate in a collaborative pilot course developed between OVU and The Washington Center (TWC). The pilot course, entitled “Career Mastery,” is the first time that a venture like this has been created between the prestigious TWC and a university.

The Washington Center, an independent, nonprofit organization that serves hundreds of colleges and universities internationally, provides challenging opportunities to work and learn in the Washington, D.C.-metropolitan area for academic credit.

OVU Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Jim Bullock has served as the liaison between OVU and TWC since 2007 and as a faculty leader for several TWC academic seminars since 2005. Through his ongoing partnership with TWC he has worked to connect more than a dozen OVU students with internship placements at federal and private agencies since 2008.

The career mastery course is a significant accomplishment and one with which he is very pleased OVU is involved.

102

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

“It has been a long journey…presenting the course idea to TWC, working with course designers on the objectives and materials and, ultimately, selecting our students for this incredible experience,” says Bullock. “At the heart of OVU’s strategic initiatives, one of which is career cultivation, is the desire and goal to identify students early on and help them determine their life course and career choices. The career mastery pilot course adds an important first step in career development that can be enhanced further by other TWC offerings farther along in the students’ academic careers. The Washington Center has provided academic internships to more than 50,000 students over the years. These internships carry the promise of helping already academically gifted and prepared students to take the next step in learning how to apply the skills they’ve learned in the classroom to real jobs in high profile positions in the nation’s capitol and elsewhere.”

The 15 OVU students who attended the career mastery pilot course in Washington, D.C.

The primary objective of the career mastery course is to provide students with real-life experiences, instruction and mentors so that they may develop a set of skills, lifelong knowledge and other attributes that will enable them to form a personal model of how to approach the world of work.

The course took place in August 2012 with orientation and virtual meetings occurring months prior. During the course students spent half of their time on OVU’s campus and the other half in Washington, D.C., at TWC. The capstone activity was a four-hour shadowing engagement.

The Linsly School Recognized as Malone Family Foundation Partner The Linsly School in Wheeling, WV, now proudly ranks among 50 other independent schools across the United States to have been awarded the prestigious Malone Scholars Grant, a $2 million endowment designed to support the school’s scholarship program.

“Our distinction as a Malone Foundation partner school leaves us humbled and proud,” says Linsly Headmaster Chad Barnett. “The elite group of Malone Foundation partner schools have a history of offering conditions where bright students can flourish. While the schools on the list vary in mission and focus, they all offer highly individualized attention for all students, resulting in their best overall development.”

In the spring of 2012, The Malone Family Foundation selected The Linsly School as one of the top independent education institutions in the nation. Through the Malone Scholars Program, the foundation provides scholarship endowments to select

independent secondary schools throughout the United States that are selected through a rigorous research process. The addition of the 2012 schools brings the total number of Malone partners to 49 since the foundation’s inception.

“The Malone Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications,” Barnett explains. “We were thrilled by the initial news that we were among the nearly 35 schools invited to submit proposals for what would be the final cohort of Malone Partner Schools.” Shortly after submitting the qualifying information, Linsly officials learned that the school would advance to the semi-finalist round.

Linsly will begin selecting Malone Scholars this year.

West Virginia Department of Education to Provide Career Technical Training in High Demand Skills The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) recently provided career technical education teachers the opportunity to gain skills that will help them better prepare their students for work in the oil and gas industries.

Prompted by demands of the Marcellas Shale gas reserve, the WVDE offered training in downhill welding, a specific style of welding typically performed on thin, mild steel piping used in pipelines, in late July. Downhill welding provides faster welding but requires a technique different than the one more commonly used for boiler piping.

“The discovery of the Marcellus Shale natural gas formation has heightened the demand for skilled workers in the Appalachian region, including West Virginia,” says State Superintendent Jorea Marple. “The discovery offers the business, industry and education

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

103

Industrial/Specialty Gases Welding & Machining Products Machine Tools

Cylinder Gas Solutions We supply a wide array of gases, gas handling equipment, and technical solutions for a variety of industrial, healthcare, and scientific applications.

Analytical Instrumentation · · · ·

Calibration Gases Fuel Gases Carrier Gases High Purity Gases

Environmental Monitoring · EPA Protocols · Primary Master · Certified Master

Life Sciences & Biotechnology · Cryogenic Gases · Cryogenic Storage · Instrument Gases

Research & Healthcare

· Carrier Gases · Calibration Gases · Diagnostic Gases

Metal Fabrication · · · ·

Beckley, WV

Phone 304.252.7305 Fax 304.255.2145

Laser Gases Oxy/Fuel Cryogenic Liquids Shielding Gases

Nitro, WV

304.755.3265 Phone 304.755.4068 Fax

www. mabscottsupply.com

sectors the opportunity to form a strong partnership to develop curriculum that prepares students with the right technical skills necessary for high-skilled, high-wage jobs. This training is one way we can help teachers, and ultimately our students, make the most of the economic benefits Marcellus Shale brings to our state.”

Corky Demarco, executive director of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association, says, “It is a great career and technical education program when you can certify students in areas that give them access to meaningful careers in the oil and natural gas industry.”

Apex Pipeline Services donated $3,000 of pipe to be used for the teacher training. After passage of the certification test, instructors were qualified to certify their students in 6G SMAW and 6G GMAW downhill pipe welding.

“There is a definite need for well-trained, qualified, young workers in our industry and we are happy to help in the efforts to find an answer to that need,” says Kelly Moss, president and CEO of Apex Pipeline Services.

West Liberty Breaks Ground on Program’s New Home West Liberty University (WLU) celebrated the groundbreaking for its state-of-the art Campbell Hall of Health Sciences on July 2nd. The $23 million building is expected to be completed

by November 2013 and will house six programs of study: chemistry, dental hygiene, medical laboratory sciences, nursing, speech pathology/audiology and the newest WLU health science program, physician assistant studies.

The new hall is named in honor of Dr. Clyde Campbell, who graduated from WLU in 1953 and later served as president of the institution from 1984-1995. Campbell also taught at the university for many years as a professor of chemistry and was a patented research scientist in the field of biological chemistry and plastics.

“On July 2, 2007, we began a journey—a journey focused on transforming the institution from a good college to a great university,” says Robin Capehart, university president. “We began this journey knowing that we were only stewards of this institution and the heirs of a great tradition. We promised to take advantage of any opportunities that came before us; to pursue success, not just survival, and to strive for excellence, not just existence.

“Great universities prepare students to contribute to an evolving and contemporary society. Today classes began in our graduate program for physician assistants. Forbes magazine recently ranked the master’s degree in physician assistant studies as the best opportunity in the country in terms of getting a job following graduation.”

The inaugural class of physician assistants began their first day of studies just after the groundbreaking ceremony.

Hidden Promise Consortium Enables Education Communication One of the most innovative programs in higher education today is the Glenville State College Hidden Promise Consortium (HPC).

Created by GSC President Dr. Peter Barr, the Hidden Promise Consortium is an alliance between Glenville State College and several public school districts with the goal of improving communication between higher education and K-12 education officials. Members of the consortium also aim to improve the number and quality of

high school graduates, raise ACT scores, increase the number of students attending college and increase the number and quality of college graduates while aligning the K-12 and higher education curriculum so students are better prepared.

The HPC, which was formed in 2007 between Glenville State College and 13 West Virginia county school systems, has now grown to include 31 school districts in West Virginia, Ohio and Connecticut. Efforts are being made to expand the program throughout the Mountain State.

“We have been extremely pleased with the eagerness of the support and the commitment of the superintendents to the Hidden Promise Consortium,” says Barr. “Our partnership is achieving positive results in recognizing and better preparing students to succeed in college.”

Hidden Promise Scholars are students in the eighth through 12th grade. Selected by county superintendents and principals, these students interact with Glenville State College students and faculty and explore the vistas that a college education opens.

Hidden Promise Scholars are mentored by college students at their home schools and participate in an array of campus visits.

Upon high school graduation, Hidden Promise Scholars who enroll at Glenville State College receive annual scholarships.

The grant is renewable throughout their enrollment at GSC as full-time students maintaining standard academic progress.

Barr is hopeful that the expansion of the program will continue. “We have made a concentrated effort to meet with all 55 West Virginia county school superintendents. I am certain that many more districts will be joining the consortium in the near future.”

Goodwill’s Community College Career Collaboration Opens Doors June 2012 saw the national rate of unemployment plummet to 8.2 percent, making even well-qualified employees hard-pressed to gain employment. Locally, West Virginia’s rate of unemployment has reached 7 percent and workers with only a high school education find it difficult to compete for the limited employment opportunities available.

The nation’s affordable short-term credentialing and degree producing entities—local community college systems—face significant challenges in responding to these numbers. These

include limited classroom space; lack of other training facilities; insufficient numbers of qualified, accredited faculty and inadequate personal supports for nontraditional students with special needs or barriers to credential completion.

Goodwill believes education and work open doors to economic opportunity and building strong families and healthy communities. That’s why three years ago Goodwill Industries International launched the Community College/Career Collaboration (C4) initiative with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Aspen Institute, Jobs for the Future and three pilot local community college/Goodwill partnerships.

Through the C4 initiative, Goodwill locations establish, foster and strengthen relationships with community college systems, ultimately strengthening families and supporting local economic development. Locally, Goodwill has established a relationship with Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College and is working to advance C4 initiatives to create educational and employment opportunities for people with barriers in West Virginia communities.

Dr. Joseph Roidt

Davis & Elkins Names Vice President Davis & Elkins College (D&E) President G.T. “Buck” Smith recently announced the appointment of Dr. Joseph Roidt as vice president for Academic Affairs, effective immediately. Roidt has served on the D&E faculty since 2001 and as associate provost for the past three years.

Roidt’s appointment came on the recommendation of Chancellor Michael

Educate Yourself About Real Estate Brokerage | Appraisals | Consultations | Litigation | Auctions Jay Goldman, Broker 1014 Bridge Road Charleston, WV 25314 (304) 343-5695

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

105

Mihalyo following review by the Faculty Appointments, Promotions and Tenure Committee and the Academic Department chairpersons.

