Mychal Schulz is a shareholder in the Litigation, Employment & Labor Services, and Energy & Natural Resources groups of Babst Calland. Mr. Schulz has extensive experience litigating matters in state and federal courts throughout West Virginia. He has been lead trial counsel in both state and federal courts on a variety of matters, including employment, premises liability, insurance bad faith and coverage, commercial, officers and directors liability, ERISA, product liability, consumer protection and criminal matters. In addition, Mychal routinely handles creditor-rights matters in Bankruptcy Court. He has appeared before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, the United States Circuit Court for the Fourth Circuit and the West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals.

Mychal Schulz graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in 1987. He received his M.A. from the University of Virginia in 1990 and J.D. from the William and Mary School of Law in 1992. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mychal Schulz has spent his entire legal career litigating throughout West Virginia in federal and state courts. He is the current president-elect of the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, the immediate past Chair of the Board of Leadership West Virginia, and the outgoing co-chair of the Human Resources Committee of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association.

In addition to his legal work, Mr. Schulz is a USTA/ITA certified tennis official who officiates matches in the Mountain East Conference, is a broadcaster for the University of Charleston men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, and volleyball teams, and is co-host of “The Tailgate,” a weekly sports talk show on WTSQ 88.1 in Charleston.

Rachel Coffman is the President and Founder of Coffman Collaborative LLC, a strategic communication firm in Charleston, WV, specializing in external and internal stakeholder management through community relations, governmental affairs, and public relations for manufacturing, energy and the transportation sectors in the Appalachian Region. With over 15 years of experience in public relations and public policy strategic execution, she serves the needs of the firm’s clients ranging from multi-national companies in automotive and chemical manufacturing, specialty chemicals, trade associations, and nonprofits using her several years of political and communications experience focusing on policy development, state legislative affairs, integrated campaign development, crisis communications, reputation management, media relations, social media planning, photography, and graphic design implementation. 

​Coffman serves as the co-chair for the WV Manufacturers Association governmental affairs committee and is a member of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s governmental relations, economic development, and environmental committees. She is the West Virginia representative for the National League of Women Lobbyists and was selected by the Institute of Public Relations for the 2023 IPR Elevate program. She is a past president of the PRSA WV Chapter and serves as the chapter's PRSA Assembly Delegate 2023-2026. Also, she serves on the PRSA National Membership Committee, as co-chair. 
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Prior to her founding Coffman Collaborative, Coffman was Vice President at TSG Consulting where she worked over a decade in state governmental affairs. In 2022, she was named the 2022 WV PR Practitioner of the Year by the PRSA WV Chapter, other awards are; State Journal honoree for the 2021 Generation Next: 40 Under 40, Young Gun by WV Executive Magazine 2018, Young PR Professional of the Year Award by the PRSA WV Chapter in 2012, and WV Living Wonder Woman -2023. 
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Coffman received her M.B.A. from the University of Charleston in 2011 and was a magna cum laude graduate of Marshall University W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2008 concentrating in public relations. In 2019, Coffman completed a graduate certificate in Business, International Relations, and Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Continuing her education journey, she completed a Sustainability for Industry course from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) in 2023. 
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She holds professional certifications from the Public Relations Society of America in crisis communication, reputation risk management, and FEMA public information officer training in incident command protocol.

Joseph Hatton has over thirty years of experience assisting farmers in the soil and water conservation field. Hatton also has assisted with policy development at the state and national level for the Farm Bureau. Moreover, he has also been active in the Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer and Rancher Program. Hatton earned a BS in Agricultural Resource Management and a MS in Agricultural Economics from West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. He also possesses technical certifications from the American Society of Agronomy and the American Forage and Grassland Council providing him with science-based insights concerning the many issues facing West Virginia’s agriculture industry.

Jeffrey Sokal is currently the CEO of Mountaintop Beverage and one of the founders of the business. A veteran of the dairy and beverage industry with 30 years of experience in the space in the areas of manufacturing, strategy, business development, and executive management.

Chris Hamilton is the President and CEO of the West Virginia Coal Association. Hamilton, a native of Wheeling, WV has over 40 years of experience in and around the mining industry. He started his mining career as an underground miner and worked as a fire boss and section foreman and several management positions for the Valley Camp Coal Company before serving as deputy director for the West Virginia Department of Mines. Chris has spent the past 35 years with the West Virginia Coal Association in a variety of capacities involving mine safety, legislative, regulatory and government affairs. Hamilton has mine foreman certifications in West Virginia and Ohio and is a graduate of West Virginia University with undergraduate and master's degrees in business and political science. He also serves on several state Coal Boards and Commissions under gubernatorial appointment.

Jeffrey A. Green has served as Deputy Executive Director of WorkForce West Virginia since 2017. He currently leads the Agency’s Research, Information Technology, and Unemployment Divisions. Mr. Green started with WorkForce West Virginia in 1996 as a Labor Market Analyst, and took the role of Research, Information, and Analysis Director in 2010. Mr. Green has a Master of Arts from Marshall University. Over the past 20 years Mr. Green has served on numerous committees and projects based around labor market research and information technology. He recently completed a term as Chair for the Workforce and Labor Market Information Committee of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.

