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Previous Inductees

  • Arria Hines

    CEO, Allegheny Science & Technology

    2023 Inductee

    As an entrepreneur, successful businesswoman, advisor, and mentor, Arria Hines is a recognized leader in West Virginia and in all the places where Allegheny Science & Technology operates. Arria’s passion to mentor and give back to small businesses and the community show why and how she has become a powerful, collaborative leader in today’s complex and rapidly evolving business and civic climate.

  • Charles Brown

    Vice President Global Sourcing & Supply Chain, Johnston & Murphy

    2023 Inductee

    Charles Brown is the Vice President Global Sourcing & Supply Chain at Johnston & Murphy and a 1980 alumnus of the Chambers College with a BSBA in Finance.

  • David Merriman

    Executive Human Resource Business Partner, PepsiCo

    2023 Inductee

    As executive human resource business partner at PepsiCo, David Merriman supports the beverage company’s South Division. He plays a key leadership role in shaping PepsiCo’s Talent, Culture and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy.

  • John L. Berisford

    President, S&P Global Ratings

    2021 Inductee

    John Berisford grew up in Moundsville, West Virginia and studied Political Science at West Liberty College, earning a bachelor’s degree, before attending West Virginia University and earning his master’s degree in Labor and Industrial Relations. He joined PepsiCo after graduate school and spent 22 successful years in a variety of roles in the company. He became Chief Human Resources Officer of The Pepsi Bottling Group in 2005 after helping to spin off and IPO the bottling business five years earlier. Among other strategic projects, he co-led the integration after PepsiCo reacquired the independent Pepsi Bottling Group into its global operating business portfolio in 2009.

  • David A. DeCenzo

    President Emeritus, Coastal Carolina University

    2021 Inductee

    David A. DeCenzo served as the President of Coastal Carolina University from May 7th, 2007 through December 31, 2020. His inauguration as the second president of the University centered on elements that aptly characterize his life and leadership – tradition, integrity and excellence. During his last Board of Trustees meeting DeCenzo was awarded the title of President Emeritus.

  • Nanette C. Heide

    Partner, Duane Morris’ Corporate Practice Group (NY)

    2021 Inductee

    Nanette C. Heide is a partner in Duane Morris’ Corporate Practice Group (NY), Global Co-Chair of its Private Equity Division and team lead of the firmwide Private Equity Industry Group. Ms. Heide has significant experience handling complex transactions and providing general corporate counseling. She regularly represents private equity and venture capital investors, multinational and domestic corporations (public and private) in a wide spectrum of corporate finance transactions, including private equity and venture capital investments, mergers and acquisitions, cross-border transactions, debt and equity structuring transactions, capital market offerings, joint ventures and strategic alliances. She is the Senior Advisory Partner to the firm's Fashion/Retail/Consumer Branded Products Group, and a member of the firm’s Partners Board. In 2018, 2019 and 2020. Mergers & Acquisitions named Ms. Heide one of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A. Ms. Heide has regularly advised companies in the fashion, health and beauty, real estate and cannabis industries.

  • Tina Bigalke

    MSIR 1993, Chief Diversity Officer of PepsiCo

    2020 Inductee

    Tina Bigalke is Chief Diversity Officer of PepsiCo. She is responsible for the continued evolution of the company’s culture, the development of behaviors that embrace diversity, inclusion and engagement at all levels of the company and the promotion of the company’s external reputation as a great place to work. She assumed the role in June 2020.

  • Glenn Carell

    Managing Director for GTS NYSE Floor Operations, GTS

    2020 Inductee

    Glenn Carell is the Managing Director for GTS NYSE Floor Operations. He is a senior trader with 27 years of experience on the trading floor.

  • Daniel D’Arrigo

    Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, MGM Resorts

    2020 Inductee

    Daniel J. D’Arrigo earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from West Virginia University College of Business and Economics in 1991. Since graduating from WVU, Dan has amassed over 25 years of experience in the gaming, leisure and hospitality industries, both in the U.S. and internationally.

  • Albert Lewis

    Owner and Chairman, Glass Inc.

    2020 Inductee

    From the coal mine, to caddie master, U.S.M.C., to owner and chairman of Glass Inc. International Albert Lewis leads an extraordinary life.