In making the recommendation, Mihalyo says, “Joe Roidt comes to this new position with an intimate knowledge of D&E’s academic program as well as keen awareness of the trends and challenges in higher education. He was identified last summer by the Council of Independent Colleges as a rising academic leader on the national scene when he was named as fellow in their year-long Senior Leadership Academy. We are delighted D&E can continue to benefit from his leadership capacities.”

In his new position, Roidt will be responsible for working directly with academic departments, academic support departments and centers and institutional research, as well as the Faculty Assembly and its committees.

New River and Bluefield State Collaborate to Provide Baccalaureate Degree in Elementary Education Bluefield State College (BSC) and New River Community and Technical College signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year for an Elementary Education Collaborative Program. The agreement will provide New River students a seamless transfer into Bluefield State’s School of Education and will allow them to complete their coursework for the bachelor’s degree close to home.

“Bluefield State College and New River have a long history of cooperation in the interest of our students,” says Dr. Ted Spring, president of New River. “This agreement underscores our continuing efforts to remove barriers for students seeking a high quality, low cost education in our region. New River

106

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

graduates can transfer anywhere. This opportunity allows them to stay right here in southeastern West Virginia to continue their education.”

Beginning with the fall semester of 2012, BSC will deliver one to four courses per semester, as needed, to students in the collaborative program on weekends, weekdays or evenings via traditional onsite courses and/or distance learning technologies.

New River will provide appropriate classrooms for delivery of these courses, if needed. Bluefield State will deliver the program at New River’s Greenbrier Valley Campus in Lewisburg and at the Public Higher Education Center in Beaver.

“Because West Virginia now has an active community college system, it is incumbent upon baccalaureate colleges to make reciprocity agreements with local community colleges and to expand their outreach,” says Dr. Tom Blevins, the president of Bluefield State. “We believe that this agreement with New River Community and Technical College is the beginning of an excellent relationship. We hope to move forward with other program articulations in the near future.”

West Virginia Northern Community College Goes Tobacco-Free By action of its Board of Governors, West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC) has been designated a tobacco-free campus and has become the first two-year institution of higher learning in the state and the first college in the region to do so.

College officials have explained that this means that all use of tobacco is prohibited on all college owned, leased or operated property, buildings and vehicles.

Dr. Martin Olshinsky, WVNCC’s president, says the rule pertains to the Wheeling, Weirton and New Martinsville campuses.

“The process used to arrive at the rule was a lengthy one.

College staff and students were surveyed and the board was given detailed research about the issue.”

Although the board approved the tobacco-free campus rule on April 26th, the rule will not go into effect until November 15th, the date of the Great American Smoke Out. The rule will be phased in during the next few months and the college will provide educational and informational sessions to employees and students.

Skinner Recognized

by Independent College Advancement Associates West Virginia Wesleyan College Vice President of Advancement Bob Skinner has been recognized by the Independent College Advancement Associates Bob Skinner (ICAA) for his significant contributions and success of his fundraising efforts and campaigns.

Skinner received the ICAA’s 2012 Newcomer Award, which is given to a person who has been in their role for three years or less. He became Wesleyan’s vice president of Advancement on July 1, 2011.

A resident of Buckhannon, he began his career at Wesleyan the year he graduated. Before assuming his role as the vice president of Advancement, he served the college as the director of Admissions from 1991-2005 and director of Marketing and Communications from 2005-2010.

In 2003, Skinner was the inaugural winner of the West Virginia Admission Counselor of the Year, presented by the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling. In addition to his role at Wesleyan, he is a current member and the immediate past president of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Board, a member of Rotary and an adult Sunday school teacher at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church.

Concord University Honors Korean War Veterans Concord University observed Korean War Veteran Recognition Day on July 27th with an outdoor ceremony on the Athens campus.

The program was held at the veteran memorial site located at the flagpoles in front of Marsh Hall, the administration building.

Legislation passed by West Virginia lawmakers during the 2012 session declared July 27th as a special memorial day to honor West Virginians who are military veterans of the Korean War. A wreath presentation ceremony highlighted the program. The event was sponsored by Concord University’s Veterans Committee.

A leader in offering a veteran-friendly campus, Concord University has been ranked the nation’s top four-year college for veterans by Military Times EDGE magazine. The “Best for Vets: Colleges 2011” list is based on criteria that include academic accreditation, central veterans’ offices and staff who are knowledgeable on veteran issues. 

My Dream :

A place for my garden

What’s your dream?

No matter why you want your own home, no matter where in West Virginia you want it, the West Virginia Housing Development Fund can help.

First time home buyers can find: · Low rates · Up to 100 percent financing · Down payment and closing cost funds available to qualified borrowers Ask your lender, realtor or builder today!

Make your dream come true

800.933.8511 • www.wvhdf.com NMLS#198038

West Virginia’s Land.

West Virginia’s People.

West Virginia’s Workforce: Trained. Invested. Available.

Everyone knows we builds roads, schools and power plants, but did you know we also build pipelines, processing facilities and compressor stations for the natural gas industry?

Our workers have the knowledge, skills and experience it takes to do the job— and do it best!

Given the chance, we excel.

West Virginia State Building & Construction Trades 600 Leon Sullivan Way Charleston, WV 25301

304-346-1367 www.wvsbt.org

Speed Networking A Fast Foundation for Relationship Building

BY MARTA TANKERSLEY

WE’VE ALL HEARD that

sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know that makes all the difference. That’s never been more accurate than in this mass communications/new media world where personal interaction is both instantaneous and almost nonexistent at the same time.

Enter speed networking: the modern way to jump-start business relationships and expand one’s sphere of opportunity.

“Formal networking events will be increasingly important as an avenue to build meaningful human connections in a digital age,” says Charleston Area Alliance Vice President JoEllen Zacks, who has been hosting events since 2008.

Speed networking is utilized for many types of professional organizations, including trade associations, alumni associations and chambers of commerce.

There’s not much time to get your point across at a speed networking event—and that’s exactly the point. This new way to meet and greet, business to business, skips much of the fuss and goes straight to the

heart of who you are and what you have to offer. It’s a simple, effective tool for broadening business connections, increasing exposure and building relationships, and it’s catching on in the Mountain State.

Tips for Effective Speed Networking 1. Prepare. Your message is important.

2. Relax. The format takes the pressure off of you.

3. Listen and Learn. You never know who you will meet.

4. Avoid Controversy. This is not the place for politics and religion.

5. Be Yourself. Nobody likes a phony.

6. Exchange Business Cards. Keep track of who you meet.

7. Send Thank You Notes. This helps people remember you favorably.

Although there are three basic structures for speed networking events, the most common, the round robin, seems to be a local favorite. Participants are seated opposite one another at an oblong table and exchange information about their professional backgrounds and business goals. After a few minutes a buzzer sounds, and participants on one side of the table remain seated while those on the other side move down one seat to exchange information with the next person. This format continues until everyone at the table has had a chance to meet, and then participants switch tables and begin again. In an hour’s time, dozens of contacts can be made.

Participants at the Charleston Area Alliance’s 2011 Speed Networking with the Stars.

“With speed networking, people are guaranteed to make contacts,” says Katie Ickes, executive director of the Greater Greenbrier Chamber of Commerce, who sponsors quarterly events at an area restaurant.

An initial contact, however, isn’t all there is to creating a profitable business network, although it’s certainly a great place to start. It’s important to remember that business relationships take time to build and speed networking just lays a foundation.

To make sure that foundation is solid, Ickes recommends that participants prepare for the event ahead of time by developing a list of talking points that finely tunes the marketing message they want to send. This includes information on what sets their business apart from the rest, business news, upcoming events, new products and services being offered. It’s also important not to monopolize time during an event. To prevent this from happening, Ickes sounds a buzzer halfway through the allotted time so each business person has an equal opportunity to speak.

Organizers use discretion in determining the goals of speed networking events they sponsor. For instance, the Charleston Area Alliance’s annual Speed Networking with the Stars pairs 100 leaders with 100 registrants and limits participation to ensure quality connections for the sellout crowd. “Rather than just meeting peers, attendees at this event connect with West Virginia’s most influential leaders from the spheres of government, business, the arts and nonprofits,” says Zacks.

While Ickes plans these events for the local chamber because she sees them as an effective way to cut out the chitchat and get down to business, events organized by Generation Charleston are geared more toward the area’s young professionals. “Our events are open to the public because our goal is to provide a service for young professionals,” says Rob Rosano, a member of Generation Charleston’s executive board. Sponsors like Brickstreet Insurance make it possible for the events to be free of charge, making it that much more accessible to the targeted young professionals.

Speed networking relieves participants of the stress sometimes associated with the typical after-hours meet and greet sessions we are so familiar with, making participants generally more relaxed and better equipped to make a good first impression.

Breaking into ongoing conversations may not present a problem to the extroverts among us, but it can be very awkward for

The structure of speed networking events promotes virtually effortless social interaction between people who may have never met or have little in common.

Erica Mani, the deputy chief of staff for Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, attends a speed networking event.

Educational facility professionals depend on HSC’s products and services in communications and energy management to enhance the services they provide to the institutions they serve. The type of communications equipment and systems typically depends on the size and scope of the facility.

However, HSC has particular expertise in selecting communication products based on security, functionality, and client needs. In addition, HSC offers a myriad of support services including: equipment repairs, troubleshooting, programming and licensing.

Below are a few radios that facility maintenance employees depend on.

KENWOOD TK: 7360/ 8360 The TK-7360 and TK-8360 are high power mobiles with enhanced design specifications to meet a wide variety of industrial and public sector applications. The 360 Series mobiles have a new user-friendly front console with a bright backlit 10-character display to provide a clear message presentation, caller identification, GPS location, and radio channel information day or night.

KENWOOD TK: 2312/ 3312 The 312 series includes industry standard encode/ decode signaling formats for talk groups, system access, and selective calling/ paging. Multi-channel call monitoring can be customized per user with single/ multi-zone scan. The 312 Series meets or exceeds the IP54/ 55 dust and water intrusion standards.

those who are more shy. This obstacle is all but eliminated at speed networking events where, according to Rosano, “Some of the pressure is taken off because you don’t have to just walk up to somebody blindly.

“In Charleston, there’s just two degrees of separation.

Everybody knows everybody and people tend to group up with people they already know, so it’s hard for a new person to break in.” The structure of speed networking events promotes virtually effortless social interaction between people who may have never met or have little in common.