With a diverse legal background, Danielle serves as a go-to resource for her clients in addressing the full spectrum of government relations matters. Whether drafting bills, fostering connections with elected officials or helping clients navigate the complex legislative process, her ability to connect with people on a personal level enables her to bring them together to forge mutually advantageous partnerships. She routinely works with local, state and national businesses, always tailoring her approach for each client’s unique needs. Her background and knowledge has allowed her to play an integral role in the passage of several changes to the legal landscape in West Virginia, including the landmark passage of a bill creating the intermediate court of appeals.

Her legal expertise spans a wide spectrum, ranging from managing intricate multi-party construction disputes to skillfully litigating cases related to commercial banking. With a significant portion of her clientele stemming from the construction industry, Danielle possesses an intimate understanding of both the legal intricacies and the business dynamics within construction, also serving on the board of the Associated Builders and Contractors of WV. Fueled by her innate talent for creative problem-solving, Danielle thrives on assisting her clients in uncovering innovative solutions to their challenges. This often entails determination and thinking outside the conventional bounds.

Danielle's influence in the legal realm is further highlighted by her published works and speaking engagements focusing on construction and government relations matters. A longstanding pillar in the DRI Construction Law Group, Danielle has assumed various leadership roles over the years, including Committee Chair, National Seminar Chair and Vice Chair of the Center for Public Policy's Third Party Litigation Task Force.

Michael O’Brien is Vice President of Global Public Affairs for BSA | The Software Alliance, where he is responsible for worldwide policy and advocacy communications for the global software industry.

Before joining BSA, O’Brien served as Vice President of Public Affairs and Advocacy for the National Association of Manufacturers, the largest US industrial trade association, where he led winning public affairs campaigns and led the transformation of the NAM’s member mobilization and grassroots programs.

Previously, O’Brien served as Director of Public Affairs for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). He started his career as a national political reporter for The Hill newspaper and NBC News.

O’Brien received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his MBA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and daughter.

Evan Vaughan is the Executive Director of MAREC Action (MAREC informally stands for “Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition”) where he leads state legislative and regulatory advocacy across PJM for a coalition of over 40 utility-scale wind, solar, and energy storage businesses. Prior to MAREC Action, Evan spent a year as a public affairs consultant for an offshore wind developer and nearly five years as Manager of Media Relations for the American Wind Energy Association. Evan also earned internship positions working on clean energy policy at the International Emissions Trading Association and the World Wildlife Fund. Evan holds a MA in Global Environmental Policy from American University in Washington, DC and a BA in Government and World Affairs from the University of Tampa in Florida.

Mark Behrens co-chairs the Washington, DC-based Public Policy Group of Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. Mark has over thirty years of experience working on civil justice issues and defense litigation. A substantial part of his practice is working to improve the civil litigation environment through legislation; in the courts through amicus curiae briefs on behalf of business, civil justice and defense lawyer organizations; through legal scholarship and judicial education; and in the court of public opinion. Mark chairs the IADC’s Civil Justice Response Committee and serves on the Board of Lawyers for Civil Justice. He is a past recipient of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s Individual Achievement Award and the IADC’s Joan Fullam Irick Award for his work as Civil Justice Response Committee chair. Mark received his J.D. in 1990 from Vanderbilt University Law School and his B.A. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin in 1987.

Rachelle Mortimer serves as a director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). She is responsible for legal reform advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. and in state capitols throughout the eastern and mid-western portions of the country.

Before joining ILR, Rachelle worked in copyright law and policy, advising clients on proper intellectual property protections and clearance as well as advocating for creators’ intellectual property rights in Congress.

Rachelle is a graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She holds a J.D. from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University and is admitted to practice law in Washington, D.C.

Carol Howerton serves as the Director for Workforce Development at the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center. She joined the center in 2020 and oversees the workforce education and training including academic program and partnerships, public training, customized industry training and apprenticeships. She actively assists industry with designing and delivering training programs to upskill employees. She serves as a board member for the Region 2 and Region 3 Workforce Development boards and is the chair of the Department of Defense sponsored ACENet Advisory Council.

Derrick Williamson is a Member at Spilman Thomas & Battle. He is Co-chair of the law firm's Utility, Energy, & Communications Law Group and is Managing Member of the firm’s Greater Harrisburg office. 

Derrick practices in the area of Public Utility Law; he has over 30 years of experience, principally representing large commercial, manufacturing, industrial, and institutional consumers of electricity and natural gas before state and federal utility/energy commissions and appellate courts. He also advises clients regarding the negotiation and procurement of utility services, as well as issues related to on-site generation, demand response, and renewable energy procurement. Derrick also serves as Executive Director of WVEUG, working with the Chair and Vice Chair of the organization to shape energy rates and public policy on behalf of its members. 

A graduate of the University of Maryland and Duke University School of Law, he has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for energy law for multiple years. In fact, he earned the distinction of being selected as the Best Lawyers’ Energy Law "Lawyer of the Year" in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in both 2016 and 2020.

