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Welcoming New Directors to the Board

As with the rest of America, the last few months have been quite the experience in shifting the work we do from the physical to the digital environment. It’s actually been much smoother than I would have predicted, and frankly, it’s been good for us. I’d say the WVU Alumni Association has advanced a couple of years in just a few months.

A key element to moving the organization forward has been the adoption of virtual systems by our volunteer leaders. Zoom happy hours, trivia, business networking, and life-long learning are now a regular occurrence with many of our chapters and interest groups. We even held our annual Alumni Leaders Institute Conference virtually with record attendance. This Friday, we have a WVU Alumni Board of Directors Meeting virtually, and for the first time in 147 years, we’ll hold our Annual Meeting virtually as well. If you’d like to Zoom in to our annual meeting at 3pm Eastern on June 5th, you can register at this link. As always, all are welcome to our Annual Meeting, and this year it’s easier than ever to attend!

Speaking of volunteers, we’ll be welcoming five new board members at this Friday’s meeting.

  • Sharon Flanery, a Petroleum Engineering graduate, who lives in Charleston, WV
  • Bill Gray, an Electrical Engineering graduate, who lives in Denver, CO
  • Marilyn McClure-Demers, a Political Science and WVU Law School graduate, who lives in Columbus, OH
  • Zach Mendelson, a Sports Management graduate, who lives in Pittsburgh
  • Darin Rogers, our first Potomac State alum, who lives in Morgantown

As with any non-profit, we couldn’t achieve our mission without the help of our volunteers. They are the bedrock of the Alumni Association and dedicate a tremendous amount of time, energy, and effort to connect Mountaineers everywhere. On Friday, we’ll also be thanking three of our board members whose terms are expiring for their dedication and service to the WVU Alumni Association.

  • Dean Hartley (Past Chair), a WVU Law School graduate, who lives in Wheeling, WV
  • Terri Hornsby, a Broadcast News graduate, who lives in Houston, TX
  • Mike John, a Petroleum Engineering graduate, who lives in Charleston, WV
If you know an Alumni Association volunteer leader, please take a moment to thank them for the work they do to keep us all together. 

Stay healthy and safe!

Let’s Go!
Sean '89


WVU Alumni Association welcomes new members to the Board of Directors

The WVU Alumni Association is delighted to announce the addition of five individuals to the Board of Directors. Sharon Flanery, Bill Gray, Marilyn McClure-Demers, Zach Mendelson, and Darin Rogers will offer their time and experience to the WVU Alumni Association beginning June 5, 2020. "Our new board members represent a wide breadth of expertise across five very different industries," said Sean Frisbee, President, and CEO of the WVU Alumni Association, "their unique perspectives will help us to navigate the challenges facing our organization and our alumni."


a headshot of Sharon Flanery

Sharon Flanery

Sharon earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from West Virginia University in 1978 and was the first female graduate of the program. She began her career as a petroleum engineer before attending law school at Duquesne University, while continuing to work full-time. Throughout her career, Sharon has held many leadership positions in engineering and energy companies. She has received a variety of prestigious awards, including an honorary doctorate from the WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

Most recently, Sharon has taken on the role of Vice President of Exploration at Columbia Natural Resources in Charleston, WV, and currently works at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC as a member of the Executive Committee and as Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Department. She also sits on the Visiting Committees for the Petroleum Engineering Department and the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University.


a headshot of Bill Gray

Bill Gray

Bill attended WVU and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1991. After graduating from WVU, Bill completed a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management from the University of Colorado in 2004. Throughout his career, Bill has operated businesses and sales teams in six different countries. He specializes in teambuilding and has held senior leadership positions in both private and public companies. Currently, he is the Global Business Development Director for Industrial Markets for Amphenol Corporation's Information, Communications, and Commercial (ICC) Division.

Bill is the founder of the Rocky Mountain Alumni Chapter in Denver, CO, and has served as president since its founding in 1997.


a headshot of Marilyn McClure-Demers

Marilyn McClure-Demers

Marilyn finished a Bachelor of the Arts in Political Science degree from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences as well as a Juris Dotorate from the WVU College of Law. Marilyn is Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, a Fortune 66 insurance and financial services company headquartered in Columbus, OH. Marilyn has held a variety of high-level leadership roles throughout her career at two Fortune 100 companies and private law practices. She is recognized for her efforts to promote inclusion and advance diversity in the legal profession. Marilyn believes in paying it forward and has served on a number of not-for-profit boards.

Marilyn is the past President of the Ohio Women's Bar Association and currently sits on the WVU College of Law Visiting Committee. Marilynn is an alumna of the Beta Upsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was also the first female Summit of Mountain Honorary, West Virginia University's ranking honorary for outstanding service, leadership and performance at WVU.


a headshot of Zach Mendelson

Zach Mendelson

Zach graduated from WVU in 1982 with a Master's degree in Sports Management. Zach serves as principal in EPIC's Pittsburgh office and has been in the construction and insurance industry since 1989. He has held multiple leadership positions for the last three decades at Acordia and Wells Fargo Insurance Services (WFIS). For the last 20 years, Zach has been a member of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP).

Zach's experience is in both private and public entities, including national and international bodies. He is associated with various professional organizations, including the Pittsburgh Surety Association, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Master Builders Association (MBA), Ohio Valley Oil and Gas Association, Marcellus Shale Coalition and Pittsburgh Home Builders.


a headshot of Darin Rogers

Darin Rogers

Darin Rogers, a native of Keyser, WV, attended Potomac State College from 1983-1985 before graduating from Davis and Elkins College in 1988. Darin received a Master's Degree in Management from Troy University. After graduation, he began an impressive military career as the Division Officer for the Patient Administration Department. Darin was the Medical Administrative Officer on the USS Saratoga (CV-60) during its final cruise to the Mediterranean. He later operated across the globe in naval healthcare support offices and clinics until 2012, when he retired from the US Navy after 24 years of dedicated service.

Following his career in the Navy, Darin was named the Director of Operations for the Physician Enterprise at St. Vincent's Healthcare in Jacksonville, FL, before coming home to West Virginia in November of 2013, to serve as the Vice President and Chief Ambulatory Operations Officer at WVU Medicine. During this time, he assumed a health system role as Vice President of Provider Network Services, WVUHS, and continues to hold fellow status within the American College of Healthcare Executives.


The new members will begin their tenure at the fourth quarterly meeting of the WVU Alumni Board of Directors on Friday, June 5, 2020.