Standing Strong for Local Growth

Some of you may not know me and therefore, I would like to introduce myself.  I am a native of Doddridge County and I was raised on my Grandparents farm (Millard and Willa Maxwell) in Blandville.  I attended the Blandville United Methodist Church where my Grandfather was a Deacon and my Grandmother was the pianist.  My grandmother and I went to churches throughout the area and I would sing.  She played the piano and I sang old Christian hymns.  I developed a strong work ethic on that farm, my earliest memory is rolling hay bales together in the fields when I was about 4 years old.  I learned a lot from my Grandparents.  In my youth, I played many sports including football, basketball, baseball, and track.  Later in life, I coached those sports for many years at Poca and at Doddridge.  Developing a bright future for our kids is one of the main reasons that I am running for Office.
I am married to a woman that is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, Ava Smith.  We live on a farm in Oxford, WV.  We were married on May 22, 1982 and we renewed our vows on May 5, 2022.  We are blessed with 3 beautiful children and they further blessed us with 3 gorgeous grandchildren.  My youngest son is a police officer and I support law enforcement 100%.  My oldest son is a Marine Corp Vet and is studying to become an EMT, I support our veterans and first responders 100%.
I graduated from WVU in 1983 with a degree in Accounting and I graduated from WV Wesleyan in 1987 with an MBA.  I passed the CPA exam in 1990.  Honestly though, the best education that I received was in a tiny 4 room school with 2 classes in each room.  I am thankful for the educational foundation that I received from Middle Island Grade School.  Great teachers make a difference and Rodney Jones and Lynn Warden were amazing.
I stared working at an early age.  In my teens, I worked as a stockboy at Garden Fresh Supermarkets, as a Laborer on a spud rig in the oil fields, as a dispatcher and and an EMT at the local ambulance authority and of course many farming chores too numerous to mention.
My wife and I lived in Clarksburg during my college years and I worked for Union National Bank in the computer room and for a local CPA doing tax returns and audits.  It was this phase of my life that I learned how messed up our tax system is.  I hope to help improve that if I am elected.
After college-Union National Bank- Trust Operations Supervisor
Weston National Bank and Heritage Bancorp- Hired initially as the Controller and later I became the Chief Financial Officer.  Heritage was an SEC regulated Bank Holding Company and I learned SEC accounting here.
Ameribank- I became the youngest Bank President in modern banking history when I became President and CEO on July 1, 1990.  I was later elected Chairman and I sold the bank to Bank One in 1993 at a price that made our shareholder very happy.  After that sale, I continued to work as a Consultant for the banks primary owner (Jim Sutton) for several years.
I also founded a small company that offered entertainment services for restaurants, weddings, etc.  This experience taught me how difficult it is to be a small business owner.  You work 24/7.  I will support small business in any way that I can if elected.
Edward Jones-  I joined Edward Jones as a retail broker in 2001, I passed the Series 7 and Series 63 securities exams.  My most memorable moment here was being on the phone with a client when the planes hit the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001, I will never forget, none of us should.
West Virginia Laborers-  I met the District Council President when I was coaching youth football in Poca.  I coached his son and we got to know each other.  One day he asked if I would consider running the benefit plans for the Laborers.  Many members of my family had been members of the Union trades and I agreed to take the job.  This meant that I was the CEO of the Pension Plan, the Defined Contribution Plan, and the Health Insurance Company.  Working closely with the Board and aided by a great staff, we were able to grow the funds from 160 million in 2002 to almost a billion dollars when I retired on February 1, 2022.  I love working people and working families.  Solid paychecks and good healthcare is the cornerstone of building strong families.  I support working people and economic development 100%.
Healthcare experience-  I joined the Teays Valley Hospital Board in 2003.  I became Chairman of the Board a year later.  In the ensuing 6 years, I learned how difficult it is to recruit great medical professionals to small rural hospitals, you would also be amazed at the amount of money that we wrote off each year because people couldn’t pay us, it was a lot.  We merged our Hospital with CAMC and I joined the Board there where I was also a member of the Finance Committee.  I learned how hard it is to survive as a large hospital.  I am currently Chairman of the Doddridge County Health Department and I am on the Board of Integrated Health.  I really understand healthcare from all angles-  from running a health insurance company to serving on many governing Boards.  Everyone needs healthcare but no one wants to pay for it, the solution will not be easy.  I will tell you that a good nurse is worth their weight in gold. My wife is one!
Teaching and speaking engagements- throughout my career, I was asked to teach at several colleges on an adjunct basis.  I mostly taught Accounting, Auditing, Tax, Business Law, and Banking.  I enjoyed teaching the kids at WVU- Parkersburg, Salem College, Fairmont State, WV State, and the School of Banking at Marshall University.  I have spoken several times at the International Foundation on Investments and Trust Administration, at AIMSE on Investments, and at Harvard University during the Capital Matters Conference in 2006.
West Virginia Investment Management Board-  the WVIMB invests all the long term pension money for the State of WV.  This includes the State Police, the Teachers, the Judges, and all other state public employees. When I joined the Board in 2006, the pensions were less than 30% funded.  It was announced at the last meeting that on a combined basis, we are now 100% funded!  I was instrumental in getting the Legislature to allow us to invest in alternative investments in 2009 and I was the founding Charirman of the Private Equity Committee.  Our Private Equity funds have consistently ranked as one of the best in the Nation when compared to other public funds!  I have also served as Chairman of the Audit Committee, the Hedge Fund Committee, and the Personnel Committee.
Çreative-  I love music especially Gospel and Classic Rock.  For several years, I was the Lead Singer of the Sycamore Ridge Classic Rock Band.  I also played keyboards and guitar.  I wrote a Science Fiction Novel last year and it is published and available on Amazon- “Trinarian Dawn”!
My wife and I are members of the Oxford Community Church, God is an important part of our lives.  I maintain our family cemetery located just above the church that goes back to the mid 1800’s.  I love this area, we are lucky to live in District 8.  I hope to represent you in Charleston!  Message me if you have any questions!