Members of the Board

Rusty Hutson Jr. is the fourth generation of Hutsons to work in the oil and gas industry, with family roots dating back to the early 1900s. He spent many summers working alongside his father in the oil and gas fields of West Virginia. As the first in his family to pursue higher education, he graduated from Fairmont State University with a degree in accounting. Following graduation, he embarked on a 13-year career in banking, ultimately becoming CFO of Compass Financial Services after holding leadership roles at Bank One and Compass Bank.

Building on his experiences in both the oil and gas industry and the financial services sector, Hutson founded Diversified Energy in 2001, establishing a cash flow model supported by mature, predictable long-life assets. After years of refining this strategy, he and his team quietly took the company public in 2017 on the AIM growth market of the London Stock Exchange. Since then, Diversified has significantly expanded, acquiring nearly $2.7 billion in upstream and midstream assets, with daily production across nine states totaling approximately 150,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Under Hutson’s leadership, Diversified Energy swiftly rose to a premium listing on the London Exchange and joined the FTSE 250 index in 2020. In 2023, the company launched its dual listing on the New York Stock Exchange, further broadening its global presence and becoming a member of the Russell 2000 index. Hutson remains committed to driving operational excellence, maintaining financial discipline, and creating shareholder value.

In recognition of his transformative leadership and contributions to the industry, Hutson was named the 2019 West Virginia Oil and Gas Man of the Year. His strategic vision, commitment to excellence and focused philanthropy in the Mountain State also earned him a place in the West Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2023, celebrating his profound impact on the state’s economic landscape. Hutson resides in Birmingham, Alabama, with his wife, Kimberly. They have four children: Hannah and Conner (who reside in West Virginia), Parker, and Tanner.

Robert L. Reynolds serves as Secretary of the WVU Board of Governors and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments, where he also leads the Operating Committee and serves as President of The Putnam Funds. With over 30 years in the financial services industry, Reynolds has reinvigorated Putnam through consistent investment performance, innovative product offerings for modern market challenges and thought leadership on the future of retirement and workplace savings. Widely respected as an industry statesman, he is recognized as a leader in both institutional and retail financial services innovation.

Beyond his work at Putnam, Reynolds is Chair of Great-West Lifeco U.S., a leading provider of retirement savings products, life insurance, annuities and executive benefits. Prior to joining Putnam in 2008, he served as Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Fidelity Investments.

Reynolds has received numerous industry honors, including Fund Leader of the Year at the 2010 Mutual Fund Industry Awards for his transformative leadership at Putnam. Under his guidance, Putnam was named Retirement Leader of the Year in 2011 for its initiatives in workplace savings. Additionally, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from PLANSPONSOR magazine for his work in popularizing employer-sponsored 401(k) plans.

Reynolds serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Concord Museum, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation. He also chairs the Boston Advisory Board of the American Ireland Fund and is the National Council Co-Chair of the American Enterprise Institute. His other affiliations include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness, Chair of the Massachusetts High Technology Council, the Chief Executives Club of Boston, the Massachusetts General Hospital President’s Council, Director and former Chair of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, former Chair of the WVU Foundation and former Executive Committee Member of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

He holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus in Finance from WVU, where he also received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration and a Distinguished Alumni Award. His additional honors include the Boston College President’s Medal of Excellence, an honorary Doctor of Commercial Science from Bentley University and the De La Salle Medal from Manhattan College.

Paul A. Mattox, Jr., P.E., served as West Virginia Commissioner of Highways starting in January 2005 and was appointed acting Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Transportation in January 2006. In June 2006, he assumed the dual roles of Cabinet Secretary and Commissioner of Highways, appointed by Governor Joe Manchin III and reappointed by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin. Mattox held these positions until his retirement in January 2017, making him the longest-serving Transportation Secretary and Highways Commissioner in West Virginia’s history. He began his career with the Division of Highways as a co-op student in 1979, remaining with the agency until 1987, and later worked with Woolpert, RPM Engineers, PLLC, and E. L. Robinson Engineering Co.

