Chancellor, West Virginia Higher Education Commission By Jennifer Nugent Growing up in Sterling, Virginia, Brian Noland decided at an early age that he wanted to be a doctor. As an athlete who broke a lot of bones, he was impressed by the way his physician, Dr. Lawrence Cohen, could make his pain go away. “No…
Owner, Dirtbean Ohana By Jennifer Nugent “I believe everyone and every situation is unique and therefore must find their own path to success.” Kristy Lanier, the owner of Dirtbean Ohana in Marlinton, West Virginia, is one who lives by this belief. Early on, Lanier knew she didn’t want to have the typical 9 to 5…
United States District Judge, Southern District of West Virginia By Kensie Westerfield Not many people can say that their passion for their career started in junior high and that it has stuck with them for 25 years, but that is precisely what happened to Thomas Johnston. The fascination with government and politics that he developed…
Owner, GADDIS Consulting Group By Dawn Nolan As a youngster growing up in Lincoln, Alabama, John Gaddis wanted to do what any young boy growing up in the birthplace of the Talladega 500 wanted to do—work for NASCAR. Unlike most other young men, though, he got his chance. As a teenager, Gaddis worked on a…
Chief Executive Officer, Mythology By Dawn Nolan For Jeff James, West Virginia is not just his home—it’s his passion. He has an emotional connection to the state through his family as well as his vision that West Virginia is capable of doing more than the world believes the Mountain State is capable of doing. This…
Marketing & Community Relations Specialist, City of Wheeling By Kensie Westerfield Marching to the beat of a different drum has served Joelle Ennis well over the years. Whether it was helping her grandmother deliver newspapers at 3 a.m. as a child or pretending to be Melissa Etheridge, she has always used her unique personality to…