Dr. Bruce Weinstein
Known as “The Ethics Guy” on BusinessWeek.com, Dr. Weinstein is the author or editor of six books on ethics including, Life Principles: Feeling Good by Doing Good and his latest, Is It Still Cheating If I Don’t Get Caught?, which helps teens make ethical decisions. He received a B.A. in Philosophy from Swarthmore College and obtained his Ph.D in Philosophy and Bioethics from Georgetown University. He taught at West Virginia University from 1989 – 1995.
Weinstein has appeared on numerous national news outlets including the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, NPR and Bloomberg Television. His writings have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, USA Today, The New York Observer, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Investor’s Business Daily.
His clients include: the National Football League, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Talecris Biotherapeutics, Pri-Med Continuing Medical Education, National Grocers Association, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Society for Government Meeting Planners, the Eastern Michigan University College of Business, Help Desk International, state chapters of the National Association of Corporate Directors, National Guard, Turnaround Management Association, Society for Human Resource Management and several hundred other leading groups.
Weinstein lives in New York with his wife, Kristen Bancroft.
Link to Dr. Weinstein’s website.
Link to Dr. Weinstein’s BusinessWeek.com Column "Are You a Good Leader?"
Additional Speakers
W. Henry Harmon, President and CEO
Triana Energy, LLC
The Honorable Natalie E. Tennant
West Virginia Secretary of State
Dr. Edwin H. Welch, President
University of Charleston
Dr. Michele G. Wheatly, Provost
and Vice President for Academic Affairs
West Virginia University
A. Bray Cary, Jr., President and CEO
West Virginia Media Holdings, LLC
W. Henry Harmon
Dr. Harmon has been a part of the Appalachian exploration industry for 30 years, leading one of the most experienced teams of professionals in efforts to expand and develop the boundaries of the eastern producing Basin. He founded Triana Energy in November 2000 and also served as President and CEO of Union Drilling, Inc., a non-affiliated contract drilling company in Appalachia from 2000 to 2003. He had previously worked with the Columbia Energy Group for 22 years where he served as President and CEO of several of its non-regulated energy subsidiaries, including Columbia Natural Resources. Under his leadership, CNR grew from a valuation of $300 million to its ultimate sale in November 2005 for nearly $3.2 billion.
Natalie E. Tennant
Natalie E. Tennant was sworn in as West Virginia’s 29th Secretary of State on January 19, 2009. Since taking office, Secretary Tennant has focused on initiatives to create an open and engaging government for our citizens, maintaining fair and honest elections and implementing efficient technologies to better serve the businesses and agencies of our state.
Secretary Tennant attended West Virginia University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and master’s degree in Corporate & Organizational Communication. While at WVU, Tennant was selected as the first female Mountaineer mascot.
Following the completion of her undergraduate degree Tennant started her broadcasting career working at television stations in Clarksburg and Charleston where she reported the news for more than ten years. Prior to being elected, Tennant was co-owner of Wells Media Group LLC, a Charleston based video production and media training company she operated with husband Erik Wells.
Secretary Tennant is dedicated to using a practical and common sense approach in fulfilling her duties as the Secretary of State. It is her principle belief that being an elected official allows for her to be a servant to the people of West Virginia.
Secretary Tennant is very active with the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS). She is currently Co-Chair of the National Voter Participation Committee and only days upon entering office presented and was awarded a bid to host the 2011 NASS Summer Conference. Tennant represented West Virginia while traveling with a dozen other secretaries of state in Taiwan. She met with Taiwan President Ma Ying-Jiao along with officials from the Taiwanese Council of Agricultural and Mainland Affairs and other national leaders and business owners. Recently, Tennant was named one of only twenty-four (24) to the Aspen Institute's Rodel Fellowship program in public service. She is the first and only West Virginian to receive the fellowship in the five years of its existence.
Along with her duties as Secretary of State, Tennant also sits on the boards of the American Heart Association and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Secretary Tennant currently resides in Charleston with husband State Senator Erik Wells and daughter Delaney.
Dr. Edwin H. Welch
Dr. Edwin H. Welch is a native of Maryland and earned degrees from Western Maryland College, Boston University School of Theology, and Boston University Graduate School. He studied International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Higher Education Administration at the Harvard Institute for Educational Management. His Ph.D. is in Social Ethics and he is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church.