The effectiveness of speed networking is undeniable. Ickes reports that participants often initiate loans, secure insurance policies and contract advertising. “It’s like a mini trade show,” she says.

“We often hear from attendees who report getting new business orders immediately at the event,” Zacks says of the success of her events.

Rosano points out that through speed networking events young professionals develop personal and professional associations that help them achieve their business goals. “It doesn’t matter if you are coming for personal networking or professional networking. I’ve seen people find new jobs and make new friends at these events.”  Photography by Greg Henshall

KENWOOD NEXEDGE NX: 200/ 300 The NEXEDGE™ 200 and 300 VHF/ UHF series radios function in mixed analog conventional and digital modes to provide advanced communications solutions which meet both public sector and private enterprise standards.

These radios offer conventional and trunking technology with digital narrowband capabilities for current and future compliancy.

Some of our satisfied clients include: Galia County Schools Kanawha County Schools McDowell County Schools Wyoming County Schools

In addition to radios and communication support services, HSC provides bi-directional amplification products and systems for cellular and two-way communications, mining communication systems, satellite communications, and interoperability systems. Contact HSC’s Manager of Communications, Steven Dinkler (stevend@hscindustrial.com or 304.573.1099) for additional details or to learn more about HSC’s product sales and support services.

Beckley, WV: 304.252.1918 Hurricane, WV: 304.757.8643 www.hscindustrial.com

Opportunity Awaits In Long-Term Care Workforce West Virginia has estimated that between 2008 and 2018 employment in nursing and resident care facilities will grow by 16 percent.

BY DEBRA ANDERSON

BY 2025, 15 million Americans will

need some form of long-term care and thousands of West Virginians will be among that group. Demographic and social factors such as the state’s older population and unhealthy lifestyles will create a huge demand for long-term care services in the future.

Workforce West Virginia has estimated that between 2008 and 2018 employment in nursing and resident care facilities will grow by 16 percent. A career in longterm care is a great option for high school students searching for a job in a growing yet stable field.

Recognizing the future need for health care workers, the West Virginia Health Care Association (WVHCA) and the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) have partnered to introduce high school students to employment opportunities in long-term care and to evaluate the current and future educational needs of the long-term care profession.

“The department has been an impressive partner,” says Patrick Kelly, chief executive officer of the West Virginia Health Care Association. “The manner in which they have aggressively stepped up to address the needs of our profession has been outstanding.”

The Long Term Care Task Force, comprised of members from the two groups, is offering suggestions for new certification programs that will be beneficial to employees in long-term care facilities. Two areas being explored are certifications for restorative aides and dietary aides. Additionally, such certifications encourage employees to further their education and interest in health care. “Providing frontline caregivers the opportunity to obtain additional certifications is good for resident care and great for employee morale,” says Bill Kuhn, assistant administrator at Braxton Health Care and Rehabilitation Center and a retired West Virginia school teacher who serves on the task force.

The task force is also creating a career ladder to illustrate opportunities for advancement in long-term care. “Students need to be aware that becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA) is a great entry point into the health care field,” says Kuhn.

“It’s amazing how many people start off ExEdge as CNAs and eventually become nurses, The number of social workers and administrators.” The individuals using career ladder will show students that paid long-term many options for advancement exist in care services will likely double long-term care facilities. from 13 million Students are often bombarded with a in 2000 to 27 multitude of messages. To cut through million people the clutter, WVHCA decided to reach in 2050. out to them in a medium in which they Source: are comfortable—YouTube. A video http://www. is being developed that explains the caregiver.org/ caregiver/jsp/ role of a CNA and the possibilities that content_node. exist for future advancement. The video jsp?nodeid=440 captures CNAs and nurses throughout West Virginia sharing why they work in the long-term care profession. The WVDE will share the video with high school guidance counselors and other groups in the education field who work with students looking for career options and employment. The video will also be posted on the WVHCA YouTube channel.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

113

This isn’t the first time the department of education has worked with associations to develop a concentration to help fill the work force needs of an industry. With the explosive growth associated with the development of Marcellus Shale in West Virginia, WVDE has also partnered with the West Virginia Oil and Gas Association. The program developed will help fill positions for welders, CDL-certified operators and electricians. The

114

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

department has also worked with the manufacturing sector and the coal industry to develop education pathways for its workers.

Cyndy Sundstrom, a registered nurse and coordinator of Health Science Education with WVDE, says, “We are also working with the West Virginia Partnership for Elder Living and the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services to develop an online registry and curriculum that would result in a direct care worker certification program.

The registry would be a resource for family members to locate trained workers who could care for an elderly person at home.”

Long-term care providers are learning about WVDE’s Employers’ Portal, which provides employers with access to resumes of top students who are graduating and ready for employment. The portal helps all employers by segregating students who have successfully completed career and technical education programs. Skill sets are displayed for each career area, indicating the potential employee’s readiness for employment. The portal will be continually updated as new students complete the specified skill set training. Businesses and industry professionals can locate credentialed and qualified potential employees by visiting www.wvcareerpathways.com.

Everyone wins when the private sector partners with public education. According to WVDE, research shows that a career and technical program engages and motivates students by offering them real world learning opportunities. Students who enroll in career technical programs are far less likely to drop out of school and, upon graduation, have a greater earning potential than their peers who are not enrolled in technical education programs. Businesses win by having a better educated and more motivated work force. 

INTRODUCING BUSINESS SOLUTIONS WITH VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that routes voice calls over IP networks. This reduces costs for your business while enabling features that boost efficiency and productivity.

• Reduced costs. Reduced local, long distance and international calls.

• Single network. Eliminate the need to maintain separate networks for voice and data.

• Increase productivity. Many VoIP phone numbers can be configured to simultaneously ring on multiple devices - such as your cell and landline phones.

UNBEATABLE SAVINGS. INCREDIBLE FEATURES • Nationwide Unlimited Voice Calling • Business Broadband Internet • Advanced Call Handling

Call our professionals today, to schedule a FREE on-site evaluation. We can customize a plan to fit your business needs.

• Web Portal to manage calls and messages • Voicemail, Caller ID, Click-to-Call and more at no additional charge

888.200.0603 FBSCenter.com D A T A

•

V O I C E

•

V I D E O

A MORE DEDICAT DEDICATED A ED CONNECTION AT

PERSONAL BUSINESS EXPERTS

•

10 0 % U. S.- BA SED WO RK FO RCE

•

24 / 7/365 TECHNICAL SUPPORT

South Korea SERVING

BY LUCY SWECKER

THE SWELTERING AUGUST evening air is thick

with apprehension and excitement. As “The Star Spangled Banner” sounds through the stadium, I shift my concentration from Old Glory to my surroundings.

I am far from Tygarts Valley High School’s Bulldog Field in Mill Creek, WV, where I would be attending the home opening football game with my mom and dad. Instead, I am at the IAAF World Championships with my two host brothers where an American has won the gold medal while a man eats french fries with chopsticks two rows above me. I am in Daegu, South Korea, a city of 2.5 million people, where the foreign mountains that surround me have become almost as familiar as the West Virginia hills I call home.

For the last year, I have had the privilege of serving as a Fulbright grantee in South Korea. Grantees take on the role of people-to-people ambassadors, exchanging culture through their work as teachers, researchers, graduate students and university lecturers. As an elementary education major, I have spent my grant year serving as an English teaching assistant at Kyungpook National University’s Attached Elementary School.

Pursuit of Knowledge Each day as I walk through the halls of the elementary school, my ears ring with the spunky cries of “Lucy Teacher!” by my 500 third through sixth grade students. Much like in America, Korean students attend school from first grade through 12th grade before going on to college. Koreans are quite ExEdge enthusiastic about education, especially English The Korean education, which they begin learning in the third Demilitarized grade, and this fervor may be best demonstrated Zone, dividing South and North by the popularity of afterschool academies called Korea, has hagwons. Many elementary students attend hagwon become a biountil 9 p.m. each night. High school students, forever diverse wildlife preparing for the college entrance exam, study at preserve known as the Peace school as late as 11 p.m. Education is considered and Life Zone. essential for one’s success, and college entrance is Source: fiercely competitive. http://english.

Korea has accomplished a seemingly inconceivable visitkorea.or.kr feat by progressing from a state battered by the postJapanese occupation from 1910-1945 and the Korean War from 1950-1953 to one of the top 20 economies in the world today.

This tour de force could only be attributed to Korea’s emphasis on education. In a society obsessed with the pursuit of knowledge, great respect is afforded to those who provide it. Teaching is considered to be one of the most honorable professions.

Home in a Foreign Land No tour, museum, lecture, film or novel could provide the authentic look at Korean culture that living with my homestay family has. My home for the last year has been on the fifth floor of the typical high-rise apartment building in downtown Daegu where I live with the Parks, a generous, loving and welcoming Korean family. At first, I was nervous about the possible communication problems caused by a novice Korean speaker living in a Koreanspeaking household, but I was put at ease when my host mother, a translator, spoke to me in perfect English. Although my host father is not as fluent, my host brothers, second and fourth grade students at my school, often serve as interpreters. Attending family functions and being teased, tickled and told on by my brothers, I quickly became a real member of the family. My brothers nicknamed my nationality Komerican and regularly introduce me as their older sister. Like any other Korean, I remove my shoes at the door, bow to my Korean grandparents and eat a standard Korean diet with chopsticks.

ABOVE: Students participate in organization day at Kyungpook National University’s Attached Elementary School.

BELOW: Fulbright Scholar Lucy Swecker instructs the sixth grade cheerleading squad during the school’s sports day.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

117

Korea’s Cuisine A traditional Korean meal does as much for the eyes as it does the palate. Meals possess an astoundingly aesthetic quality,

118

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

consisting of rice and soup for each place setting and a colorful array of banchan, a vegetable-rich side dish, that everyone at the table shares. Kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage, is Korea’s most famous dish—so popular, in fact, that when taking photographs, Koreans say, “Kimchi!” instead of “Cheese!” Some of my favorite dishes include bulgogi, or beef bathed in a sweet soy sauce marinade; bibimbap, which is rice mixed with a plethora of seasonal vegetables, and pajeon, a Korean-style leek pancake.