Mattox holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the WVU Institute of Technology and a M.S. in Engineering from Marshall University. He is a registered professional engineer in West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Florida and Alabama, as well as a registered professional land surveyor in West Virginia.

He has held key leadership positions within the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), including Chairman of the Standing Committee on Aviation, Executive Committee member and Board of Directors member. He also co-chaired the AASHTO/Federal Highway Administration/American Council of Engineering Companies Committee and served as President of the Southern Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (SASHTO) from 2015 to 2016, presiding over their annual meeting at The Greenbrier. He has also served as President of the West Virginia Society of Civil Engineers and is a graduate of Leadership West Virginia.

A career highlight for Mattox was delivering the commencement address to the 2013 graduating class of his alma mater, WVU Institute of Technology. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the WVU Institute of Technology Institutional Board of Visitors and represents the institution on the WVU Board of Governors.

Among his honors are the 2005 Marshall University Graduate College Distinguished Graduate Student Alumnus Award, the 2010 Distinguished Mountaineer Award from Governor Joe Manchin III, the 2013 Marshall University Distinguished Alumni Award, the 2014 American Association of Highway Engineers North Central West Virginia Section Man of the Year and the 2017 Distinguished West Virginian Award from Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, the state’s highest honor for a native West Virginian.

Mattox and his wife, Elaine Davis Mattox – a nursing graduate of the WVU Institute of Technology, Marshall University and a Doctor of Educational Leadership from WVU, and a Research Scientist with the Charleston Area Medical Center Institute for Academic Medicine – reside in Hurricane, West Virginia; Glade Springs, West Virginia; and Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. They have three grown children, including a WVU graduate and a current WVU Institute of Technology student, and three grandchildren. Mattox is a native of Nitro, West Virginia, and Elaine is from Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

Charlie Capito, Jr. recently retired as Managing Director of the Wells Fargo Advisors Complex in West Virginia. A graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, he began his career as a Financial Consultant with Smith Barney in 1976, steadily advancing to become a recognized leader in the financial industry.

His experience includes serving as Executive Vice President and Director of Business Development at United Bank, where he gained extensive leadership expertise in managing operations, compliance and sales initiatives.

Though his career began in Charleston and eventually brought him back home, Capito has also held leadership roles with Citigroup’s myFi at Smith Barney in New York, New York, and with the Legg Mason Division of Smith Barney in Washington, D.C. Highly credentialed as a finance executive, he has managed billions of dollars in assets throughout his career.

In addition to his role on the WVU Board of Governors, Capito currently serves as Trustee for CAMC Health Systems, Inc., and the Charleston Area Medical Center. Recently, he was elected President of the Congressional Club Museum and Foundation in Washington, D.C. He has also served as a Trustee for the University of Charleston and Hampden-Sydney College and held various board positions with The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, the Charleston Rotary Club and the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority, among others.

He is married to U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito. Together, they have three children – Charles III, Moore and Shelley – and seven grandchildren. Their son, Moore Capito, currently serves in the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing the same seat previously held by his mother.

Bray Cary is a seasoned political advisor, media executive and sports marketing entrepreneur. He was President, CEO and a Board member of West Virginia Media Holdings, a multi-media company that included four TV stations and a newspaper, serving over 90% of West Virginia. In 1984, he founded Creative Sports, a sports marketing and production company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, which ESPN acquired in 1994. Cary is widely credited with driving NASCAR’s growth, facilitating a landmark $2.4 billion deal with FOX and NBC in 1999 and negotiating a pioneering Internet contract between NASCAR and Turner/AOL in 2000.

Cary resides in Charleston, West Virginia, where he remains a dedicated advocate for the state’s economic development. Previously, he hosted Decision Makers, a weekly public affairs television program covering key issues for West Virginians, including the economy, education, health and transportation. He has delivered notable speeches that include the 2000 commencement address at WVU and the 2004 convocation speech at Alderson Broaddus College.

