Senior Director of Government Relations, Chesapeake Energy
Twitter: @MaribethWVa
Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/MaribethWVa
Blog: www.MaribethAnderson.com
www.facebook.com/MaribethAndersoncom
Maribeth Anderson has never been someone to sit down and be counted. She makes people notice her. She has an undeniable charisma and drive that has propelled her to the position of senior director of Government Relations with Chesapeake Energy.
Anderson’s father is a United Methodist minister, which required the family to move around the state during her childhood. Born in Romney, WV, she moved to Ripley at the age of seven and spent her high school years in Huntington. After living in Huntington for just a year, Anderson ran for 11th grade class president and won the election, demonstrating a bravery and confidence that has long been a part of her success.
During her first job at Stone & Thomas Department Store in Huntington, WV, she worked shifts folding shirts then left to intern at the WSAZ TV station, where she assisted with production of the nightly news. “I couldn’t believe they actually paid people to have so much fun,” says Anderson. “That job taught me how much more alive you can feel when you have a larger sense of mission, a purpose.”
That taste of the communications business led her to move forward, eventually working as a news director for WSAZ TV. During her time there, the station had the highest-rated 6 p.m. broadcast in the nation. “We were lucky to have a giant stage, microphone and spotlight to showcase solutions and people doing good work,” says Anderson. “It was a responsibility we took seriously.”
Today, Anderson continues to use her experience to create a working dynamic based on relationships and solutions. “When there’s a lot of disagreement, even when there are raised voices and heightened passions, I’ve been able to bring everyone back to common ground,” says Anderson. “In the shale gas debate, when people are on opposite ends of the spectrum, there’s always some place from which we can all start and finish. We all want to use the resource in a way that improves our quality of life and secures our future.” This approach has made her an asset to Chesapeake during a time when the energy industry is under intense public scrutiny.
While her career has always been a priority, Anderson refuses to let her work life define her. At one point in her career, she took a year where she only worked part-time. “I recalibrated,” she says. “That redirection sent me down a path that landed me in the middle of the New Natural Gas Era—in the center of the shale space and what it means for our state. There’s no place I’d rather be.”
Outside of her tenacity for work, Anderson approaches her home life with equal vigor. Always on the move, Anderson has gone from roller skating to running, and she recently completed her first half marathon, the Hershey Half Marathon in Hershey, PA. She also knows how to sit down and enjoy a good book on her Kindle and has always been a reader—and writer. When she was just 17, Anderson spent a month on Spruce Knob writing her own autobiography.
Anderson is also a committed public servant. She serves on the board for Vision Shared, an economic development group, where she works on ideas for the betterment of West Virginia. She also works with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, which led to her involvement with No Labels, an initiative that stresses unity in politics for the benefit of the country’s citizens. “That’s what I like most about the projects I’m involved in,” says Anderson. “We need to get past labels or preconceived notions of where people land and just work together for the betterment of the community.”
From family to community to industry, Anderson is never short on motivation to continue. “I’ve just always felt that things are supposed to be a challenge,” she says. “I’m wired to push. If it feels easy, I kick it up a notch.”
What is your favorite . . . ?
Color – Turquoise
Food – Anything my mom cooks!
Cartoon Character – Foghorn Leghorn
Ice cream – The Wild Ramp’s Jeni’s Salty Caramel
Book – “The Help”
App – Evernote
Midnight Snack – Guacamole
TV Show – “House of Cards”
Movie – “Broadcast News”
Smell – Fresh-cut Christmas trees
Sports Team – Marshall University Thundering Herd
Pet – All of Huntington’s Southside loves Buddy the dog!
Place – I have a little balcony off the second floor of my house. I love looking out at the neighborhood and the hills and just being happy where I am.
Written by Amy Arnett
Photography by Tracy Toler on location at Smith Company Motor Cars