Although traditional sit-down Korean meals may be the topnotch culinary cultural experience, no visit to Korea is complete without a taste of street food. Tents line city streets, eagerly inviting passersby to stop for a quick, savory repast of mandu (dumplings filled with pork and vegetables), ddeokbokki (rice cakes in a spicy sauce) and silk worm larvae. Additionally, a multitude of ethnic options, fusion restaurants and western chains like Outback Steakhouse, Burger King and Starbucks are easily accessible in urban areas. After 365 days of devouring most every rice bowl that came my way, I must admit that McDonald’s delivery service has possibly been my ultimate dining discovery.

More than 70 percent of Korea is comprised of mountainous terrain, and I have hiked in areas that so closely resemble West Virginia that it is easy to forget that I am 7,000 miles away Essence of Korea from home TheWith a host family eager to share their homeland until I spot with me, my time outside of the classroom is often spent a Buddhist traveling. Although Korea is only a bit larger than the state of Indiana, its diverse landscape and rich history temple in the offer much for visitors, and its impeccable transportation distance. system enables the country to be traversed with ease. A common destination of mine has been the nation’s capital, Seoul. It is in this city that skyscrapers tower over ancient royal palaces and traditional homes, revealing the essence of this country: a place where the traditions, history and culture of the past are preserved harmoniously with the impressive innovation and technological advancement of its present and future. Sipping citron tea at a tea house on Insadong Street; marveling at the architecture and handsomely groomed grounds of the Five Grand Palaces; consuming centuries of history at the National Museum of Korea; shopping at Namdaemun Market and ending the day with the striking panorama North Seoul Tower bestows, Seoul provides an endless, enthralling list of must-sees and must-dos.

Just 60 kilometers from Seoul, or approximately 37 miles, I traveled back in time to a place that was likely the most thought-provoking and emotion-evoking place I have ever visited: the Korean Demilitarized Zone, or the DMZ. Catching a glimpse of the North Korean flag billowing over Kijŏng-Dong, which has been referred to as both the Peace Village and the Propaganda Village; staring face to face with North Korean soldiers and tourists from the other side; entering the conference room where United Nations delegations are held and taking a step across a concrete slab into the most of North Korea I may ever access, I felt the daunting weight of Korea’s Cold War past, a war that has not ended.

While I also enjoyed visiting Jeju Island, which was recently voted one of the new Seven Wonders of Nature, many of my travel experiences have involved retreating to a place I felt the most at home: the mountains. More than 70 percent of Korea is comprised of mountainous terrain, and I have hiked in areas that so closely resemble West Virginia that it is easy to forget that I am 7,000 miles away from home until I spot a Buddhist temple in the distance. Few sites compare to the scenic and architectural beauty of these temples, and overnight stays enable visitors to experience the daily life of monks and participate in Buddhist cultural programs. With every bit of soil I trudge, I gain a truer sense of this place, its culture, its history and its people.

In the last year I have roamed unfamiliar lands, gaining a second family and finding my way in a world much different than the one that exists in America.

Soon I will hurry home to the West Virginia hills I love to share the stories of the Komerican known as Lucy Teacher and her second home, Korea, to make what’s foreign a little more familiar.  Photography by Hwi Deug Lim

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

119

Hidden Treasures

The West Virginia Historic Theatre Trail

PENNSYLVANIA

20

71 21

22

79

19 68 18 11e

OHIO

11d

11c 17

77

16

14

15

11b

64

79

7

10

VIRGINIA

8 9

77

KENTUCKY

2 81 1

11a

64

3

4 5

6

64 1213

MARYLAND

Map courtesy of Patty Smith and Jessie Lynn Images

REGION 1 • EAST

Old Opera House Apollo Theatre Star Theatre The Old Brick Playhouse Randolph County Community

Arts Center 11a Warner’s Drive-In 1 2 3 4 5

REGION 2 • SOUTH 6 7 8 9 10

The Landmark Pocahontas Opera House Carnegie Hall Lewis Theatre Fayette Theatre

REGION 3 • WEST

BY HEATHER WILLIAMS

EVERY TRAIL that can be

traveled does not always have to be an outdoor path that requires physical endurance—it can be a tour of architectural beauty, historic value and theatrical entertainment. The West Virginia Historic Theatre Trail is a prime example of this alternative type of trail and highlights 22 theatres in four different regions throughout the Mountain State.

The theatre trail is a project of the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office and the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia. The project began in 2008, and the trail was officially announced in 2010.

120

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

The trail receives funding from a Preserve America grant. In order to be listed on the historic trail, each theatre must be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and must fulfill other requirements such as a historical context and a historical significance evaluation.

Being spread throughout the state, the theatres are divided up into four different regions: the Eastern Panhandle, Southern West Virginia, Western West Virginia and the Northern Panhandle. A drive through the Mountain State will reveal these hidden treasures and deepen an appreciation for the arts.

11b 11c 12 13 14 15 16 17

Mt. Zion Drive-In Jungle Drive-In WVSU Capitol Center Theatre Municipal Auditorium Keith-Albee Theatre Robey Theatre Alpine Theatre Smoot Theatre

REGION 4 • NORTH 11d 11e 18 19 20 21 22

Sunset Drive-In Grafton Drive-In Metropolitan Theatre Tanner Theatre Capitol Theatre Victoria Theatre Towngate Theatre

REGION 1 • The Eastern Panhandle Old Opera House 204 N. George Street Charles Town, WV (304) 725-4420 www.oldoperahouse.org The Old Opera House, built in 1910, survived through World War I and World War II, the Great Depression and the growing popularity and use of the radio. Despite its success through these trying times, the theatre closed its doors in 1948. By 1973, the facility had become a nonprofit organization with a mission to stimulate an interest in the arts by presenting plays, developing aspiring artists through education and utilizing artists’ talents and abilities.

In 1976, the Old Opera House officially reopened its doors to the public with the production of “My Fair Lady.” Then, in 1978, the Old Opera House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The world premiere of “The Sword of the Spirit” by the theatrical group known as Magpie infused a new life into the theatre in 1999.

Since its original opening in 1973, the facility has expanded its season to offer six mainstage productions, one summer children’s show and theatre camp, a dinner theatre, concerts and black box theatre.

The opera house continues to improve its facilities and has a vision to add a semiprofessional repertory theatre on a seasonal basis while still maintaining its volunteer community status. The theatre is run by one full-time and one part-time employee, which has been a historic practice since the start of the theatre.

Star Theatre Congress and N. Washington Streets Berkeley Springs, WV (304) 258-1404 www.starwv.com Beginning as a car storage garage built in 1916, this brick theatre was renovated to show its first film in 1928. Current owners have kept the interior in its original form, including the 1949 Manley popcorn machine, striped silk wall coverings, 325 red leather seats and friendly faces welcoming all guests.

Known as the Star Theatre since 1977, the venue is a single-screen theatre that shows a different film each week.

The films are carefully selected by the

owners, knowing that it is the only family entertainment in town. Popcorn made by the 1949 Manley popcorn machine and topped with real butter is one of the favorite fascinations of the theatre.

The Old Brick Playhouse 329 Davis Avenue Elkins, WV (304) 637-9090 www.theoldbrick.org In 1992, the newly formed educational arts organization, The Old Brick Playhouse, received a space donation from M&J Enterprises of three-fourths of the former Randolph Garage Company’s building, circa 1919. To the historic Downtown Elkins district, the late Edwardian-style brick building is seen as a beloved institution that draws more people to the area.

Similar to the Silo Circuit vaudeville entertainment popular during the railroad era, The Old Brick Playhouse performs identical shows today. Home to The Old Brick Playhouse Touring Company, which has performed stateside and abroad for more than a million spectators, the playhouse also hosts after-school and summer programs designed to provide educational art opportunities for children and youth.

REGION 2 • Southern West Virginia Pocahontas Opera House 818 Third Avenue Marlinton, WV (304) 799-6645 www.pocahontasoperahouse.org Holding the honor of being the first design of its kind in West Virginia, the Pocahontas Opera House’s Victorian architecture is made even more unique by its concrete walls reinforced with rails from the steel railroads. Over the years the facility has been used as a basketball court, a roller-skating rink, a religious sanctuary and, in the 1920s, an automobile dealership and lumber storage warehouse. In 1999, the building was once again restored to its original glory—an opera house.

From open jam sessions to family movie nights, the Pocahontas Opera House offers a wide variety of entertainment for its community. It is also available for private events.

Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall 105 Church Street Lewisburg, WV (304) 645-7917 www.carnegiehallwv.org As one of the only four Carnegie Halls still in continuous use in the world, the Lewisburg facility is a unique and cherished part of West Virginia history. A Georgian Revival structure built in 1902 by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, its original purpose was to provide classrooms for the Lewisburg Female Institute. After the female institution closed in 1972, the Greenbrier Center took possession of the building. Carnegie Hall, Inc. was established in 1983 by the community and the hall was transformed into a nonprofit arts and education center.

More than 75,000 patrons frequent Carnegie Hall to enjoy the live performances of worldwide companies and artists, the presentation of independent film series, education through workshops and classes and an award-winning arts program.

Fayette Theatre 115 S. Court Street Fayetteville, WV (304) 575-6421 www.historicfayettetheatre.com The Fayette Theatre, one of the last Depression-era movie theatres still in business today, is a renovated movie house that was originally built in 1937. Beginning in 1992, the Fayette County Historical Society began renovations on the theatre, adding improved accommodations. While

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

121

Get in the best shape of your life

ge!

A y n At A

renovations have been made, the theatre still contains some of its relics, such as the 1960s original movie projectors and paintings and art that depict the 1930s-era life and entertainment.

The Fayette Theatre presents 10 performances per year as well as special nights by request. The theatre is open for tours from late May until late October.

REGION 3 • Western West Virginia Keith-Albee Theatre 1021 4th Avenue Huntington, WV (304) 696-5436

Physiologix offers: Hormone Optimization Testosterone Replacement Growth Hormone (HGH) Replacement Bio-Identical Hormone Customization

Fitness Counseling Custom Fitness Programming Functional Movement Screen

Nutritional Counseling Weight Loss Individualized Nutrition Plans

(304) 347-4313 • www.physiologix.org

122

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Smoot Theatre

In 1928, after 14 months of construction and a price tag of $2 million, the KeithAlbee Theatre opened as a vaudeville and movie picture house with a seating capacity of nearly 3,000. Architect Thomas Lamb designed the theatre on such a grand scale—with 550 tons of steel, several million bricks and high-tech piping and ventilation—that it was second in size only to the Roxy in New York City.