In 2002, Cary was inducted into the WVU Business Hall of Fame, an honor recognizing leaders with significant business impact and strong West Virginia ties. He has also served on the WVU Foundation Board and the University’s Board of Advisors. Recently, he stepped down from the EQT Corporation Board of Directors, which he served on since 2008. Cary spent nearly four years advising Governor Jim Justice as a citizen volunteer and special assistant before joining the WVU Board of Governors.

Elmer Coppoolse is an international hotelier and Chief Operating Officer of The Greenbrier and Managing Partner of The Resort at Glade Springs, both located in West Virginia.

With over 30 years of experience as an independent hotelier, Coppoolse has owned and managed hotels across the United States, Middle East and Europe. He also managed The Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C., one of the founding members of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. From 1999 to 2003, he served as COO and development partner of SynXis, an internet startup that pioneered the first ASP in hotel reservations management. SynXis became the leading software for booking engines and channel management in the hospitality industry and was acquired by Sabre Hospitality in 2004.

Originally from the Netherlands, Coppoolse later became a U.S. citizen. He holds an undergraduate degree from Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland, a graduate degree in Marketing from the Netherlands Institute of Marketing and studied Hotel Finance at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Coppoolse is the Board President of the World Cancer Research Fund and President of the Owners Club at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. He has also served on the boards of Mountain State University and the University of Charleston in West Virginia.

He and his wife, Mary Jo, live between Bethesda, Maryland; Hot Springs, Virginia; and Glade Springs, West Virginia. They have four grown children, including their youngest daughter, Caroline, who graduated from WVU in 2017.

Dr. Lesley Cottrell is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at West Virginia University’s School of Medicine. Originally from Michigan and raised near Shady Spring, West Virginia, Dr. Cottrell earned her B.A. in Psychology from WVU in 1994, a master’s degree in child clinical psychology from Marshall University in 1997, and a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from WVU in 2001. She completed her post-doctoral training with support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), focusing on adolescent risk decision-making and parental influences.

Since joining the WVU faculty, Dr. Cottrell has fostered collaborative research efforts across the Department of Pediatrics, the School of Public Health and WVU’s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. Her research centers on child and adolescent health, family influences and public health challenges such as obesity, substance use, adolescent pregnancy and trauma resiliency. Her work has contributed to parent and adolescent risk-reduction programs and teacher training resources, implemented both nationally and internationally in The Bahamas, Namibia and Vietnam, with funding from NIH, HRSA, CDC and SAMSHA. To date, she has published over 140 peer-reviewed manuscripts, presented at 90 conferences and contributed six book chapters.

Since 2015, Dr. Cottrell has directed the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities (CED), West Virginia’s only center of its kind, providing services, training and research for individuals with disabilities and their families. She has mentored 89 undergraduate, graduate and professional trainees, guiding them through significant academic milestones.

Dr. Cottrell co-developed WVU’s Country Roads Program, a transitional program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and represents the University in state and national disability networks. She teaches courses for medical and public health students and has been active in faculty governance since 2002, chairing several senate committees, serving as Faculty Senate Chair in 2010- 2011 and representing the faculty on the WVU Board of Governors. Additionally, she chairs the WVU Institutional Review Board (IRB) Gold Board and previously served as Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Pediatrics from 2009 to 2019.

Kevin J. Craig has served as Executive Vice President of Coal at GP Natural Resource Partners since September 2014. He was previously the Vice President of Business Development for GP Natural Resource Partners (NRP) LLC, a position he held since 2005. Additionally, Craig represents NRP as one of its appointees to the Board of Managers of Ciner Wyoming LLC.

He joined NRP in 2005 after serving as Terminal Manager for the West Virginia Coalfields at CSX Transportation. He brings extensive experience in marketing, finance and operations within the energy industry. From 2000 to 2015, he was a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, having been elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. During his tenure, he served as Chairman of the Committee on Energy. He did not seek re-election in 2014, and his term ended in January 2015. Prior to his career at CSX, Craig served as a Captain in the United States Army.

