Board of Directors

Meghan Parsons, Associate Director, MBA, CED, of the Jackson County Development Authority has a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration and Business Management and is a graduate of Salem University. Meghan also attended the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute for her Certified Economic Developer Certification and Ohio Economic Development Institute for her basic economic development certification. She currently has over 9 years experience in economic development. She lives in Evans, WV.

Mark Whitley, Executive Director of the Jackson County Development Authority has a degree in accounting and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute and the Community Development Institute. He is a certified Economic Development Financial Professional and has over 20 years in federal, State and local economic and community development.

Ovis

Chip, born in East Hampton New York, moved to West Virginia in 1978. He graduated from Ravenswood High School in 1983 and attended West Virginia University for two years, and Marshall University for two years with the primary focus in business management and marketing.

After college Chip started his career in the furniture manufacturing industry. In 1989 Chip founded OVIS, an industrial distribution firm focusing on the woodworking industry. In 2004 Chip changed the focus of the company from a traditional distributor into an online distributor, taking OVIS nationwide. In 2010 Chip found a new niche supplying heavy duty and super heavy duty drawer slides to manufacturers in the industrial, aerospace, automotive, material handling and commercial refrigeration markets. OVIS is now one of the leading suppliers of these products in the country.

Chip has been on the Jackson County Development Authority board several years.

Rev. Pastor Christopher Skeens, MAPC is a Sr. Pastor at the Ravenswood Free Will Baptist Church and formerly employed with Ravenswood Polymer Contracted Opr. – as a quality Manager/Laboratory Supervisor. He is involved with Jackson County Ministerial Association as their President, Jackson County Development Authority as a member, Ravenswood Development Authority as a member, Ravenswood Historic Landmark Commission as Chair and the Ravenswood High School Chaplain as a volunteer. He has been blessed with a beautiful family, Susan, my wife of 40 years, 2 daughters and their husbands, and 6 grand-children.

Director of Operations, Parchment Valley Conference Center

Frank is the Director of Operations for the Parchment Valley Conference Center. He has been involved with the West Virginia Baptist Convention for more than 40 years and is an ordained West Virginia Baptist Convention minister. Frank also retired from Pepsi with 26 years of excellent service. He is married to Teresa and they have two children and two grandchildren. He attended Beckley College, Valencia Community College and is a graduate of the West Virginia Baptist Convention School of Christian Studies. He also served honorably in the United States Air Force. Throughout his ministry, God has enabled him to do work that is and continues to be both rewarding, exciting and often times challenging. He is blessed to lead such a great ministry with the West Virginia Baptist Convention. Frank is also involved with the Ripley Rotary, Jackson County Ministerial, Jackson County Hunting heroes, Chamber of Commerce, Brother’s Keeper and American Baptist Men.

BB&T Bank

Mayor, The City of Ripley

Carolyn was born in Ripley, WV, attended Ripley Schools, attended Marshall University with a major in Elementary Education and received an Administrator’s degree from WVCOGS. She is a very blessed Mom of two wonderful children, Kristin Stover who is a nurse at Ripley High School and her son Kenny Lee Skeen is a lawyer in Ripley. She has three super grandchildren, Haley, Skye and Ayda. Mayor Rader is engaged to Ed Smolder. She is a member of Epworth United Methodist Church. Mayor Rader taught first grade at Ripley Elementary and transferred to Principal at Fairplain Elementary. In 2007, she retired from the educational system. She was successful in being elected Mayor of the City she loves and has been Mayor for four terms. She was chosen as one of West Virginia’s outstanding women in 2013, she serves on the West Virginia Municipal League Board of Directors and is also a member of the Jackson General Hospital Board of Directors. There are many things she enjoys doing – reading, helping with all of the projects she can in our City, and playing trivia with her family. Life is good. Matter of fact, life in Ripley is wonderful. It is so easy to promote our City to people because she truly believes we have the best people living here in Jackson County.

Vice President & Banking Center Manager Business Development at WesBanco

Employed by WesBanco Bank in Ravenswood for 22 years. Rayna has been a member of the JCDA Board since 2009 and currently serves as Secretary to the Board. She is also Secretary/Co-Treasurer to the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of the Jackson General Hospital Foundation board, Secretary to the Jackson County Community Foundation board, Secretary to the Jackson County Home Builders Association and a member of the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation board. She resides in Millwood, WV with her husband, Jodie.

Josh was born in Gallipolis, OH, attended Cottageville and Ravenswood schools, and attended West Virginia State University and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Josh also obtained his Master’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix. Josh resides with his wife and two daughters in Ravenswood, WV. Josh is the Mayor of the City of Ravenswood and also serves on the boards of the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council, Jackson County Development Authority, and the Jackson General Hospital Foundation. Josh is also involved in several community boards such as Savannah’s Closet and he is Co-Founder and President of the Dave Hood Foundation. Josh is also the owner of Made in the USA Films, LLC which produces feature documentary films. He currently assists coaching t-ball for Riverbend Farm & Home Supply. Josh’s hobbies include collecting coins, antiques, and various other collectibles. His wife basically says he’s a hoarder, but Josh considers it an investment in the future, but Josh learned a long time ago to pretend his wife is always right.

Harris & Holmes

Comstellium Rolled Products – Ravenswood
Vice President Operations – Plant Manager

Rick Anderson is a lifetime resident of Jackson County and a graduate of Ripley High School. A 42 year member of the IBEW 968,  has served 15+ years on the JCDA Board of Directors and is on the loan committee review board of the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council. Rick is also a active member of the Jackson County Junior Fair Foundation. He is a member of the Ripley Baptist Temple and owner of Anderson Electrical Service, Inc. Rick is married to Tara Anderson and has two daughters, 6 grandchildren and one on the way.