Even though a fire, a 1937 flood, financial problems and the wear and tear of time proved to be tough challenges for the theatre, it reopened in 2001 as a movie theater. In 2006, the venue closed again as a result of a newly opened multiplex cinema, and it came back once again to provide the community with a performing arts center.

As one of the last Keith-Albee theatres in the country, this venue is open to the public during events and by request.

Keith-Albee Theatre

Smoot Theatre 213 5th Street Parkersburg, WV (304) 422-7529 www.smoottheatre.com Established in 1926 as a vaudeville house, the Smoot Theatre was a popular spot for many touring companies and live performances, including the Keith Vaudeville acts, Arthur Lake and Singer’s “Midgets of the Wizard of Oz.” In 1930, the theatre was purchased by Warner Brothers, who remodeled the building into an Art Deco movie house that showed movies for the next 56 years.

After three years of being closed, volunteers who believing the building was too valuable to be destroyed were able to save the facility from the wrecking ball. Based on vintage snapshots, illustrations and the recollection of longtime natives, volunteers began to piece the Smoot Theatre back together. The theatre is once again the heart of central Parkersburg with its radiantly lit marquee restored and on display for all to see.

REGION 4 • The Northern Panhandle Metropolitan Theatre 369 High Street Morgantown, WV (304) 291-4884 www.mettheatre.org Built in a Neo-Classical style, the Metropolitan Theatre had the honor of opening in 1924 with the title “West Virginia’s most beautiful playhouse.” Referred to lovingly as the Met by locals, the theatre remained the focus of Morgantown’s cultural life until the mid-1980s, hosting some of the most popular entertainers of the day, including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Helen Hayes.

In 1987, a change in circumstances decreased the Met to a second-run movie theatre, and later that same year, the theatre was closed and put up for sale.

Today, the theatre is owned by the City of Morgantown. The theatre, which is currently undergoing careful restoration, continues to be a celebrated and cherished piece of Morgantown history.

Capitol Theatre 1015 Main Street Wheeling, WV (304) 233-7000 www.capitoltheatrewheeling.com Thanksgiving Day 1928 brought to Wheeling’s arts community a special gift in the form of the newly built Capitol Theatre.

Fashioned in the Beaux Arts style, architect Charles Bates constructed the fireproof facility in such a way that wherever guests sat, they had a clear view of the stage.

The theatre is one of the oldest and largest performance venues in West Virginia and offers many forms of entertainment.

After more than two years of being closed by the previous owner, the Capitol Theatre reopened in 2009 under the ownership of the Wheeling Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Today, traveling shows, community performance groups and the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra continue to grace the historical stage, giving the gift of art to the Wheeling community.

Towngate Theatre 2118 Market Street Wheeling, WV (304) 242-7700 www.oionline.com Towngate Theatre had its beginnings in 1850 as Zion Lutheran Church. The facility, which was built in a Gothic/Greek/ Italianate Revival style, has been carefully renovated over the years to preserve its architectural integrity.

In 1969, Oglebay Institute purchased the building with the idea of creating a community theatre, and the facility continues to serve that purpose today. Remaining in operation year-round, the theatre stages 10 theatrical productions, shows 25 weekend films and hosts two film festivals and at least six unplugged music functions annually.  Photography by Carnegie Hall, Jim Osborn and Greater Parkersburg CVB

Business by Design with

Transform the Look, Feel & Workflow of Your Office

• Complete Series of bizhub Networked Copier/Printers • Color, Black & White • Multifunctional Fax & Scan

• Software & Network Solutions

Call TODAY! 304-744-7440 or 1-888-483-7440

500 D Street South Charleston, WV 304-744-7440

3135 16th Street Road Suite 14 Huntington, WV 304-781-7440

Summersville A LWAY S I N S E A S O N

Concerts, Meetings, Conventions and Weddings YEAR-ROUND Centrally located in the state

304-872-3722 • 866-716-0448 E-mail:

info@summersvillecvb.com Web site:

www.summersvillecvb.com

www.summersvillearena.com

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

123

The coal tipple at the historic Nuttallburg coal complex at the New River Gorge National River.

Nuttallburg A Coal Camp Revival

BY JOSEPH BIRD

THERE’S NOTHING like walking through

ruins to get the imagination going.

In the forest of what was once Nuttallburg, everywhere you look there are ruins, all tightly packed along the steep slopes of the New River Gorge in Fayette County, WV. There’s not much left of the old coal town other than the stone foundations of long-abandoned buildings. Some mark the locations of homes, where you can imagine kids outside playing in the dirt under the watchful eye of their mother while their father stokes the coke ovens just down the road. The remnants of a larger foundation hint at the site of what would have been a two-level building—maybe a school, a church or a store where people bought goods and traded stories about life in a mining community.

Even if you didn’t know anything about Nuttallburg’s past, seeing the huge coal tipple built by Henry Ford would probably tip you off to a past heavy in coal and manufacturing.

124

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Founding Nuttallburg It was in 1870 that John Nuttall, an English immigrant and veteran mine operator, began acquiring property in the New River Gorge. By 1873, he had begun mining from two mines, the second of which would become known as the Nuttallburg Mine.

As production in the mine grew, so did the town of Nuttallburg. While Ford would later explore integration in the manufacturing process, Nuttallburg practiced segregation with separate housing, churches and schools for white and black workers. Given the lack of buildable land in the gorge, one can only imagine that duplicating buildings to maintain segregation had to have been a logistical challenge.

By the 1880s, the Nuttallburg Mine was one of the most productive in the New River Gorge and the coke ovens were a big reason for that success.

LEFT: The town of Dubree, a coal mining town near Nuttallburg, in 1897.

RIGHT: The opening of a mine shaft in Southern West Virginia circa 1890s.

Of course a mine is more than just a mine, and the Nuttallburg operation included a tipple, a headhouse and a conveyor system.

All of these original structures are long gone, and of everything that Nuttall built, only some of the beehive coke ovens remain. By the 1880s, the Nuttallburg Mine was one of the most productive in the New River Gorge and the coke ovens were a big reason for that success. The ovens were shut down in 1894, however, to serve as overnight lodging for Coxey’s Army, the group of men led by Ohio businessman Jacob Coxey who organized the first march on Washington, D.C., to demand assistance in the wake of the severe depression of the early 1880s.

Ford Driven Nuttall died in 1897 and his company subsequently changed hands several times, experiencing mixed levels of production and even going through bankruptcy in 1912. In 1920, the mine was purchased by the Fordson Coal Company, a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company.

Ford’s role as an industrial pioneer is often forgotten in our ever-changing, high-tech world, but his manufacturing and marketing concepts were revolutionary. With his idea for vertical integration, he sought to control the entire manufacturing process, including the production and transportation of raw materials to the manufacturing site. He bought coal mines in

West Virginia and Kentucky and rubber plantations in Brazil, all in an effort to ensure that there would never be a disruption in the automobile production supply chain. Ford’s River Rouge Plant in Dearborn, MI, is considered to be the most fully integrated car manufacturing facility in the world and is itself a manufacturing and historic wonder. River Rouge was to be the final destination for Nuttallburg’s coal.

At least that’s what Ford thought when he bought the mine. In 1921, Ford visited Nuttallburg, however, and decided to shut down the operation and dismantle the mines. A fuel shortage in 1922 forced Ford to rethink his decision, and in 1923 he began making improvements at Nuttallburg that greatly improved its efficiency and productivity. He replaced the conveyor, tipple and headhouse, all of which are still standing today. The structures themselves are historically significant in that they were constructed with steel, as opposed to wood, which was more common at the time. Ford also used the button and rope mechanism for the conveyor, which was critical in controlling breakage of the friable bituminous coal.

Renewing Nuttallburg Despite the improvements made by Ford, the mine’s costs of operation continued to rise primarily due to its continually narrowing coal seam, which required more effort to mine.

In 1928, the Fordson Coal Company sold the mine to the

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

125

LEFT: Keeney’s Creek Coal Company’s tipple near Nuttallburg, circa 1890s.

RIGHT: The New River canyon from Cavendish Cliff, circa 1890s.

Supporting the Creativity in Every West Virginia Artisan Entrepreneur

S. Shaluta

“The Tamarack Foundation resources have helped me double my annual income for my home-based business allowing me to be near my young family while providing jobs in the community we love.”

– Matt Thomas, Gilmer County

The Tamarack Foundation is dedicated to the development of a strong creative economy benefiting West Virginia’s economy to the tune of $18.6 million annually.* 2008 study by Marshall University Center for Business and Economic Research

304.926.3770 | tamarackwv.com/foundation Champion this cause by supporting the Tamarack Foundation, an independent 501 (c) 3 charitable organization.

126

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Maryland New River Coal Company, which owned the mine until 1954 when it was sold to the Garnet Coal Company. In 1958, the mine was closed for good, the town was abandoned and Nuttallburg was given over to the forest.

Many historic studies have been completed on Nuttallburg that have identified it as a nationally significant industrial and cultural resource. Although the U.S. National Park Service established the New River Gorge National River in 1978, it wasn’t until 1998 that the park service, recognizing the historical significance of Nuttallburg, acquired the 72,000-acre mining complex and related property from the Nuttall estate. In 2005, the Nuttallburg Mine Complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and shortly after that preservation efforts began. U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd secured an initial $2.3 million in funding, followed by another $6.8 million in stimulus money to complete the preservation project.

Over the years, the weather and the gorge slowly ravaged Nuttallburg’s structures. Rust rendered much of the steel unsafe, and the trees and vines had wrapped their limbs in a slow strangulation of the columns and beams. Significant structural repair work was needed not just to make the structures safe, but to prevent total collapse of the tipple and headhouse. Steel beams and columns were installed for temporary stabilization while more permanent, historically sensitive repairs could be made. Given the inaccessibility of the site, construction work was difficult and costly.

