Showcasing Strength: Introducing the Sharp Shooters Class of 2026
In each spring issue, West Virginia Executive (WVE) magazine recognizes 10 individuals who have demonstrated excellence in both their careers and commitment to public service.
Marvin C. Woodie Jr.
When Marvin Woodie Jr. was 19 years old, he spent his summer working as a cowboy and ranch hand south of Garden City, KS. It was a world away from the Southern West Virginia coalfields, but it was there that one phone call changed the trajectory of his life. Jim Connolly, founder of Conn-Weld Industries, was on the other end of the line. When Woodie mentioned his current manual labor-intensive work, Connolly responded with, “You are hired.”
Redefining Manufacturing in the Mountain State
Shortly after Brad Smith was named president of Marshall University, a strategic roadmap for future prosperity was brought to life.
West Virginia’s Power Potential
The Mountain State, with its abundance of natural resources, has the ability to become a major power supplier. In recent years, policymakers and energy companies in the state have begun working to find new ways to generate more power and stabilize current energy production to push West Virginia further toward this goal.
Production Progress
West Virginia hosts an abundance of land and natural resources that position it as a top spot for manufacturing goods. Realizing this, many companies have decided to open or expand in West Virginia, creating and supplying products made right here in the Mountain State.
Powering the Future
The energy strategy emerging from West Virginia’s capitol building is centered around the 50 by 50 plan, which aims to increase the state’s energy capacity to 50 gigawatts by 2050.