Craig has held leadership roles, including Chairman of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and he continues to serve on the boards of both the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Motorists Mutual Insurance Company and BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Company (Encova Insurance).

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame in 1981 and earned a Master of Business Administration from Georgia Southern University in 1996.

Dr. Scott Crichlow is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, part of West Virginia University’s Eberly College of Arts & Sciences. He has been a West Virginian and a member of the of the WVU faculty for over 20 years. He is a past Chair of the Department of Political Science and previously served as Director of the Rockefeller School of Policy and Politics. Active in Faculty Senate since 2018, including spearheading the creation of the Shared Governance Committee and serving as Chair of the Faculty Welfare Committee twice, Dr. Crichlow was elected by his fellow faculty senators to serve as Faculty Senate Chair for 2025-2026 and as a faculty representative on the Board of Governors for 2025-2027.

Dr. Crichlow’s research and teaching has centered on topics relating to decision-making, political institutions, foreign policy, and political psychology. His work has been published in academic outlets such as International Studies Quarterly, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Political Pyschology, and he coauthored a book published by Columbia University Press. Across his years in Morgantown he has taught thousands of WVU students across all levels of instruction, from introductory-level undergraduate courses up to serving as the dissertation chair for 17 WVU Ph.Ds. He regularly serves as the primary academic advisor for dozens of majors within the Department of Political Science, and he has led students on international academic experiences in the Netherlands, the Middle East, and the Gulf region. He has served as the faculty advisor for several student groups and currently serves as the advisor for the WVU Pre-Law Society.

Raised in Louisiana, Dr. Crichlow earned his B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Louisiana State University.

Michael D’Annunzio is the President of Beverage Distributors, Inc., a third-generation West Virginia-owned business. While attending college, he began working in the family business in various roles, from warehouse labor to pre-sales. After graduating, he took on the position of Director of Strategic Development and was named President of the company in 2008.

D’Annunzio is actively involved in both local and state-wide community efforts. He serves as a Board member for Medbrook Children’s Charity and the D’Annunzio Foundation, and he supports several charitable causes, demonstrating his commitment to community service.

Additionally, he is a Board member of the Mountain State Young Presidents Organization and serves as President of the West Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association. He regularly participates in national committees to advance his industry.

D’Annunzio attended Marshall University in 1998, Wake Forest University in 1999 and the University of Sydney in Australia in 2000. He graduated cum laude from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology in 2004. He then completed his Master of Business Administration at West Virginia University in 2005, which included international study programs in Italy and China.

Michael is married to Denah Marano D’Annunzio, and together they have a daughter, Sofia, who attends Bridgeport High School. The family resides in Bridgeport, West Virginia.

Dr. Patrice Harris is the CEO and Co-Founder of eMed, a digital healthcare company. A board-certified psychiatrist based in Atlanta, she brings extensive experience as a practicing physician, county public health director and patient advocate. With deep expertise in public policy on legislative and regulatory matters at all levels of government, Dr. Harris was the 174th President of the American Medical Association (AMA) and, notably, the first African American woman to hold that position. She serves as a visiting professor of psychiatry at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and is the Chief Health and Medical Editor of EverydayHealth.com.

Dr. Harris also served on the AMA Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2021, including a term as Chair from 2016 to 2017. Her AMA leadership roles included chairing the AMA Council on Legislation and contributing to multiple task forces on topics like health information technology, payment and delivery reform and private contracting.

As Chair of the AMA Opioid Task Force from 2014 to 2021, Dr. Harris led national efforts to address the opioid epidemic, advocating to remove barriers to treatment, improve access to affordable non-opioid pain care and reduce stigma for individuals with substance use disorders.