Once the structures were stabilized, preservation efforts focused on restoring the site to a more recognizable mining

complex while preserving its current historical condition. For example, corrugated steel, similar to that used by Ford, was used in the restoration work and allowed to rust quickly so as not to stand out as new construction. The same is true for fencing and guardrail materials.

A cultural resource is of little value if people can’t experience it, and one of the goals of the preservation project was to make it more accessible. Even so, a visit to Nuttallburg is more involved than pulling off the highway at a visitor’s center. Consult the National Park Service Web site for detailed directions and be prepared for a long trek through the forest in your car. As you wind down the mountain roads, you’ll wonder how anybody ever found Nuttallburg in the first place, and once you arrive, you’ll discover that it was worth the journey. Trails are handicap accessible and fences and guardrails keep visitors safe. Throughout the complex, informational signage explains what Nuttallburg was all about. Just don’t expect a souvenir shop or a concession stand. It’s not that kind of place.

Deep in the shadows of the New River Gorge, there are stories to be told and people to know. You can see the ruins of the town and let your imagination fill in the blanks. You’ll discover how quickly nature can reclaim all that was originally hers, and you can learn about and appreciate the people who came before and the roles they played in shaping history.  Photography by Rob Dinsmore, Fred Raven and the West Virginia State Archive

Let Us Bring The Fun To You! Water Balloon Battle, Water Slides, Slip And Slide & Dunking Machine

Henry Ford’s conveyor from the tipple to the head house disappears into the woods.

www.bringingfuntoyou.com

888-903-4FUN

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SAVE 10%

off your next rental. Mention this ad.

SUMMER 2012

127

From the Gridiron The State’s Most Unique Burgers

BY MARTA TANKERSLEY

AUTUMN IS approaching and soon the cool mountain air will turn

the hills red, yellow and orange. With the changing season comes another change—the boys of summer become the men of the gridiron.

As we gear up for football season, West Virginia Executive invites you to take a little detour from your typical tailgating burger and try one of several unique burger recipes popular in West Virginia’s great little burger joints. Add one of these tasty gourmet creations to your tailgate menu, and then visit West Virginia Executive on Facebook to let us know which one is your favorite.

Mount Vesuvius Burger Fairplain Yacht Club 3984 Cedar Lakes Road Ripley, WV (304) 372-8918 Located in southern Jackson County, the Fairplain Yacht Club, a delightfully renovated pole barn, dishes out delicious, affordable food and great entertainment in the region’s biggest dining and entertainment venue, where diners can enjoy the comfort of an indoor table or relax with friends and family outside on the 50-foot covered porch. Owners Jeff Paxton and Cindy Vennare love providing patrons with simple but unique taste combinations, and the menu includes many samplings as proof. Pasta dishes with fresh sauces—inspired by Vennare’s Italian roots—and the Friday night prime rib special accompany the Yacht Club’s extensive gourmet burger menu.

One of their creations, the Mount Vesuvius Burger, is designed with tangy steak sauce, Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms erupting from a stack of thick-cut onion rings on an 8-ounce Angus patty and a large cornmeal-dusted Kaiser roll. This twist on the traditional Swiss and mushroom burger is sure to blow your top off.

Hillbilly Burger Hillybilly Grill Stonecoal Road Buckhannon, WV (304) 471-2223 Trecia and Larry Alderman made their dream of becoming restaurateurs come true when they opened the Hillbilly Grill on Stonecoal Road in Buckhannon. The restaurant was hand-built by Larry and features a restaurant, bar, children’s playground and glass-enclosed deck that offers scenic views of the countryside. With something to offer the entire family, the Aldermans and their two children who also work there have made it the place to be in Buckhannon.

While experimenting in her kitchen, Trecia was hit with an epiphany. She started with an ordinary 8-ounce beef patty on a sesame seed bun and topped it with American cheese, horseradish sauce, shaved prime rib, white queso cheese and honey mustard.

Called the Hillbilly Burger, there’s nothing ordinary about it.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

129

Pickles Burger Pickles’ Grog & Grill 419 Fulton Street Wheeling, WV (304) 905-9008 Pickles’ Grog & Grill, founded in 2009 in Wheeling by brothers Scott and Rodd Franke, has become one of the area’s most popular places to be. The property has undergone a complete renovation in order to create a neighborhood pub feel in a clean, friendly environment. While the sports bar atmosphere makes game days special, it’s the generous portions and signature menu items like the wings, the Fulton Philly, homemade soups and fried pickles that keep people coming back.

The Pickles Burger, considered the kitchen staff’s masterpiece, combines two of their most popular offerings—fried pickles and a hamburger. It consists of a Kaiser bun piled high with 8 ounces of Grade A beef, two deep fried pickles, hot pepper jack cheese and a splash of homemade ranch dressing. This burger is designed for those with a hearty appetite and a taste for robust flavor.

Photography by Sarah Fawcett Photography

Mason Burger The Mason Jar 62 E. Main Street White Sulphur Springs, WV (304) 536-5001 Chef Adam Sydenstricker took the helm of The Mason Jar in White Sulphur Springs in July 2011, and since then, he has enhanced the interior with pictures and decorative objects from friends’ and family members’ farms to add to the country atmosphere. The Mason Jar, recently named in the “101 Unique Places to Dine in West Virginia” and filmed for a Travel Channel feature, is known for serving high-quality, homestyle cuisine. Sydenstricker, together with his team, has more than 70 years of experience working in five-star restaurants, including The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL and The Greenbrier. He says the key to providing good food is selecting the freshest ingredients, and he promises that no frozen burgers are ever served at The Mason Jar, where they strive to provide an upscale dining experience.

The Mason Jar’s signature burger, the Mason Burger, begins with 8 ounces of fresh USDA prime ground beef seasoned and grilled to perfection and placed on a sesame seed bun.

It is piled high with grilled ham, American cheese, fresh lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles and topped off with the Mason Jar’s own distinctive dressing. Built to satisfy the hungry, the Mason Burger is one hearty burger.

130

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

Salmon Burger Star Mercantile 14 Barley Lane Wardensville, WV (304) 874-3663 Star Mercantile, located in historic Wardensville, is housed in a 120-year-old building built by the great-grandfather of owners Elizabeth Orndoff Sayers and John Sayers and manager Howard Orndoff.

Over the years, the building has changed hands and functions several times and has been the home of H. R. Orndoff Mercantile, Odd Fellows Lodge, White Star Restaurant and Capon Valley Bank.

The Sayers purchased the building again in 1992 and transformed it into a general store and restaurant where shoppers can browse the eclectic selection of gourmet jams and jellies, pickles, antique dishes, vintage jewelry, tin toys, local art and books while they enjoy offerings from the menu.

Rawhide Burger Secret Sandwich Society 103 1/2 Keller Avenue Fayetteville, WV (304) 574-4777

Known for standard American fare-like burgers on jumbo grilled buns, homemade potato chips and crisp kosher dill pickles, one of Star Mercantile’s specialties is the Salmon Burger. Served on a grilled Kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato, Vidalia onion and either the homemade dill or homemade caper sauce, this lighter version of the American burger is sure to please the most discriminating palate. 

The Secret Sandwich Society is modeled after the speakeasies that were popular during the Prohibition of the 1920s and have been experiencing a renewed popularity throughout American and European cities. All of the sauces, spreads and dips at the Society are created in-house where the flavorful creations combine unexpected and delicious ideas using the best ingredients owners David Bailey and Tashia Hippler and their staff can get their hands on. Each sandwich is a measured mixture of sweet and salty, smooth and crunchy or hot and sour.

While the Secret Sandwich Society has several unique burgers to explore, the Rawhide Burger is one that will set your taste buds a-flamin’. Combining 100 percent Angus beef with fiery jalapeño peppers, farm-fresh sunny-side eggs, pepper jack cheese and creamy roasted garlic aioli, this inferno of flavor will keep you coming back for more.

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

131

Regional Focus COMPILED BY JENNIFER JETT

New Energy Conference Aims to Create a Better Future for the Region The National Research Center for Coal and Energy (NRCCE) at West Virginia University is hosting the first annual TransTech Energy Conference November 14th-16th at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown, WV. The conference will bring together innovative thinkers, investors, students and teachers who are interested in the growing field of transitional energy technologies.

Energy technologies and strategies are constantly in transition as countries around the world strive for economic growth and stability, a reasonably healthy environment and national security. The term TransTech Energy refers to technologies and strategies supporting a lower carbon, industrially competitive, clean energy economy of the future. Examples include energy recycling and harvesting; combined heat and power; hybrid fossil/renewable power systems and next generation manufacturing processes that promote energy efficiency.

“We’re not only presenting a conference but also opportunities for business development and job growth in the region,” says Kathleen Cullen, program coordinator in the Industries of the Future Program, the NRCCE program responsible for organizing the event.

Other organizers and sponsors include Advanced Research Projects Agency, West Virginia Division of Energy, West Virginia University Advanced Energy Initiative, Appalachian Power, TechConnect West Virginia, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Innovation Works and the West Virginia Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Keynote speakers for the conference will include Tim Duke, president of Steel of West Virginia; Cheryl Martin, director of Commercialization at the United States Department of Energy; Greg Babe, CEO of Orbital Engineering and former president and CEO of Bayer Corporation; Tom and/or Sean Casten, chairman/president and CEO of Recycled Energy Development; Gary Smyth, director of Powertrain Research Lab, General Motors; David Mooney, director of Electricity, Resources and Building Systems Integration at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; David Wilhelm, founding partner of Hopewell Ventures and Adena Ventures, Appalachian Impact Fund and Tim Fogarty, founding partner of Crimson Hill Ventures.

The TransTech Energy Conference will provide an opportunity for startup companies to make sales pitches to potential investors and to gain exposure for their projects. University students are also invited to present in the Business Concept Paper Competition.

A concept paper is not a full business plan, but rather a rough idea of one. Participating students will be competing for first, second and third place awards.

For information and registration, visit www.transtechenergy.org.

Governor Tomblin Recommends Projects for Appalachian Regional Commission Investment Package Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has recommended that eight projects totaling more than $4.7 million receive Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Investment Program grants. These grants must be approved by ARC before issued.

