West Virginia Chamber to host 86th Annual Meeting & Business Summit
August 7, 2022
The 85th Annual Meeting & Business Summit at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs. September 1, 2021. (J. Alex Wilson)
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (WV News) A host of West Virginia business leaders, elected officials and experts are scheduled to share their insights during the 86th West Virginia Chamber of Commerce annual Member Meeting and Business Summit at The Greenbrier.
From Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, while enjoying a variety of scheduled activities and events, attendees will have opportunities to network, share ideas and hear from innovators in the business, industry, education, financial and political sectors.
Ben Pickett, John Farris and Rex Query — executives from Nucor Corp., the North Carolina-based company responsible for the $2.7-billion sheet steel mill project underway in Mason County — were recently added to the event’s slate of speakers.
“We are thrilled to have not just one, but three of the highest level people from Nucor coming to talk to the Chamber about Nucor’s decision to located what will be the largest, most advanced steel rolling mill in the world in West Virginia,” said Chamber President Steve Roberts. “This is clearly a game changer for West Virginia.”
Those who attend this year’s meeting will be the first to hear some breaking economic development news, Roberts said.
“We’ve learned that some announcements of new companies coming to West Virginia will be made at this meeting,” he said. “We’re excited about that, and we anticipate what may be record attendance — over 1,000 people.”
Other scheduled speakers include: Gov. Jim Justice; West Virginia Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito; Albert Wright, president and CEO of West Virginia University Medicine; Robert Blue, president and CEO of Dominion Energy; and Secretary Mitch Carmichael, of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development.
During a panel discussion titled “Modernizing West Virginia’s Tax Structure,” a group of state leaders will discuss a proposed state constitutional amendment that would give lawmakers in the West Virginia Legislature the authority to exempt tangible personal property used for business activities and the tax on motor vehicles from state property taxes.
The panel will include West Virginia Senate President Craig Blair, West Virginia Speaker of the House Roger Hanshaw, West Virginia Manufactures Association president Rebecca McPhail and Mike Caryl of Bowles Rice LLP.
Charlie Cook, national political analyst and editor/publisher of Cook Political Report, will share his thoughts and predictions on this year’s elections during a talk titled “America Votes! — 2022 Midterms.”
Another panel discussion, titled “Making Government Work For You,” will feature a number of the state’s top Republican officials. Auditor J.B. McCuskey, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt and Secretary of State Mac Warner are all scheduled to speak.
Many of this year’s scheduled speakers — including WVU President Dr. E. Gordon Gee, Marshall University President Brad D. Smith and Mountain State Health Network CEO Dr. David Yingling — will discus topics related to health care, Roberts said.
“There’s going to be a lot of focus on health care,” he said. “As an important component of quality of life, and as a component of our overall economy.”
The Annual Meeting will also include a ceremony for the West Virginia Business Hall of Fame Awards, the Sporting Clays Invitational and a tailgate and watch party for the “Backyard Brawl” between WVU and Pitt.
The 2022 Annual Meeting and Business Summit will take place at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs Aug. 31 through Sept. 2.
Organizers advise room availability at the Greenbrier is “extremely limited,” but other lodging options are available in the nearby area.
To register, view the meeting’s full agenda or learn more information, visit wvchamber.com
Story by Charles Young at WV News