Beyond the AMA, Dr. Harris has held leadership roles with the American Psychiatric Association, Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association, Medical Association of Georgia and The Big Cities Health Coalition, where she chaired the coalition of leaders from major U.S. metropolitan health departments. She also serves on the boards of United Bankshares Inc., Quartet Health, the Georgia AIDS Coalition and the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI).

Raised in Bluefield, West Virginia, Dr. Harris aspired to work in medicine in an era when few women of color worked in the field. She earned her B.A. in psychology, M.A. in counseling psychology, and M.D. from WVU, where her passion for child advocacy began. She completed her psychiatry residency and fellowships in child and adolescent psychiatry and forensic psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine, where she was also a senior policy fellow at the Barton Child Law and Policy Center.

Dr. Harris is known for her dedication to children’s mental health, behavioral health integration, health equity and the social determinants of health, with special focuses on childhood trauma and mental health in athletics. A respected mentor, advocate and role model, she is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences and has appeared as an expert on CNN, MSNBC, Fox and NPR. Dr. Harris’s many honors recognize her contributions to healthcare, public health and medical education.

Terry Hauser is a 1986 graduate of Potomac State College with a degree in Agriculture technology and a 1988 graduate of WVU with a degree in Agriculture Education specializing in agriculture production and agriculture mechanics. Following graduation, Terry was employed by Cargill animal nutrition as a livestock nutritionist. In 1990 he returned to his home high school of East Preston and taught Agriculture Education until the school was closed to consolidation in 1992. Hauser was then hired as Farm manager for Ward Thomas and sons, a dairy and beef cow operation in Bruceton Mills, WV. In 1994, He married his wife Jill (Masters) Hauser and they moved back to Terry’s home farm and formed a partnership with Terry’s parents to become the fourth generation to milk cows on their farm in Eglon, WV.

In 2000, the Hausers built a new dairy facility on their Maryland family farm, which they still operate today. In 2011, Terry returned to teaching and spent 6 years teaching at Tucker County High school, 3 years at Southern Garrett Maryland and 5 years at Preston High. During these years, many of his students earned their State and American degrees and 6 times students made their way to National competitions. Terry and Jill own and operate Dell Ridge Farms, a family dairy farm, and market their milk to United Dairy in Uniontown, Pa. Terry has served as President of the Preston County Farm Bureau, served on Southern States Oakland cooperative board of directors, was recognized as the 1998 WV young farmer of the year, and recently received the WV FFA State honorary degree.

Jill and Terry attend the Fairview Covenant Brethren church and have served on various church committees and as deacons. They have 2 sons, Andrew and Jacob who are former graduates of Potomac State College and WVU who now reside in west Texas and are both school teachers, and a daughter Isabelle who currently attends Potomac State college majoring in Agriculture Education. Hauser is proud to represent Potomac State college and Agriculture on the Board of Governors.

Susan Lavenski is the CEO and owner of Charles Ryan Associates (CRA), one of the region’s oldest and largest communications firms, headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia, with an additional office in Richmond, Virginia. CRA is also recognized as one of the largest women-owned communications firms in the area.

An expert in issues management, Lavenski has led communications efforts for transportation campaigns, utility and energy projects, controversial elections and health care certificates of need, establishing herself as a consummate problem solver. She has developed strategies for Fortune 500 companies and collaborated with local, regional and national public figures, media representatives and business executives, achieving results that have garnered state, regional and national coverage for her clients.

With 24 years of experience at CRA, Lavenski holds a B.A. degree in Public Relations Journalism and an M.A. degree in Political Science, focusing on Public Administration, from Marshall University.

In addition to her role at CRA, Lavenski is the CEO of Onva Company, a real estate property firm owned by her family. She actively participates on several boards and committees, including Vice Chair and Executive Committee/Board member of the WV Chamber of Commerce, Vice Chair and Executive Committee Member of the WV Roundtable, Board member of Thomas Health Systems, Board member of Buckskin Council (Boy Scouts of America), Marketing/Communications Chairwoman of the WV Manufacturers Association, Committee Member/Sub-Committee Chairwoman of the Charleston Area Alliance’s Vision 2030 Innovation/R&D Committee, Member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Member of the WV Business and Industry Council, Member of the Independent Oil and Gas Association of WV, Member of the Chemical Industry Council, Committee Member of the Marcellus & Manufacturing Development Conference, Council Member of the Advisory Council for Marshall University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Member of the Education Working Group for the WV Chamber of Commerce and Chairwoman of the Energy Speaks Education Initiative.

