CHARLESTON, WV – Gov. Jim Justice announced today that he has signed an executive order creating a Blue Ribbon Commission to review, study and assess the current state of four-year Higher Education institutions in West Virginia.
“These colleges and universities are a lifeline for the students they serve and represent the future of West Virginia,” Gov. Justice said. “We must find a more efficient means of ensuring that these colleges and universities continue to serve those students while also finding ways to make sure the institutions thrive and stay in the communities they are located in today.
“I have asked the commission to give regular reports and have mandated that its work be completed by the December 2018 interim meetings of the Legislature.”
Gov. Justice has appointed three co-chairs to the commission, West Virginia University President Dr. E. Gordon Gee, Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert, and Concord University President Dr. Kendra Boggess. Other members of the Blue Ribbon Commission are:
- Mike Farrell, Chairman of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC).
- Drew Payne, Secretary of the HEPC
- Steven L. Paine, West Virginia Superintendent of Schools
- Dr. Mirta Martin, President of Fairmont State University
- Dr. Anthony Jenkins, President of West Virginia State University
- Dale Lee, President of the West Virginia Education Association
- Marty Becker, Chairman of the Board for QBE Insurance
- Eric Lewis, Certified Public Accountant
- Dr. Amelia Courts, President and Chief Executive Officer of the West Virginia Education Alliance
- Gary White, Consultant and Interim Chief Executive Officer for the Mountain Health Network
- Ellen Cappellanti, Attorney at Law
- Three members of the State Senate (Two Republicans and One Democrat), as designated by the Senate President. All three designees shall serve as ex-officio, non-voting members.
- Three members of the House of Delegates (Two Republicans and One Democrat), as designated by the Speaker of the House. All three designees shall serve as ex-officio, non-voting members.