| WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – West Virginia’s governor, two U.S. senators and business and education leaders spoke to a record crowd on day two of the 2025 Business Summit all with a similar theme – ways to move the Mountain State forward.
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and U.S. Sen. Jim Justice gave summit participants updates from Washington, including the progress of broadband expansion, the potential for making energy advancements and more.
“We’ve set the table to grow, to lead and to compete,” Capito said.
Meanwhile, Justice told business leaders, “You’re the engines. You’re the job creators. You’re the heart of everything we do.”
Gov. Patrick Morrisey took to the main stage and spoke about how his administration has been working hard to eliminate red tape, improve the state’s national rankings and residents’ standard of living.
“We’ve been working hard to make West Virginia the shining state in the mountains,” Morrisey said.
The governor also talked about his administration’s approach to tackling its most pressing challenges and pursuing its biggest opportunities.
“We need our government to move even faster than the speed of business,” Morrisey said.
The Chamber also welcomed Chris Stirewalt – a crowd favorite – who is a best-selling author and the political editor of NewsNation and The Hill.
Stirewalt gave an inside look into Washington, D.C., politics. With the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaching, he hopes there will be more of a return to patriotism.
“My fervent prayer is that in the coming 10 months we will revisit in our hearts our love for America and our founding creed,” Stirewalt said.
After his remarks, Stirewalt was presented with a 2025 Champion of West Virginia award from the West Virginia Chamber. Chamber President Steve Roberts praised Stirewalt for his character and commitment, saying “his genuine love for West Virginia shines in everything he says and does.”
The morning session opened with a conversation on healthcare, leadership and legacy with panelists Scott Raynes, president and chief executive officer of the Marshall Health Network, and Dr. David Gozal, vice president for health affairs at Marshall and dean of the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.
Summit participants also heard about the importance of accelerating investment in small businesses. Featured speakers were Anthony Lewis, region vice president for state and government affairs at Verizon; West Virginia Commerce Secretary Matt Herridge; and Jim Gowen, senior vice president of global sourcing and supply chain/chief sustainability officer at Verizon.
Discussion on small business moved to healthcare. David Ramsey, president and chief executive officer of Vandalia Health, gave an overview on current developments and what to expect in the future.
After Ramsey’s presentation, the focus moved to the latest at West Virginia University. WVU President Michael T. Benson was joined by sportscaster Tony Caridi for discussion on settling into his new role while learning more about West Virginia and its people.
During the afternoon, the summit’s schedule is again packed with networking activities and several receptions are planned in the evening to give participants more opportunities to share ideas.
The summit is being streamed on the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s website and its YouTube page. You can follow the latest news about the event on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram. |