“From water and sewer systems to education and entrepreneurship, the projects I’ve recommended for funding all help generate economic development,” Tomblin says. “I appreciate the commitment shown by ARC as well as our local partners. I believe we can, together, continue to grow our economy and provide a brighter future for West Virginia.”

The West Virginia Development Office administers the state’s ARC program, which is a partnership of federal, state and local participants providing financial and technical assistance for economic development and infrastructure projects. The mission of ARC is to assist the Appalachian region, comprised of 13 states including West Virginia, to become more competitive with the rest of the nation in terms of job opportunities, education, health and other socio-economic factors.

Projects recommended for ARC funding include: a culinary arts commercial training kitchen at West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Wood County; replacement of the Greater Marion Public Service District sewer line in Marion County; a water extension project in Barkers Ridge in Wyoming County; an extension of the Alkol waterline in Lincoln County; the multi-county Jobs for West Virginia Graduates project; the multi-county West Virginia Flex-E Grant Program; the statewide Consolidated Technical Assistance Program and the statewide Competitive Improvement Program.

Arnett & Foster and Toothman Rice Merge CPA Firms Arnett & Foster PLLC and Toothman Rice PLLC have announced a merger that will make the new joint firm one of the top 150 accounting firms in the country when measured by size. The merger went into effect on August 1st.

“This is an exciting and monumental day for the Toothman Rice team,” says Tom Aman, managing member of Toothman Rice. “We’re bringing together 60 years of experience from both firms, a distinction very few can offer.”

The merger represents Arnett & Foster’s second strategic growth initiative in the last 16 months. In March of 2011, Arnett & Foster expanded across state lines with the opening of a Columbus, Ohio, office, a move that “enhanced the firm’s services to the growing sector of health care—particularly hospitals, nursing homes and medium-to-large practice groups— throughout Ohio and contiguous states,” states Steve Robey, presiding member of Arnett & Foster.

The two firms share similar historical timelines. Arnett & Foster was founded in 1950 and has 90 employees. Toothman Rice began business in 1952 and has 50 employees. The new company will have six offices: Charleston, Bridgeport, Morgantown, Buckhannon, Lewisburg and Columbus, Ohio.

Each firm will, for now, retain its name; however, management of both firms noted that plans for a name change to Arnett Foster Toothman, PLLC are imminent.

New Director of Operations for Exhibition Coal Mine In late July, Mayor Emmett Pugh announced the appointment of Leslie Gray Baker as the new director of Operations for the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine Complex and Campground, the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia, Mountain Homestead and Wildwood House Museum. A long-time employee of the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia, Baker has more than 20 years of marketing, program development and exhibition management experience.

“We chose Leslie for her overall experience, management knowledge and leadership skills,” says Pugh. “She will be heavily involved and relate directly to all functions of the operation. the exhibition coal mine and the youth museum have always been a source of pride and distinction for the City of Beckley,

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

133

and I’m pleased to have Leslie and know that she will carry on that tradition.”

“This is an exciting time for me and for the exhibition coal mine and youth museum,” says Baker. “The mine is celebrating its 50th year in operation this summer, the Rocket Boys Coalwood Festival is relocating to our facility in October, we have a very popular exhibition—‘Once Upon a Time’—at the youth museum and the Boy Scouts are coming next summer. I look forward to developing plans that will ensure every visitor to the exhibition coal mine complex has the best guest experience possible. We are one of the ‘Best Small Towns in America’ and we want our unique underground tour, combined with our excellent customer service, to bring visitors back to this area year after year.”

Geological and Economic Survey Providing Grants to Promote Economic Development The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) will be administering $650,000 in grant funds for eligible entities to support broadband use and adoption throughout the state.

The WVGES Technical Assistance Grants Program is part of the State Broadband Data Development Grant, which was provided by the National Telecommunications Information Administration to fulfill the goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Broadband Data Development Grant totals more than $6 million in combined federal and state funding and aims to work with all statewide broadband initiatives.

“The goal of the program,” says Dr. Michael Hohn, WVGES’s director, “is to get West Virginians online and plugged into broadband technologies that will enhance the ability to create

134

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

and retain jobs, as well as boost productivity. Access to this technology is going to become more and more vital to our dayto-day lives as time goes on.”

The purpose of the WVGES Broadband Data Development Grant is to map broadband availability in the state, create regional and statewide plans for increasing awareness and demand for broadband and provide technical assistance to communities and organizations. Increasing digital literacy is part of this work, as well as providing accurate mapping and building broadband demand throughout West Virginia.

Grant applications submitted by the August 1st deadline ranged in amounts from $5,000 to $30,000 for broadband-based education, training and online application development. State, local and county government agencies, as well as nonprofits, educational institutions, community organizations and planning and economic groups, are eligible to receive funding. Individuals were not eligible to apply.

Leadership West Virginia Announces Class of 2012 Fifty-six leaders from across the state have accepted invitations to participate in the 2012 class of Leadership West Virginia.

Candidates were selected from nominations submitted in late 2011.

Leadership West Virginia (LWV) is now in its 21st year as the premier statewide education and leadership development program in West Virginia. The eight-month program identifies emerging leaders from a variety of employers throughout West Virginia and enhances their knowledge not only of the challenges facing the state, but also the state’s unique attributes and diversity. Recognizing that the cultivation of new leadership is of utmost importance to West Virginia’s future prosperity and progress, Leadership West Virginia works to develop and motivate a cross-section of leaders who will use their talents and abilities to inspire others and to foster a new spirit of energy, enthusiasm and vitality throughout the state. LWV is affiliated with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

“Each year, the class participants are selected from a list of top-quality applicants from around the state,” says Pam Farris, executive director of LWV. “Individuals are selected into the program because they demonstrate leadership skills and experiences in civic activities, public affairs and in their professional careers. We are very pleased with the quality and number of people who applied for this year’s class.” Farris notes that interest in being a class member continues to be a very competitive process.

Throughout the coming year, members of the class will travel to eight different communities in West Virginia to receive broad-based education on critical topics and, at the same time, have opportunities to hone their leadership skills. The topics for the training sessions, which will take part across the state, include: health care, economic development, coal and manufacturing, tourism, the Marcellus Shale, the justice system, education and government.

Many of the LWV participants serve as private citizen volunteers, and many seek public office. Among the benefits that come with being a graduate of the program is the network of alumni throughout the state.

“Leadership West Virginia congratulates the individuals who were selected to this year’s class and wish them the best of luck,” says Farris.

CPA Firms Consolidate, Create Hayflich Grigoraci PLLC The Huntington firm of Hayflich & Steinberg and the Charleston firm of Grigoraci, Paterno & Associates has announced the consolidation of their professional accounting practices.

The two local offices will be maintained.

“The combination of these two firms produces greater synergies and opportunities,” says John LaFear, managing member of Hayflich & Steinberg. “This new entity of peers creates a firm with a deep concentration of industry experience and highly specialized knowledge in areas such as energy, automobile dealerships, manufacturing and distribution, health care, government, construction and valuations. Both firms have strong consulting practices with tax, technical and industry expertise.”

Victor Grigoraci, CEO of Grigoraci, Paterno & Associates, says, “We look forward to the dynamic competence that this combination of professionals will bring to the firm. Both of our firms have diverse clients across a wide array of businesses and industries. Together, we possess deeper business, industry and tax knowledge with enhanced technology, resulting in a firm that is a powerful resource to our clients for all of their accounting, assurance, tax and consulting needs.”

LaFear and Grigoraci have noted that the professionals of the newly combined firm share a commitment to personalized client service and that the business culture is focused on helping clients create new opportunities.

Hayflich & Steinberg was established in 1952, and the firm of Grigoraci, Paterno & Associates dates back to the 1930s.

With the combination of these regional firms, Hayflich Grigoraci PLLC serves clients throughout much of the United States,

Plu mbing Mechanical

with the greatest concentrations in the southeast and several western states.

Vision Shared Seeks Communities to Feed the Entrepreneurial Spirit Communities throughout West Virginia have been identified to pilot a program called the Entrepreneurs’ Café, which provides micro awards to entrepreneurs at the local level. Vision Shared will select a final community to participate in the pilot project based on nominations received from the public.

Vision Shared will co-host a café launch event in the winning community. During the event attendees will receive a reasonably priced meal and all income from the meal as well as a $500 award from Vision Shared will be given to support a local entrepreneur.

Pilot communities invite entrepreneurs to pitch their idea or project for funding at each launch event. During the meal, those seeking the award present their projects, and everyone who paid for a meal votes for their favorite project. The project that receives the most votes wins the proceeds from the cost of the meal in addition to the award provided by Vision Shared.

The community selected must assist in the organizing of the launch event and demonstrate a desire to sustain the program with monthly or quarterly café programs for at least one year.

Nominations forms are available online at www.RevWV.com with a deadline of August 31, 2012.

The café program is part of a long-term plan to develop the entrepreneurial climate in West Virginia by Vision Shared.

Concept Electrical

Implementation Call today for more information or tour our model log home off I-77, Exit 132 in Ripley, WV.

1·866·LOG·HOME (1-866-564-4663)

Designing for the Built Environment

RIPLEY, WV |

info@mail.applog.com

www.applog.com

LOG HOME PACKAGES · PRECUT OR LINEAR FOOT LOG HOME MATERIALS · LOG SIDING & CORNERS LOG RAILING & POSTS · LOG HOME HARDWARE · TIMBER FRAME MATERIALS · WOOD CARE PRODUCTS

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

135

Seven Harrison County Organizations Benefit from Cultural Foundation Grants Ian Rudick, president of the Clarksburg-Harrison Cultural Foundation, recently announced the distribution of grant monies to seven Harrison County-based nonprofit organizations. Grant funds totaling $6,000 were received from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.

The foundation offers grants up to $1,000 to initiate or further a worthwhile project that encourages cultural awareness among Harrison County residents and/or supports arts organizations in the area.

The funds were distributed to the following cultural entities: Chanticleer Children’s Chorus; Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library; The Studio for the Performing Arts; West Virginia Black Heritage Festival; Nutter Fort Primary School; West Virginia Civilian Conservation Corps Museum Association and the Shinnston Community Band.

