Sept. 9, 2021
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announces appointments to the newly created West Virginia Semiquincentennial Commission. The commission consists of 24 individuals. A full list of members is included below.
The West Virginia Semiquincentennial Commission was created by the West Virginia Legislature, through the passage of House Bill 2916 on April 7, 2021, to support the celebration of the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. The Legislature finds that the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding is of such historical significance as to warrant its commemoration. The purpose of the commission is to prepare for and commemorate the semiquincentennial.
Members to the commission were chosen according to the following guidelines. The Governor shall appoint 10 members as follows: three academic historians; five citizens members, no more than one of whom may be from any one state senatorial district; a member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution; and a member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The following shall serve as ex-officio voting members: the State Superintendent of Schools, or a designee; the Cabinet Secretary of Commerce, or a designee; the Curator of the Department of Arts, Culture, and History, or a designee; the Secretary of the Department of Tourism, or a designee; the Executive Director of the Herbert Henderson Minority Affairs Office, or a designee; the West Virginia State Archivist; the Director of the West Virginia State Museums.
The following shall serve as ex-officio nonvoting members: one member of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; one member of the State Senate, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; members of the United States Senate from the State of West Virginia, or their designees; and members of the United States House of Representatives from the State of West Virginia, or their designees.
The commission shall terminate on June 30, 2027. For more details on the creation of the commission, go to https://bit.ly/3BOx5Fv.
West Virginia Semiquincentennial Commission Members
Statutory Members
Randall Reid-Smith, Department of Arts, Culture and History, Curator - Chairman
Ed Gaunch, Department of Commerce, Cabinet Secretary
Chelsea Ruby, Department of Tourism, Cabinet Secretary
Jill Upson, Executive Director, Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs
Charles Morris, West Virginia State Museums - Director
Joe Geiger, West Virginia State Archives, State Historian and Archivist
Clayton Burch, West Virginia State Superintendent of Schools
Brian Aluise, Designee for U.S. Senator Joe Manchin
Mary Elizabeth Eckerson, Designee for U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito
David McKinley, Congressman 1st District
Carol Miller, Congresswoman 3rd District
Grace Mooney, Designee for Congressman Alex Mooney 2nd District
Craig P. Blair, West Virginia State Senate, President
Roger Hanshaw, West Virginia House of Delegates, Speaker
Citizen Members
Kelly Williams, Moorefield
Beth Bloch, Charleston
Rosalene Black, Huntington
Kayla Lantz, Clarksburg
Amy Panzarella, Charles Town
Sons of the American Revolution
Jay Frey, Wheeling
Daughters of the American Revolution
April Norris, Beckley
Three Collegiate History Professors
Dr. Melissa Bingmann, West Virginia University, Morgantown
Dr. David Javersak, West Liberty University (Retired), Wheeling
Dr. Rodney Montague, Bluefield State College, Princeton
-30-
