David P. Nolan

Photo by Presenters Agency.

By Elizabeth Howard

While many kids dream of being a fireman or an astronaut, David Nolan had other aspirations. From a young age, he had an interest in stock investments that likely stemmed from his parents investing in a stock mutual fund for him.

“I thought that running a mutual fund might be fun if I ever got the chance,” Nolan says.

Years later, he finally got that chance. Nolan is the senior investment strategist at McKinley Carter Wealth Services in Charleston, WV, where he serves as chair of McKinley Carter’s investment strategy committee and is responsible for its investment programs. The company has around $2 billion under management, in addition to being one of the largest registered investment advisors in West Virginia.

In his youth, Nolan developed work ethic working summer jobs at a doughnut shop, a bakery and a tire store. After graduating from Wake Forest University in 1979, he landed a job with Wheat First Securities in Charleston. One person who influenced his success was Howie Pentony. Pentony took a chance on Nolan in spite of the fact that he was an inexperienced, recent college graduate and offered him a job as a stockbroker. It was this opportunity at Wheat First that helped Nolan establish himself in the field and positioned him for a job in portfolio management at Kanawha Valley Bank in 1984. He found success managing public mutual funds for the bank before accepting his role at McKinley Carter in 2010.

A born and raised West Virginian, Nolan has built his entire life here. He and his wife, Lorie, have been married since 1988 and have two children, Ryan and Erin. Nolan met his wife through Kanawha Valley Bank, where she was a fellow employee in the trust department.

“Without her ongoing wise counsel, I would have likely strayed off course long ago,” says Nolan.

Nolan expresses his love for people through his service to the community.

“I love the people of West Virginia, the wide-open spaces and West Virginia’s proximity to a wide variety of major attractions,” he says.

Following in his parents’ legacy of service to the church, he is an active member at First Presbyterian Church of Charleston. He is involved in the church’s many outreach programs, which assist organizations that serve others in need. This work includes building homes with Habitat for Humanity, volunteering for the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Society, the Davis Child Shelter in Charleston and a volunteer program known as Faith in Action. Nolan serves as chair of the finance and generosity committee for his church, and before that he served as president of the board of trustees, chair of the strategic planning committee and chair of the fellowship and recreation committee as well as chair of the Presbytery of West Virginia’s investment committee. When tragedy struck the state in 2016 after severe flooding, Nolan volunteered in Elkview, WV, alongside the area’s flood relief team.

An avid sports lover since his youth, Nolan coached basketball teams for the church for 41 years and currently serves on the board of the Charleston Church Recreation Association. He also coached high school girls’ AAU basketball, taking many teams to national tournaments. When not involved with athletics, Nolan was a member of the Charleston Lions Club, served on the board of the Children’s Theatre of Charleston where his son performed and served for years as an Honor Host for the YMCA’s Spirit of the Valley campaign.

Considering himself abundantly blessed, Nolan continues to look for ways in which he can better the lives of others. One of Nolan’s most fulfilling roles is serving as a mentor to budding employees as a way to give back to his firm. Having mentored one young advisor for five years, much like Pentony did for a younger Nolan, he says that seeing his mentee’s drive and dedication to be the best version of himself inspired Nolan to always remain open to learning something new.

“I would like to spend more time volunteering after retiring in a few years, modeling other folks I know who have thoroughly enjoyed the experience,” Nolan says. “As I have been blessed in my life through the grace of God, I celebrate by helping others.”