  • Amy Cappellanti-Wolf

    Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

    2019 Inductee

    Amy Cappellanti-Wolf is SVP & CHRO at Symantec, the world’s largest cybersecurity software company, based in Mountain View, CA. In addition to serving on the executive team and managing Symantec’s global human resources function, she leads Symantec’s Workplace/Workforce Strategy and Planning, Real Estate and Facilities organizations.

  • John B. Gianola CPA, CGMA

    Partner, Ernst & Young

    2019 Inductee

    John Gianola is a retired partner of Ernst & Young (EY). From July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2013 he served as the managing partner of EY’s Charleston, West Virginia office, with responsibility for EY’s practice in the State of West Virginia.

  • Adesoji O. Adelaja

    John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy, Michigan State University

    2018 Inductee

    Dr. Adesoji Adelaja, popularly known as “Soji”, is the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy at Michigan State University (MSU). Born in 1956 in the city of Lagos, Nigeria, to the Venerable Beniah Adelaja and Princess Eva Adelaja, both leading educators, Soji received his B.S. Degree in Agricultural Mechanization from the Pennsylvania State University before proceeding to West Virginia University (WVU) in 1978.

  • David Alvarez

    Board Chairman, MVB Financial Corp.

    2018 Inductee

    David B. Alvarez, a native West Virginian, is a recognized owner, business leader and established serial entrepreneur, who remains very active in development, industry and community work.

  • Armando Anido

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Zynerba Pharmaceuticals

    2017 Inductee

    Mr. Anido graduated from West Virginia University School of Pharmacy in 1980. He began his business career working for The UpJohn Company responsible for selling well-known pharmaceuticals, such as Motrin and Xanax.

  • Joseph Antonini

    Owner, JEA Enterprises LLC

    2011 Inductee

    In 1986, Joseph Antonini was named president and COO of Kmart Corporation. A year later, he was named chairman and CEO of Kmart. Since retiring from Kmart, Antonini formed JEA Enterprises, a business investment firm.

  • Phyllis Arnold

    State/Regional President, BB&T

    2011 Inductee

    Phyllis Huff Arnold is the State President of BB&T West Virginia and Regional President of BB&T West Virginia Central Region.

  • Lee Bakalarski

    Consultant

    2017 Inductee

    The career of Lee Bakalarski career has focused on risk advisory services and assurance. He has over 25 plus years of consulting experience with the Big Four firms, as well as expert knowledge in government, manufacturing, financial services, engineering services, health-care and insurance industries.

  • William C. Bayless

    President & CEO, American Campus Communities, Inc.

    2015 Inductee

    Bill Bayless is the co-founder, President & CEO of American Campus Communities, Inc., the nation’s largest developer, owner and manager of high quality student housing.

  • Marty Becker

    President and CEO, Alterra Capital Holdings Ltd.

    2012 Inductee

    W. Marston (Marty) Becker is President and Chief Executive Officer of Alterra Capital Holdings Ltd (Nasdaq-ALTE), a global specialty insurer/reinsurer with assets approximating $10 billion, and with major underwriting platforms in Bermuda, Ireland, the U.S., the UK and Latin America and premium writings of approximately $2 billion annually.

  • Jerry Black

    Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Aeon Co., Ltd.

    2013 Inductee

    Jerry Black is senior executive vice president and chief strategy officer with Aeon Co., Ltd. based in Japan

  • J. Michael Bodnar

    Partner, Fresh Hospitality

    2011 Inductee

    Mike is actively involved as a real estate developer/investor and equity capitalist in start-up restaurants as well as the more established restaurant brands such as Jim & Nick's BBQ (28 unit, $3M+ AUV).

  • William T. Bright

    Entrepreneur

    2011 Inductee

    Bright has started, acquired and/or turned around over 30 different business ventures in his career, and he continues to work at expanding opportunities for more jobs in West Virginia in many industry areas.

  • Marcia A. Broughton

    Counsel, Banking Industry Group

    2018 Inductee

    Marcia Allen Broughton is a Member in the Banking industry group, focusing primarily on tax and trusts and estates. She practices out of the Firm's office in Bridgeport, West Virginia.

  • Russell Bunio

    Board Member, One By One

    2016 Inductee

    Russell Bunio joined Boeing in February 1998 as vice president and general manager of supply chain management and procurement.

