When people think of West Virginia, they often picture beautiful mountains, active coal mines and tight-knit communities. While natives know Almost Heaven is all that and more, outsiders don’t often associate the Mountain State with things like cutting-edge technology and major innovation.
It’s a drive to serve, not just simple ambition, that separates a good lawyer from a great one. From childhood dreams of helping others to sitting in a classroom learning the basics of law to realizing their calling in the legal world, great lawyers all have humble beginnings.
When Governor Jim Justice appointed Major General James Hoyer to West Virginia’s coronavirus task force, he gave him a twofold mission: find creative solutions to the state’s current problems that can also be parlayed into opportunities for the future.
A nationwide shortage of trained pilots and aviation technicians has led to a surge of development in aerospace education in West Virginia. According to a recent report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), over the past three decades, the number of pilots in the nation has decreased by 30% while the airline industry has simultaneously seen a tremendous increase in the demand for air travel.
The aerospace industry is one of West Virginia’s fastest-growing economic generators. With nearly $2 billion generated in annual economic impact, airports and related aerospace companies are critical components of the state’s economy.
In 2018, Brad Smith, chairman and CEO of Intuit at the time, announced a $25 million gift to the Marshall University Lewis College of Business. Within 24 hours of the announcement, West Virginia University (WVU) announced a gift of time, talent and resources by alumnus John Chambers, former executive chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems Inc. and founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures, to its college of business and economics.