Dr. Welch has served as President of the University of Charleston since 1989. He has led the institution through a period of unprecedented change – doubling full-time student enrollment, tripling the endowment, transforming its academic program to focus on student outcomes, becoming a national leader in student assessment, clarifying the institution’s mission, constructing 6 of the 10 buildings on campus and adding a graduate school of pharmacy and a graduate school of business.
Dr. Welch served in the Executive Office of the President at The White House from 1961 until 1971 during the administrations of Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. He began his teaching and administrative career at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Dr. Welch was a department chair and Assistant Dean at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania, the Academic Vice President at Lakeland College in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and for eight years he served as the Provost at Wartburg College in Iowa.
Dr. Michele G. Wheatly
As the Provost of West Virginia University, Dr. Michele G. Wheatly is the Chief Academic Officer responsible for the administration of all academic policies, programs, facilities, and budgetary matters except for programs reporting through the Health Sciences Center. A major initiative of her first year at WVU is leading the university-wide strategic planning process along with President James Clements and HSC Chancellor Chris Colenda. Prior to joining WVU in January 2010, Dr. Wheatly was the dean of the College of Science and Mathematics and professor of Biological Sciences at Wright State University. Wheatly’s research has focused on comparative physiology, most recently using a crustacean model to understand the logic of epithelial calcium transport. She has been the principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on approximately $21.5 million in grants with 24 years of continuous NSF funding as PI. She has written or contributed to over 100 refereed journal articles and book chapters. She has taught courses in biology, marine animal physiology, women in science, and human computer interaction, among others.
A. Bray Cary, Jr.
A. Bray Cary, Jr. has been President and Chief Executive Officer of West Virginia Media Holdings, LLC since 2001. Mr. Cary is an experienced media executive who has assembled West Virginia Media.
From 1994 to 1998, he served as an ESPN Sports Consultant and Negotiator for college and motor sports. Mr. Cary joined National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) in 1998 and served as its Vice President of Broadcasting and Technology and Vice President, TV and Technology and helped consolidate all television rights to NASCAR races. He was the Founder and served as President of Creative Sports Marketing, Inc. He worked in WVU's Office of Intercollegiate Athletics as a Student and developed an understanding of college sports and the media. He worked for the Sun Belt Conference, where he developed and operated the Sun Belt Conference Television Network until 1984. He has been a Director of EQT Corporation (Also called as Equitable Resources Inc.), since July 2008. He is a strong advocate for the state's economic development. Working in WVU´s Office of Intercollegiate Athletics as a student, Mr. Cary developed an interest in college sports and the media.
After leaving WVU, Mr. Cary worked for the Sun Belt Conference, an experience in collegiate athletics management that led him to found Creative Sports in Charlotte, North Carolina. Creative Sports specialized in syndicating televised college football and basketball games. The company became the largest business of its kind in the nation. Mr. Cary sold his company in 1994 to ESPN, and it operates today as ESPN Regional. From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Cary was a consultant for ESPN. In 1998, Mr. Cary joined NASCAR as Vice President of Broadcasting and Technology and helped consolidate all television rights to NASCAR races.
Returning to West Virginia in 2001, Mr. Cary assembled a group of predominately West Virginia investors and acquired six network television stations and a statewide business and leadership publication. West Virginia Media today owns and manages NBC affiliate WBOY-TV in Clarksburg; CBS affiliate WOWK-TV in harleston/Huntington; CBS affiliate WTRF-TV and Fox affiliate Fox Ohio Valley in Wheeling; and CBS affiliate WVNS-TV and Fox affiliate Fox West Virginia in Beckley-Bluefield. The State Journal, the only statewide weekly business and leadership newspaper, also is a part of the West Virginia Media news network. While involved in the day-to-day management of the media company, Mr. Cary also serves as host for "Decision Makers," a statewide public affairs television program that appears on Saturdays and Sundays on the four West Virginia Media television stations. The program features the state´s leading government, business, and community leaders and touches on topics important to West Virginians, including the economy, education, health and transportation.
Mr. Cary has given numerous lectures at West Virginia University and also has served as commencement speaker in December 2000 at WVU and as convocation speaker in 2004 at Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia. He is a past member of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors and the WVU Board of Advisors. Mr. Cary holds a BS and MPA degrees from West Virginia University. He is a 1966 graduate of Hinton High School.
