West Virginia Small Business and Development Center Director Kristina Oliver today announced the appointment of five new members to the WVSBDC Advisory Board.
The role of the Advisory Board is to provide counsel and guidance to the WVSBDC. The Board encompasses a diverse network of experienced business owners and key leaders from organizations representing small business interests.
“I’m pleased to announce the appointment of new members to the WVSBDC Advisory Board,” said Oliver. “I’m confident in their abilities, and I believe their years of experience and industry-specific knowledge will provide valuable insight and help further the mission of the WVSBDC.”
New board members include:
Tighe C. Bullock, president and managing member of Bullock Properties Holdings LLC and Crawford Holdings LLC, Charleston.
At age 14, Bullock began working as a carpenter’s assistant. The experience gave him valuable skills in the construction industry and sparked his interest in entrepreneurship. He earned dual degrees in business management and accounting at West Virginia University’s College of Business and Economics. While still a student in 2009, Bullock started his first company, Bullock Properties Holdings. He founded his second company, Crawford Holdings, in 2014 while pursuing his Juris Doctorate degree from WVU’s College of Law. Bullock is a member of the City of Thurmond city council and board member for West Side Main Street and Fairness West Virginia. He has been named West Side Main Street Business Investor of the Year for 2014 and awarded the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia Award: Preservation of a Historic Downtown Area.
Joseph Kapp, Entrepreneur-In-Residence, Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Moorefield.
Earlier this year, Kapp was appointed to the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. A successful serial entrepreneur, Kapp recently co-founded Behavioral Business, a consulting firm that provides services such as strategic direction, resource and funding development and personalized coaching. He holds a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree in economics from Florida State University. While still in college, he started and sold a video production company. Kapp has more than 10 years of experience working and consulting in the technology industry. He has advised Fortune 500 companies on the use of new and emerging technologies and consulted on knowledge management, tax technologies and risk management security audits. Kapp is a national keynote speaker and author. Currently he writes about entrepreneurship for the Huffington Post.
Christy Laxton, executive director of the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority (EDA), Kingwood.
Laxton earned her degree in business administration with concentrations in accounting and finance from Concord University. She has assisted with the Wyoming County EDA for nearly 15 years, serving as executive director for 10 ½ years. Laxton has been involved in many aspects of SBDC training offered in Wyoming County and has been certified as a SBDC NXLevel Training Instructor. She has also been a member of the Connected Technologies Corridors, Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority and Leadership Wyoming County’s Core Team.
Donald F. Mock III, senior vice president, United Bank, Inc., Charleston.
Mock graduated from West Virginia University College of Business and Economics with undergraduate degrees in finance and business management and a master’s degree in business administration. He joined United Bank in 2005 as a commercial credit analyst. By 2010, he had been promoted to market president of the South market, becoming at one of the youngest market presidents in the company’s history at age 28. He was promoted again in 2015 to his current post as senior vice president. West Virginia Executive magazine named Mock among the state’s Young Guns of 2016.
Judy Sjostedt, executive director, Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF) & PACF Inc., Parkersburg.
Sjostedt earned her bachelor’s degree in social and rehabilitative services from Assumption College in Massachusetts and her master’s in public administration from WVU. She has served in various executive roles in programs in government and private industry. Sjostedt headed her own consulting company in Washington, West Virginia, providing corporations with services such as contract management, technical writing and industrial operating procedure development. Sjostedt has received multiple awards and honors, including the 2013 Philanthropy West Virginia Critical Impact Award for Grantmaking and the 2015 Mid-Ohio Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year.
The WVSBDC is part of the West Virginia Development Office and creates economic impact through offering entrepreneurs and small businesses cost-effective business coaching and technical assistance. The WVSBDC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the SBA and is an Accredited Member of America’s SBDC network. For more information, visit www.wvsbdc.com.
