CEO
The Manahan Group
By Samantha Cart
George Manahan, CEO of The Manahan Group, grew up in Morristown, NJ, and came to West Virginia in 1979 to attend Bethany College. While he never thought he would stay in West Virginia, like so many, he fell in love with the state’s natural beauty and incredible people.
Manahan’s first professional job was reporting for WQBE as an on-air news anchor, and after working under mentors such as Hoppy Kercheval, Bob Brunner and Beth Vorhees, he built a reputation for excellence that landed him the role of press secretary for Governor Gaston Caperton in 1990. The experience gave him the confidence to form The Manahan Group, an issue-oriented public relations, advertising and digital marketing agency with offices in Charleston and Elkins.
“The Manahan Group started in my garage apartment on the East End of Charleston, and now it’s celebrating its 26th year in business,” he says. “We work on campaigns that are meaningful to the community. Our company statement—do good work, make money, have fun and give back—inspires me. I have tried to run my business and my life by those four principles.”
As a small business owner, Manahan’s greatest obstacle has not been about work/life balance or finances but about his struggle with Parkinson’s disease.
“When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1990 and had to tell my staff and clients about the diagnosis, I was scared they would see the disease as a hindrance to our success and leave the company,” says Manahan. “I was honest with them. I said I had no idea what the future would hold, but I had no plans of going anywhere and hoped they would join me for the ride. Having Parkinson’s has taught me that tomorrow is not guaranteed and every day is a gift. It’s okay to take a rest from time to time, but it’s also important to keep moving forward.”
While he already had a service mentality, his diagnosis led to what Manahan considers his greatest accomplishment: organizing West Virginia’s Parkinson’s community. He thought the best way to meet other people with Parkinson’s was to organize an event to raise money and spread awareness, and in 2013, the Fox Trot for Parkinson’s Research was established.
“Throughout that first event, people would come up to me and say, ‘I have what you have,’” he recalls. “These were people with the disease, but they couldn’t bring themselves to say the word. I knew then that I had to start a support group because many of these people were suffering at home alone.”
In the seven years since, the Fox Trot has raised $340,000 for The Michael J. Fox Foundation and is now the organization’s signature 5k race held in more than 20 locations. Manahan has also created a Charleston support group, provided assistance to seven other support groups across the state and launched the statewide West Virginia Parkinson’s Symposium event. The Manahan Group has an ongoing Parkinson’s campaign, and in partnership with Advanced Physical Therapy, the company provides free exercise classes for people with the disease.
Outside of his work with Parkinson’s patients, he also mentors students from University of Charleston and Bethany College. He has served on the board of directors for the Capitol Market, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic and American Lung Association in West Virginia and advised local charities on marketing, including Mountain Mission and WV CARES. Manahan has also served as the small business chairman of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and helped coordinate Leadership West Virginia’s Choose West Virginia campaign as a member of the Class of 2018.
“I look for causes that are important to me, important to those I work with and important to those I love,” he says. “I believe if you have a personal interest in the cause, you will make sure it is successful.”
Manahan’s skill set could have taken him anywhere in the world, but he can’t imagine living anywhere else.
“Forty years ago, West Virginia welcomed a boy from New Jersey and helped him become a man,” he says. “West Virginians have supported my business and my charities. This is my home and always will be.”
