Seth Nathan Polk, II

“From a very early age, I learned to love and serve people from all walks of life thanks to parents who modeled servant leadership and created opportunities for me to do the same.”

As a child, Nathan Polk was involved in community projects and mission work through his church in and outside of West Virginia, creating a spirit of service and desire to build foundations of necessary change for the communities around him. Today, he serves residents of the Mountain State through his current role as investment manager for West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust (WVJIT).

At WVJIT, Polk leads the fund’s investment diligence efforts and collaboratively manages the fund’s portfolio with Executive Director Andrew Zulauf by sitting on select portfolio company boards of directors.

“Over 1,700 jobs created or retained by West Virginia Community Action Partnership and over 190 jobs supported by WVJIT represent nearly 1,900 families that benefitted from the work we do,” Polk says. “I’m proud of those results. Serving my state this way is a privilege for which I am thankful.”

Polk’s entrepreneurial passion began before his role at WVJIT. When he was 17, he launched his first business, High Test Education. He says this successful standardized tutoring venture taught him how to start a business, manage growth and commercialize talent.

Upon graduating high school as valedictorian, Polk received a National Merit Scholarship that allowed him to attend the University of Alabama. He later earned an MBA from West Virginia University (WVU).

“I learned entrepreneurial passion as a small-town tutor and the skills needed for professional success in the academy,” he says.

Polk’s lifelong aspiration is to serve Christ’s church and impact his community through Christian service. He credits his father, who has led Cross Lanes Baptist Church for over 20 years, as his biggest source of encouragement and support.

“The lessons I learned from him have directly impacted every major professional decision of my career,” Polk says.

This includes the decision to become an ordained Southern Baptist minister, a role he has been active in for the past six years.

Morgantown, WV, is home of The Church at Morgantown where Polk served as executive pastor for the last three years. In this position, he attended to administrative responsibilities, taught and mentored WVU students and coordinated community service projects to uplift elementary students. A recent move to Saint Albans, WV, has shifted his pastoral work to The Crossing Church, where he participates in similar initiatives.

Polk currently serves as a volunteer judge and mentor for IgniteWV, advisory board member and judge for the Hayhurst Invitational, judge for WVU Morris L. Hayhurst LaunchLab pitch competitions and judge for the West Virginia Future Business Leaders of America Student Leadership Conference. He also volunteers in professional development programming for WVU business students and serves on the Order of Business Committee for the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists.

The Mountain State has been Polk’s home since he was 3 years old, and that won’t change anytime soon.

“Every opportunity I have had, including those in education, business and family, came from this state,” he says. “When I left for college, I had the opportunity to leave for good. I came home because I believe the best years are still ahead for West Virginia.”