  • John Chambers

    Chairman and CEO, Cisco

    2011 Inductee

    John Chambers is Chairman and CEO of Cisco. He has helped grow the company from $70 million when he joined Cisco in January 1991, to $1.2 billion when he assumed the role of CEO, to its current run rate of $40 billion. In 2006, Chambers was named Chairman of the Board, in addition to his CEO role.

  • Marc A. Chini

    Executive Vice President and Human Resources Leader, Synchrony Financial

    2015 Inductee

    Marc Chini is Executive Vice President and Human Resources Leader of Synchrony Financial, where he leverages his deep human resources experience amassed during his 30-year career.

  • Kim Craig

    President and CEO, F.N.B. Wealth Management Group

    2017 Inductee

    Mr. Craig is a native of Clarksburg, West Virginia, and currently serves as President and CEO of F.N.B. Wealth Management Group. F.N. B. Wealth Management consists of three operating affiliates, First National Trust Company, a nationally chartered trust company, and its two operating subsidiaries, F.N.B. Investment Advisors, Inc., a registered investment adviser, and First National Investment Services Company, a licensed insurance agency.

  • Karen S. Evans

    National Director, US Cyber Challenge (USCC)

    2012 Inductee

    Karen S. Evans is serving as the National Director for the US Cyber Challenge (USCC). The USCC is the nationwide talent search and skills development program focused specifically on the cyber workforce. She serves as a Voice of Authority for Safegov.org, an on-line forum specifically focused on cloud computing policy issues.

  • Arthur Gabriel

    Secretary, Treasurer and President, Gabriel Brothers

    2018 Inductee

    Gabriel was the secretary, treasurer and president of Gabriel Brothers, which he founded along with his brother James Gabriel. Gabriel Brothers opened its first store in 1961 in Morgantown, where the company remains headquartered.

  • Thomas Jones

    President and CEO, West Virginia United Health System

    2016 Inductee

    J. Thomas Jones received an undergraduate degree in accounting from WVU in 1971 and a master’s in hospital administration from the University of Minnesota in 1973.

  • Royce Harworth Keller

    Chief Financial Officer, CLG

    2017 Inductee

    Royce Keller was born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia. She entered WVU in the fall of 1963 and completed course work in Finance and Accounting in three and a half years.

  • Ken Kendrick

    Owner and Managing General Partner, Arizona Diamondbacks

    2011 Inductee

    Earl G. "Ken" Kendrick Jr. graduated from WVU in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. A native of Princeton, W.Va., this Mountaineer has become one of the leading entrepreneurs in the world.

  • William F. Kennedy

    Executive Vice President, UBS

    2012 Inductee

    In May, 1990, Bill was appointed COO of the Private Client Group and became a member of the twelve-person Management Committee at Kidder, Peabody & Co. In January, 1995, Kidder, Peabody & Co. merged with Paine Webber and Bill was appointed Executive Vice President and Southern Division Manager. His division grew to 115 Branch Offices, with 2400 financial advisors and over $1 Billion in revenues.

  • James R. Lynch

    Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, PepsiCo Americas Beverages

    2014 Inductee

    Jim is the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain with accountability for all manufacturing, logistics, engineering, planning and integration and HSE for PepsiCo Americas Beverages, including Pepsi Beverages Company, Gatorade, Tropicana and Naked Juice.

  • William T. McLaughlin

    Chairman and CEO, Huntington Banks West Virginia

    2011 Inductee

    Because of Mr. William T. McLaughlin II, banking in West Virginia has significantly changed.

  • Don Parkinson

    Senior Vice President of Franchising, KFC

    2016 Inductee

    Don Parkinson earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1964 and his master’s degree from Stanford University in 1977.

  • Andrew D. Peters

    Chief Safety Officer, AECOM

    2015 Inductee

    Andrew D. Peters is Chief Safety Officer for AECOM (NYSE: ACM), a $19-billion, fully integrated infrastructure and support services firm with the ability to design, build, finance and operate infrastructure assets globally.

  • Parry G. Petroplus

    President, Petroplus and Associates, Inc.

