Annual West Virginia Chamber Meeting & Business Summit to spotlight upcoming election
August 6, 2024
White Suplhur Springs, W.Va. – The West Virginia Chamber’s 88th Annual Meeting and Business Summit will turn its focus on the upcoming November election.
Attendees of the three-day event at The Greenbrier resort later this month will have an opportunity to hear from the two candidates vying to be the state’s next governor, the members of the state’s congressional delegation and GOP Senate nominee Gov. Jim Justice.
“This is an important election in West Virginia,” said Chamber President Steve Roberts. “We’ll be having a new governor for the first time in eight years and a new attorney general. For the first time in many years, there is turnover in a lot of the major offices, so we have invited a number of the candidates to come speak.”
Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., is scheduled to kick off the event, followed by opening remarks from Justice.
Current Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican nominee for governor, and Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, the Democratic nominee for governor, will each address attendees on the event’s first day.
“We want the audience to have an opportunity to see what the candidates are thinking about the future of West Virginia,” Roberts said. “There will be an opportunity to rub elbows with the candidates and watch them as they present their vision of the state’s future.”
The candidates will touch on the economy, education, health care and ways to “create the kind of state we all know West Virginia can be if we just get moving the right direction a little faster,” Roberts said.
A host of state officials and leaders will participate in panel discussions and breakout sessions. These include West Virginia University President Dr. E. Gordon Gee, Hope Gas CEO Morgan O’Brien, Antero Resources Regional Senior Vice President Kevin Ellis, West Virginia Economic Development Secretary Mitch Carmichael and Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates Roger Hanshaw.
Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., are each scheduled to give a presentation on events and issues currently impacting the U.S. Senate.
National speakers scheduled to speak include Ambassador of Canada to the United States Kirsten Hillman, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Neil Bradley and NewsNation Political Editor Chris Stirewalt.
Rex Repass, president of Research America, will present the results of the annual “West Virginia Poll,” Roberts said.
“Every year for at least 12 or 15 years, this has been a venue where the ‘West Virginia Poll’ has been released,” he said. “We’ll be getting the latest polling on everything from the political candidates to the direction of the state and the country.”
As well as pressing political subjects, the annual poll also covers a few lighter topics, Roberts said.
“Usually the ‘West Virginia Poll’ contains a little information about our favorite football teams and who’s favored to win,” he said. “So it will be a mixture of pleasure of business.”
Chamber organizers are expecting more than 1,000 attendees this year, a record in the event’s history, Roberts said.
“In fact, we’re really worried about where to put everybody,” he said. “So we’re rearranging the largest room they have in the largest hotel in West Virginia to try and squeeze everybody in.”
The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s 88th Annual Meeting & Business Summit is scheduled to take place Aug. 28-30.
For more information, including registration and a detailed agenda, visit wvchamber.com
Story by Charles Young, WVNews