Lavenski has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including being featured in “America’s Who’s Who 2020,” recognized as one of the “50 Smartest Companies of 2019” by Silicon Review, honored as one of the “10 Best Entrepreneurs of 2019” by Industry Era Magazine, recipient of the WV Executive 2018 Sharp Shooters Award, recognized in the State Journal’s 2017 Who’s Who in WV Business, inducted into the 2017 Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications Hall of Fame, featured in “Innerviews” by Sandy Wells for the Gazette Mail in March 2016, awarded WV PRSA Public Relations Professional of the Year in 2015, featured as a WV Executive “Young Guns Reloaded” Professional in 2015, a recipient of the WV Executive’s 2011 Young Guns Award and a recipient of the State Journal’s 2010 40 Under 40 Award.

She was the 2019 CEO Spotlight Featured Speaker at the WV Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Business Summit, the 2019 Featured Speaker at the Women’s Leadership Summit, Commencement Speaker at Marshall University’s 2019 Graduation Ceremony and featured in WV Focus Magazine’s “Wonder Women” issue, highlighting WV’s most powerful women breaking the status quo and proving that leadership has no gender.

Oliver Luck serves as President of Palmetto Trust Company, LLC and Chairman of Altius Sports Partners. His previous roles have included Commissioner of the XFL, Executive Vice President for Regulatory Affairs and Strategic Partnerships of the NCAA, and Athletic Director of West Virginia University. Additionally, he has been in leadership roles with the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer and the National Football League and was Chief Executive Officer of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, where he oversaw the financing, construction and management of professional sports and entertainment infrastructure in Houston, including Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium and Toyota Center.

Jim Martin is the President and CEO of Citynet, West Virginia’s leading telecommunications and broadband infrastructure company. A lifelong West Virginian and entrepreneur, Mr. Martin launched his first company, MARCOM, while still a computer science student at West Virginia University. MARCOM quickly became a regional leader in internet service, web design, and hosting. After its acquisition by City National Bank, alongside Charleston-based Citynet, Martin was named CEO of the newly formed company.

Determined to grow the business independently, Mr. Martin later led a team of investors to acquire Citynet from the bank. At the time, the company had just 20 employees. Under his leadership, Citynet has since grown into a dynamic, privately-owned technology company with 300 employees, offices, and data centers in Bridgeport, Morgantown, and Charleston, WV, and additional data facilities in Columbus, OH, and Pittsburgh, PA.

Today, Citynet delivers an expansive suite of services, including ultra-fast fiber-optic GIG Internet, advanced business voice systems, managed IT solutions, and secure enterprise networking—all powered by Citynet’ s wholly-owned and aggressively expanding fiber network. What began as a regional ISP has become the telecommunications backbone for communities, businesses, and institutions across the Mountain State.

Mr. Martin has long been a leading advocate for broadband expansion and digital equity across West Virginia. He served as a board member of the West Virginia Broadband Deployment Council and continues to work alongside state and local governments, nonprofit coalitions, and industry partners to bring fiber to unserved and underserved areas. He is widely respected for his ability to translate complex technology and policy issues into practical, actionable insights, making him a regular speaker at broadband conferences and policy roundtables. Mr. Martin has served on numerous other boards including the West Virginia State Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the Harrison County Chamber of Commerce.

Through a combination of public and private investment, Citynet has secured funding through programs such as the West Virginia Line Extension Advancement and Development (LEAD) Program, the GigReady initiative, and multiple rounds of federal broadband infrastructure grants. These initiatives have powered high-impact fiber builds in over a dozen counties with more coming, bringing transformational connectivity to homes, schools, businesses, and healthcare facilities.

