WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Student Body President, Marshall University / Student Body President, Marshall University

Anna Williams is a senior studying public communication and English at Marshall University. Williams made history in 2019 as part of the first-ever female ticket to be elected as Student Body President and Vice President at Marshall University. Anna Williams is a senior studying public communication and English at Marshall University. Williams made history in 2019 as part of the first-ever female ticket to be elected as Student Body President and Vice President at Marshall University. During her time as Vice President, Williams led community and campus initiatives to improve pathways to success for low-income, rural, and food insecure individuals. In 2020, Williams was awarded the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship - a national public service fellowship that recognizes 60 students per year who exemplify a strong commitment to public service. Currently, as Student Body President, Williams serves on the Marshall University Board of Governors and assisted, most notably, in the name change of the Education Building. Williams also temporarily served on the board at Our Future West Virginia. After graduating this May, Williams will be attending the West Virginia University College of Law to study public interest law and continue her career in West Virginia.

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive Officer at Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council
• Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council / Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council

Beth Casey is the Chief Executive Officer at Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council and is based in Charleston. Beth grew up in Girl Scouts and has earned her Silver Award and Gold Award. While she has been with Black Diamond for 12 years, she has worked for Girl Scouts for 28 years. Beth Casey is the Chief Executive Officer at Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council and is based in Charleston. Beth grew up in Girl Scouts and has earned her Silver Award and Gold Award. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Relations from the University of North Carolina and a certificate in non-profit management from Duke University. While she has been with Black Diamond for 12 years, she has worked for Girl Scouts for 28 years. Beth started in Girl Scouts as a program specialist supervising resident camp programs. Beth is married to Michael Casey and they have two children, Matthew and Hannah. Everyone in the family is involved in Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts and Hannah is a 4th generation Girl Scout. Beth enjoys making jewelry, gardening, and being outdoors!

Job Titles:

• President and CEO of Action Facilities Management, Inc

Diana has always prioritized those around her, both in business and in her personal life. She mentors other women- and minority-owned businesses in West Virginia and beyond and was a leading board member of Members of Diversity, a local nonprofit for underserved youth that provided leadership, mentorship, and skill development. Diana Lewis Jackson founded and serves as President and CEO of Action Facilities Management, Inc. (AFM) in Morgantown, WV. A long-standing member of the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce, she has strengthened AFM into a premier government and commercial contract firm specializing in security guards, building maintenance, janitorial/sanitization, and administrative services. By prioritizing her clients' missions, her employees' well-being, and investing in both corporate and community support, she has grown AFM to include just under 400 employees in ten states and Washington, DC. AFM has championed diversity through its employment practices and retention programs, and AFM is proud to be among the minority and women-owned small businesses that represent West Virginia. Diana has always prioritized those around her, both in business and in her personal life. She mentors other women- and minority-owned businesses in West Virginia and beyond and was a leading board member of Members of Diversity, a local nonprofit for underserved youth that provided leadership, mentorship, and skill development. She was appointed by the governor to serve on the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and serves alongside other community leaders on the United Bank Advisory Board, the Visiting Committee for the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, the West Virginia Regional Technology Park, and the Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation.

Job Titles:

• Professor and Director, West Virginia University Leadership Studies Program / Professor and Director, West Virginia University Leadership Studies Program

Dr. Lisa DeFrank-Cole is an author, leadership coach, and educator with more than 20 years of experience working in universities and in state-government. Lisa works with individuals and groups to support their leadership development through speaking, coaching, and teaching. Dr. Lisa DeFrank-Cole is an author, leadership coach, and educator with more than 20 years of experience working in universities and in state-government. Lisa works with individuals and groups to support their leadership development through speaking, coaching, and teaching. An advocate for women's advancement, she has spoken at events around the world and served as a Fulbright Specialist Scholar at the Royal University for Women in the Kingdom of Bahrain. She is an expert on women and leadership having written articles, chapters, case studies, and books. As a professor at West Virginia University (WVU), Lisa has taught courses and conducte d research on various facets of leadership. She is a founding member of the WVU Women's Leadership Initiative where she served as the inaugural director. Prior to working at WVU, she served as the Executive Director of the WV PROMISE Scholarship, worked at Carnegie Mellon University and at the University of Michigan. Most recently, she penned Women and Leadership: Journey Toward Equity (2021 SAGE) with Dr. Sherylle Tan. Contact Lisa via email at L.DeFrank.Cole@gmail.com.

Job Titles:

• Executive Director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs
• Executive Director, Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs / Executive Director, Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs

Jill Upson is the Executive Director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs (HHOMA). She was appointed to this cabinet-level position in December 2018 after serving for four years in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Jill Upson is the Executive Director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs (HHOMA). She was appointed to this cabinet-level position in December 2018 after serving for four years in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Elected twice to the West Virginia House of Delegates, Upson served as Vice Chair of Banking and Insurance in addition to serving on various committees, caucuses, and commissions. Due to her steadfast leadership in criminal justice reform, Upson was recognized by the Governor of West Virginia with his Civil Rights Award. Jill Upson holds the distinction of making state history as the first black Republican woman elected to the WV House of Delegates. She also serves as Chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission. Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Upson formed and Chairs the COVID-19 Advisory Commission on Racial Disparities which continues to lead in statewide equitable vaccine distribution. She also successfully spearheaded all weekly minority COVID-19 testing sites in multiple locations throughout the state during the height of the pandemic. Director Upson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Shepherd University. She is married to retired Navy Commander Kelvin Upson and is the mother of DJ and Chandler.

Job Titles:

• Associate General Counsel for the West Virginia United Health System

Justice Beth Walker was elected to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on May 10, 2016, becoming the first Justice elected in a non-partisan race. She took office on January 1, 2017 and served as Chief Justice during calendar year 2019. Justice Elizabeth "Beth" D. Walker was elected to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on May 10, 2016, becoming the first Justice elected in a non-partisan race. She took office on January 1, 2017 and served as Chief Justice in 2019. Justice Walker is active on social media and passionate about public engagement and civics education. In 2020, she and her friends Justice Rhonda Wood of the Arkansas Supreme Court, Chief Justice Bridget McCormack of the Michigan Supreme Court, and Justice Eva Guzman of the Texas Supreme Court launched the podcast Lady Justice: Women of the Court. It features discussions of the judicial branch of government and their experiences on their state's highest appellate court and is available online at https://ladyjustice.podbean.com/. Justice Walker was raised in Huron, Ohio. She is a 1987 summa cum laude graduate of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. She earned her law degree in 1990 from The Ohio State University, where she was Articles Editor for The Ohio State Law Journal. During her years of private practice, she participated in courses offered by the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, including its Mediation Workshop. Immediately after graduating from law school, Justice Walker moved to West Virginia and joined the law firm of Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love (now Bowles Rice) in Charleston. During her twenty-two years at Bowles Rice, she concentrated her statewide practice on labor and employment law and mediation. Justice Walker served on the firm's Executive Committee and in several other leadership roles. After moving from Charleston to Morgantown in 2011, Justice Walker became Associate General Counsel for the West Virginia United Health System (also known as West Virginia University Medicine). In that role, she advised WVU Medicine's hospitals and other affiliates regarding labor and employment matters from 2012 until she resigned in 2016 to take office. In 2012, Justice Walker was elected a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. She is a 1999 graduate of Leadership West Virginia. A lifelong Girl Scout, Justice Walker is former chair of the board of directors of Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council. She also served as chair of the boards of Leadership West Virginia and Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center. She is married to Mike Walker and stepmother to Jennifer. They live in Charleston.