Executive Director, Wyoming County Economic Development Authority
Facebook: Christy Laxton
Written by Samantha Cart
Christy Laxton is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. Growing up in Pineville, WV, her family faced many financial hardships, yet her parents always found a way to keep food on the table and a roof over the heads of Laxton and her two brothers. Even as a self-described “four-eyed freckle face,” she beat the odds as the only girl to make the little league all-star baseball team. “I was pretty good, and a few of the boys even had to sit on the bench while I started the game,” Laxton says.
Today, she finds her strength and motivation in God, her family and her desire to do good things in her community. “I decided early on that I wasn’t going to be part of a stereotype—I knew I wanted to be something more,” says Laxton. “I wanted to overcome my childhood and show others around me that it doesn’t always have to be that way. I am determined to be a better person and use opportunities to help others be better people.”
While her childhood dream was to be a physical therapist, it was opening her first checking account that got Laxton interested in accounting and finance. “I thought, if you deal with money every day, then you should get paid pretty well. I decided I wanted to get a business degree so I could work somewhere like a bank,” she says. During her sophomore year of college, she made a connection that led her into the economic development profession. At the age of 19, she was hired as the grant and loan program coordinator for the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority and was later designated as the assistant executive director. At 23, Laxton, a first-generation college graduate, was promoted to executive director.
In her drive to help others overcome hardship, Laxton spends a lot of time giving back to her community. In the past she has served as a member of the Connected Technologies Corridors, Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority and Leadership Wyoming County’s Core Team. She has volunteered as a youth group leader at Sweet Divine Baptist Church, a coach and manager for little league baseball and basketball, a Head Start reader and a visitor at the Wyoming Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. She has also devoted time to being an administrator for the Wyoming County Boy Scouts of America’s first community service initiative and is part of the core team for Leadership Southern. Laxton is currently serving as the vice president of the West Virginia Economic Development Council and president of MountainHeart Community Services.
“I am involved with many boards and committees that do wonderful things across the State of West Virginia,” Laxton says. “All of them are efforts dear to my heart, including making all communities in West Virginia better; providing opportunities for low-income families to have resources and education; providing children with the opportunity to learn about God; planning leadership programs to show people that anyone can be a leader and showing others they can be whatever they want to be if they truly desire it.”
Laxton and her husband of 14 years are invested in teaching their four children the importance of serving too. One way she accomplishes this is through Locks of Love. She and her two daughters have donated their hair multiple times to provide hairpieces for children suffering from medical hair loss due to long-term illnesses. “I am hoping to instill in them at a young age to always do good for others,” Laxton says.
Between her professional career, community service and raising her family, Laxton has never had the desire to leave the Mountain State. “I love West Virginia. I want to make my home state better and make my community one that my kids will desire to live, work and play in.”
What is your favorite … ?
Color – Purple
Food – Spaghetti
Cartoon Character – Minnie Mouse
Ice Cream – Vanilla
Animal – Owl
Book – “Working it Out: A Journey of Love, Loss and Hope” by Abby Rike
App – NBC
Midnight Snack – Fudge Stripe cookies and milk
TV Show – “The Today Show”
Movie – “The Green Mile”
Smell – Baby Lotion
Sport Team – Yankees (because I played for the Yankees in Little League)
Car – Corvette
Place – Pigeon Forge, TN
Season – Fall
Local Restaurant – Ole Jose
Era – 1980s