    2012 Inductee

    Parry Petroplus is President of Petroplus and Associates, Inc., which is a full-service commercial real estate firm specializing in property management. Petroplus founded the company in 1976. He has been a real estate broker since 1978 in the state of West Virginia, and has been licensed in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

  • Robert Reitman

    CEO and President, The Tranzonic Companies

    2013 Inductee

    Robert "Bob" Reitman is an icon in the Cleveland region, having worked at The Tranzonic Companies in Pepper Pike, Ohio, from 1968-98. He served as Tranzonic’s chief executive officer and president from 1973-98, and also served as chairman from 1982-98.

  • Robert Reynolds

    President and CEO, Putnam Investments

    2016 Inductee

    Robert Reynolds is president and CEO of Putnam Investments and president of the Putnam Funds.

  • Robert Robinson

    Owner, Robinson Auto Group

    2013 Inductee

    Robert Robinson is widely known through the Wheeling, W.V., region and the Ohio Valley for the highly successful automotive group that bears his family name, as well as a wide range of community efforts.

  • Penelope Facemire Roll

    Partner, Ares Management LLC

    2015 Inductee

    Penelope (Penni) Facemire Roll previously served as an Executive Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer of Ares Management L.P.'s Direct Lending Group and the Chief Financial Officer of Ares Capital Corporation.

  • Nesha Sanghavi

    Owner and President, UG Apparel and chicka-d

    2019 Inductee

    Nesha Sanghavi is the owner and president of UG Apparel and chicka-d, two women’s fashion-focused collegiate clothing brands. She founded UG Apparel in 2008.

  • William M. Sheedy

    Executive Vice President, Visa Inc.

    2014 Inductee

    Bill Sheedy is Executive Vice President of Visa Inc. In his current role, Bill is responsible globally for the company's corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, government relations and Visa's business in Europe.

  • Fred T. Tattersall

    Chairman, 1607 Capital Partners

    2011 Inductee

    Tattersall is now Chairman of 1607 Capital Partners, a Richmond-based investment management company established in 2007. The firm manages over $1.5 billion in assets, specializing in investing using closed end funds.

  • Douglas R. Van Scoy

    Deputy Director and Senior Executive Vice President, Smith Barney

    2012 Inductee

    In 1974, Doug went to work with the investment firm of Smith Barney and stayed until his retirement in 2001. During that period he held various positions, and ended his career in 2001 as the Deputy Director and Senior Executive Vice President of Smith Barney. In that position, Doug was on the management committee and was part of the team responsible for managing the Private Client Group with revenues of seven billion dollars, 500 branch offices and 12,000 financial consultants

  • Henry C. Wagner

    President and CEO, Jewish Hospital

    2012 Inductee

    Henry C. Wagner, III's position as president and CEO of Jewish Hospital in Louisville, KY allowed him to grow the organization from a single medical center teaching hospital with revenues of $50 million to a regional network of 10 hospitals/outpatient centers/home care services with revenues of $1 billion.

  • D. Stephen Walker

    President and COO, Walker Machinery

    2014 Inductee

    A Charleston, WV, native, D. Stephen Walker entered the family business of Walker Machinery, a Caterpillar, Inc. dealer for western West Virginia and southeast Ohio, in 1971. He became President and Chief Operating Officer in 1983 and remained so until the sale of the business and his retirement in 2010.

  • Samuel H. Weese

    President and CEO, The American College

    2014 Inductee

    In 1988, Samuel H. Weese became president and CEO of The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a distance education institution for those in the financial services industry, until he retired in 2003. His 37-year career included academics, government, and business.

  • Rodney Williams

    CEO and Co-Founder, LISNR

    2017 Inductee

    Rodney Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of LISNR, leads one of the most disruptive companies in the IoT space and the world of mobile connectivity. LISNR is an ultrasonic inaudible technology; a communication protocol that sends data over audio. As the CEO of LISNR, Rodney has grown the company from a single idea to a promising global standard, with over +40 industry awards, most notably a Cannes Gold Lion in Mobile Software Innovation and a 2017 CES Honoree in Mobile Software.

  • David Woodrum

    President, Woodrum, Inc.

    2013 Inductee

    David Woodrum is president of Woodrum, Inc., a national acute and ambulatory care management and consulting company, and is a frequent presenter at health care conferences and author of published articles and books.