The Clarksburg-Harrison Cultural Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit corporation formed in 1972, was established to receive bequests, grants, gifts of money and other items of financial, cultural and historic value. It serves as the cultural conduit for the community and its arts organizations. Governed by a 15-member board of directors, the foundation is empowered to invest, manage and administer funds and other property given or bequeathed by individuals, businesses, corporations, foundations and organizations.

Bailey & Wyant Announces New Associate Attorney West Virginia law firm Bailey & Wyant, PLLC welcomes their newest associate attorney, Dawn George, to their Charleston office. George comes to the law firm from the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia where she worked as writ clerk. She will now be focusing her practice as an attorney in the areas of civil litigation and workers’ compensation.

George graduated from the West Virginia University College of Law in May 2007 where she also received her undergraduate degree in history with an emphasis in Russian studies. While in law school, George was an active member of the Magistrate Court Mediation Program and the Marlyn E. Lugar Trial Association.

After being admitted to the West Virginia State Bar in May 2008, George began her career as a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Michael Thornsbury of the Mingo County Circuit Court.

She then joined Romano & Associates, PLLC as an associate attorney where she primarily focused on civil litigation.

George is a native of the Charleston area where she enjoys whitewater rafting, skiing, traveling, playing golf and cooking. She resides in Hurricane with her husband, Taylor, and daughter, Beldaran.

Eleven Honored at 2012 Governor’s Service Awards On Wednesday, August 8th, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin honored 11 individuals, families or businesses for their dedication to service at the annual Governor’s Service Awards banquet at the Charleston Civic Center. The banquet is held as a part of Faces of Leadership, the annual state volunteerism conference.

The Governor’s Service Awards are administered by Volunteer West Virginia to honor outstanding individuals, organizations

Count on it.

Life has no guarantees, but in business, I knew exactly what I wanted. A company that gave me the start-up help I needed, freedom to make my own decisions … plus the chance to earn a great living.

With so many unknowns in life, my career isn’t one of them.

I can count on that.

BECOME A STATE FARM® AGENT. Learn more: Cindy Coburn Agency Recruiter (304)673-5228 www.ccoburn.sfagentcareers.com

Sharing in the Joy of Healthcare Education McCabe Medical — proudly serving West Virginia and surrounding areas — offers solid instruction in professional health care at competitive rates. These guidelines are explored in-depth in either individual or small classroom settings. As a consultant/educator company, some of the opportunities McCabe Medical Coding and Reimbursement can provide include:

PRofESSionAl certified professional coder: instruction physician cpc, outpatient hospital cpc-h, payer cpc-p PERSonAl practice management, internal/external auditing, consulting insurance billing CLAIM PROCESSING Proper use of the CMS 1500 claim form for professional services GUIDELINES and the UB04 form for facility services CODING CONCEPTS Expertise in reviewing and assigning the correct coding of physician AND GUIDELINES services, outpatient facility/hospital services, coding related payer functions, procedures and diagnosis for medical claims MEDICAL BILLING AND Health insurance industry and different reimbursement methodologies REIMBURSEMENT for correct claim submission QUALITy ASSURANCE Established practice of procedure development and risk analysis to AND RISk ANALySIS assist in quality assurance and risk analysis MEDICAL RECORD OR Auditing skills, ensuring medical necessity, correct coding and compliance ChART REvIEw with regulatory issues along with the knowledge and skills to maintain the

Rebecca LaFevers State Farm Agent

efficiency of a practice by minimizing the risk of costly errors

State Farm • Bloomington, IL An Equal Opportunity Employer

P097049

136

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

304.881.4633 • www.mccabemedicalcoding.com

and businesses solving community problems through volunteer service. A volunteer review committee reads and selects the recipients on the basis of achievement, community needs, continuing involvement, innovation and impact of service.

Recipients of the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award went to Ardath Francke of Kanawha County and Ruby Ann Greathouse of Brooke County. The youth award was given to Alexis Browning of Cabell County. The adult award was presented to Debra Curry Davis of Wyoming County and Rhonda Monroe of Jefferson County. Ora Beth Drake of Wood County and Ed Lowe of Mason County received the senior award, and Shaun and Maggie Jedju of Harrison County were presented with the family award. In the business category, Cabell Huntington Hospital of Cabell County; Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. of Putnam County and West Virginia American Water of Kanawha County were recognized.

Epic Electronic Health Record System Goes Live at WVUH-East West Virginia University Hospitals-East (WVUH-East) has introduced the industry-leading Epic electronic medical record (EMR) software at both City Hospital and Jefferson Memorial Hospital.

This new EMR, launched August 1st, provides many benefits, including improved quality of patient care, making it easier for physicians to communicate about individualized care and allowing patients to securely access their own records 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“This system provides one integrated medical record across

Providing the Space and Service for Your Special Event

all clinic and hospital operations, including our parent health system in Morgantown, making it easier for our physicians and employees to provide exceptional patient care,” states Anthony Zelenka, chief administrative officer at City Hospital. “Staying at the forefront of health information technology is part of WVUH-East’s continued success as a premier health care system.”

Planning for the implementation of the new Epic EMR began in 2011 when the commitment for the $10 million project was made. The official kick-off was held last fall as intense training for the IT staff began. Training for physicians, nurses and other clinical staff began in April of 2012 for the August 1st launch date.

One of the positive changes with the new Epic EMR is that there is a new MyWVUChart patient portal powered by Epic’s MyChart application. This gives patients secure access to their medical record, test results, appointment scheduling, health education materials and even prescription refill requests 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Patients may also access their medical record on a smartphone just by downloading the MyChart app.

With implementation of the new EMR, WVUH-East is now also participating in the West Virginia Health Information Network (WVHIN), a Health Information Exchange (HIE).

The WVHIN’s HIE provides the fast and secure exchange of test results and reports among hospitals, labs, x-ray facilities, doctors and insurance companies that are participants in the network.

As part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act enforced by President Obama, it is federally mandated that all eligible professionals, hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs complete installation of EMR technology by 2014.

Kathryne M. Smith, LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER

3908 MacCorkle Avenue Charleston, WV 25304

304.925.7050

Sporting Events Weddings Concerts Picnics/Banquets Trade Shows/Expos Family Reunions On- and Off-site Catering

Expert Witness In Civil And Domestic Cases

Evaluations For Private Adoptions 200 Armory Dr., Beckley • 304-252-7361 www.beckleyconventioncenter.com

23 Years Experience/ Expert In 25 WV Counties

WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM

SUMMER 2012

137

Ad Finder ACT Foundation

106

Mountaineer Montessori School

Appalachian Log Structures

133

Mtn. State Centers for Independent Living

Beckley-Raleigh Co. Convention Center

135

Ohio County Schools

Blue Mountain Aerial Mapping Brickstreet Insurance Capitol Business Interiors Chapman Technical Group Chesapeake Energy Corporation Contractors Association of West Virginia

French Door Cover 36 8 65 5 101

Physiologix Wellness Institute

98 132 85-88 120

Pierpont Community & Technical College

84

Pikewood Creative

11

School Building Authority of West Virginia Smoker Friendly Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC

43-46 7 Back Cover

Cross Lanes Christian School

66

State Farm Insurance

134

Davis & Elkins College

38

Summersville CVB

121

Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston

93

Syrra Salon

135

Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP Farmer, Cline and Campbell, PLLC Frontier Communications Glenville State College Goldman Associates Greater Bridgeport CVB H&H Enterprises

9 15 113 91

The Linsly School

72

The Tamarack Foundation

124

Thomas Health System

2-3

United Bank

1

103

University of Charleston

41

73

Waterfront Place Hotel

80

West Virginia American Water

96 61

125

Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP

98

West Virginia’s Oil & Gas Expo

Hayflich Grigoraci, PLLC

13

West Virginia State University

Inside Back Cover Inside Front Cover

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of WV

112

West Virginia University

Holiday Inn Express

100

Williamson Shriver Architects, Inc.

HSC Building Automation & Controls

81

WV Division of Rehabilitation Services

52 110

HSC Industrial

109

WV Higher Education Policy Commission

Kathryne M. Smith, Licensed Social Worker

135

WV Housing Development Fund

Komax Business Systems

121

WVHTC Foundation

58

Lehotay Prosthetics LLC

104

WV Northern Community College

99

Mabscott Supply Company

102

WV School of Osteopathic Medicine

Marion County Schools Marshall University

67-70 49

McCabe Medical Coding & Reimbursement LLC

134

ME Consulting Engineers, Inc.

133

138

WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE

WVU Communication Studies

92 105

76-77 4

WVU School of Journalism

55

ZMM Architects & Engineers

42

Experience the Power of Education at West Virginia State University West Virginia State University is a historically black university that has evolved into a fully accessible, racially diverse, and multi-generational institution offering baccalaureate and graduate degrees. Contact WVSU today to schedule a tour of our beautiful campus, located just outside of Charleston, West Virginia.

• • • • • •

Affordable Tuition Financial Aid Qualified Faculty Small Class Sizes 76 Programs of Study A Long-Standing Record of Accreditation

• • • • • •

Flexible Scheduling Helpful Staff Tutoring Mentoring Accessible Campus 121-Year Tradition of Excellence

P.O. BOX 1000, INSTITUTE, WV 25112-1000 TOLL FREE 1-800-987-2112 www.wvstateu.edu WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION INSTITUTION THAT DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, DISABILITY, OR VETERAN STATUS IN ITS EMPLOYMENT, PROGRAMS, OR ACTIVITIES.

Experience the Power of Education

Excellence. Value. Get There!

The Spilman

Business Model

Excellent service and exceptional value in total sync.

Spilman attorneys know cookie-cutter solutions are rarely the best fit. Instead, we harness the power of talent and technology to synchronize the collaboration of attorneys across our seven offices to arrive at customized, innovative solutions for our clients.

Speed and synchronization are the essence of

our business model – the key drivers that enable Spilman attorneys to deliver positive outcomes at an exceptional value. Excellence. Value. It’s how we help our clients Get There™.

WEST

VIRGINIA

NORTH

CAROLINA

PENNSYLVANIA

VIRGINIA

Seven strategic office locations 24/7 attorney access & response Progressive fee structure

A

T

T

O

R

N

E

Y

S

A

T

L

A

W

1 . 8 00.967.8251 | www.spilmanlaw.com | Responsible Attor ney, Michael J. Basile