Jim Martin’s commitment to innovation, local investment, and digital inclusion continues to position Citynet and West Virginia for a brighter, more connected future.

Steven Ruby is a Charleston attorney in private practice, representing corporate and executive clients in significant, complex matters. He has worked with major clients across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, technology, energy, hospitality, and gaming, handling litigation, business transactions, government regulation and strategic legal counsel.

After graduating first in his law school class, Ruby served as a law clerk for Judge Robert B. King of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He later served as a federal prosecutor and chief of the white-collar section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, prosecuting cases of state and national significance involving mine safety, extortion and political corruption.

An eighth-generation West Virginian, Ruby resides in Charleston with his wife and three children. He is also active in the community, serving as a coach for a local youth robotics team.

Dianne Stewart serves as the staff representative, bringing a career-long dedication to education and a deep commitment to West Virginia University. For the past 15 years, she has contributed to WVU in a variety of roles and currently works within the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, supporting undergraduate and graduate students from recruitment through degree completion.

She has served on Staff Council for eight years, including her upcoming term, gaining invaluable insight into the university’s operations and the essential role of staff. During her tenure, she has chaired several committees, including the Tuition Assistance/Staff Council Scholarship Program, the Red Cross Blood Drive, and the Legislative Committee. She also serves on the Staff Advisory Council in the Statler College.

With experience working at multiple levels of education, Stewart is a passionate advocate for lifelong learning and firmly believes in the transformative power of education. A WVU alumna, she continues her own educational journey—an experience that reinforces her commitment to academic and personal growth.

She earned her Regents Bachelor of Arts degree with a minor in communication from WVU in 2023 and is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work.

Having lived in various places across the United States, Stewart now calls Morgantown home and is devoted to ensuring that the voices of WVU staff are heard, respected, and valued.

Born and raised in Morgantown, WV,  Colin Street is a 2023 WVU Foundation Scholar, triple majoring in Political Science, Environmental & Energy Resources Management, and Multidisciplinary Studies. Driven by a passion for cultivating a more sustainable, just, and prosperous West Virginia, he has spent his time at WVU exploring several educational opportunities in and outside the classroom.

In the professional world, Street has pursued careers rooted in service. In 2022, he represented West Virginia as a senator at the American Legion's Boys Nation and later returned to Washington D.C. in 2024 as a legislative intern for former U.S. Senator Joe Manchin where he focused on energy and education policy. Wanting to develop a comprehensive understanding of community-based economic development, he sought out service at a regional level through government agencies and nonprofits, interning with the Northern WV Brownfield Assistance Center and Appalachian Voices.

In terms of academics, Street currently holds a 4.0 GPA. In 2024, he traveled abroad with the WVU Political Science department studying European Political and Legal Institutions in France. A graduate of the Undergraduate Research Program, Street has performed research in the realms of agricultural and energy policy under WVU's Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic, the Roosevelt Network, and WVU's Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources to better understand how new industries and legislation could enhance the Mountain State.

In addition to representing Students on the Board of Governors, as Student Body President Street presides over the Student Government Association where he previously served as a Senator At-Large for two terms. In that position Street led the establishment of WVU's Mutual Aid Cabinet, providing WVU students with free pads, tampons, condoms, and fentanyl test strips; developed a solar action plan outlining the potential for WVU to save thousands of dollars in diversifying its energy portfolio; and organized WVU's 2024 voter registration drive resulting in national recognition of WVU as one of ALL IN's Most Civically Engaged Campuses. Today, with over 80 members, the Student Government Association is dedicated to fostering community on campus through more robust student engagement, reducing everyday costs associated with higher education, and promoting students' mental and physical well beings.

Set to graduate in 2027, Street plans to continue his education in either Graduate Studies or Law School. Regardless of his future education, he has every intention of remaining in West Virginia and continuing to serve the state.