Derrick also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law, teaching Administrative Law and Energy Law & Policy. 

Derrick is a Veteran of the United States Army. He is active in furthering Veterans' support and diversity initiatives in the legal field. He holds positions on the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, as well as on the Equal Professional Opportunity Committee of the Dauphin County Bar Association.

Economic Leadership LLC, based in Shallotte, North Carolina, is a small group of data, strategy and policy experts working with private and public clients to analyze competitiveness, develop strategy, identify best practices, and reimagine the future. Over the past ten years the team has worked on over 140 projects in more than twenty states and internationally. Ted is the principal author of dozens of reports on future trends, workforce, and technology and speaks on the economy almost every week. He currently serves as the economic advisor to the National Association of State Chambers.

Born in Dallas, NC, Ted received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; his master’s from Johns Hopkins University, is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute and is an Eisenhower Fellow for global economics.

Dr. Thorsten Wuest in an Associate Professor at West Virginia University at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. His research focuses on smart manufacturing, industry 4.0, machine learning in manufacturing, hybrid analytics, product service systems, and product lifecycle management. His research is funded by a variety of federal agencies (incl. NSF, NIST, DoD, CESMII/DoE), international agencies (incl. Thomas Jefferson Fund, DFG, EC, BMBF, etc.), and industry. Besides being published in the premier academic outlets of his field, it was featured by Forbes, Futurism, IndustryWeek, the World Economic Forum, CBC Radio, and World Manufacturing Forum etc. Dr. Wuest is involved in several professional societies, among others serving as Vice-Chair Americas of IFIP Working Group 5.7, a member of IFIP WG 5.1, IFAC TC 5.3, SME, senior member of IISE, and research affiliate of the CIRP. He published 3 books and over 170 peer-reviewed articles in international archival journals and conferences - gathering over 8,500 citations to-date - and serves as a reviewer for many. He is a member of the Scientific Committees of a variety of conferences incl. APMS, NAMRC, CIRP LCE, SysInt, and ISM. He serves on the Editorial Board for the JMSY, WMF, and an Associate Editor for the RCIM, ASTM SSMS, and IJMR. Dr. Wuest received multiple awards for his work incl. Statler outstanding teacher of the year 2019, Statler outstanding researcher 2022, SME Journal Award, and best review paper award by the Int’l Journal of Automation Technology. Testament to his close collaboration with industry, he also serve on several advisory boards, including Maven Machines, Sustainment.tech, SavePlanetEarth, and the WVU Industrial Extension.

Andy Malinoski is the Director of Marketing and Communications for the West Virginia Department of Commerce. Andy began his media, consulting, and marketing career more than 25 years ago with Charleston Newspapers and Thomson Newspapers, then the 6th largest newspaper company in the United States, where he was circulation director.

He has worked in media, telecommunications, professional liability insurance, health care, risk management and distribution operations.

Today, Andy leads a team that provides communication and marketing support for economic development, public health, social media and more.

In his role in state government, Andy likes to say he shares the wealth, beauty, and opportunity in West Virginia with the world each day. You can check out their work at daily304.com.

Melanie Dempsey serves as Vice-President for Financial Policy with the West Virginia Hospital Association (WVHA). In her current role, she works to support member hospitals with financial and budgetary oversight to ensure viability and access to care for our local communities. She is responsible for interpretation and implementation of federal and state health policies that affect West Virginia hospitals and health systems. Prior to joining WVHA, Melanie served as the CFO and Vice President for Finance for Davis Health System in north-central West Virginia. 

Melanie has worked in the healthcare industry for nearly 20 years. Throughout her career, she has achieved financial turn-around, guided acquisitions, worked with payer negotiation and contract management, as well as pairing quality and financial performance for health care delivery optimization. She has worked closely with revenue cycle, health records and coding, patient billing, information systems, utilization review, finance, and pharmacy operations over the years.

She earned her bachelor’s degrees in Accounting, Biology and Chemistry from Davis and Elkins College and holds a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from West Virginia University.

She is involved with several organizations including the Healthcare Financial Management Association, Rotary, serves as a board member for the Davis Health System Foundation, and is a board member for the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Curtis Wilkerson founded Orion Strategies in 2006 with a vision of creating a full-service firm which would enable consistent quality and dependable results. Wilkerson has guided the company through layered expansions with experienced teams in multiple states. Understanding that clients look beyond borders for both policy and economic development, he developed a fully integrated structure within the firm to maximize talent. 

Wilkerson has advised numerous organizations and companies as well as state, regional and national trade associations. These efforts include policy influence, permitting, tax abatement, environmental and crisis communication. He is often quoted and utilized as a background source for national and regional media outlets.

With 20+ years of industry and consulting experience, Staci Miller is the Director of WVU’s Industrial Extension. She is responsible for managing the cooperative agreement from the Federal Department of Commerce, the operations and staff. WVU Industrial Extension serves as the national representative for the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program with 51 centers across the country. She collaborates with the WV Department of Economic Development and leadership at WVU to ensure the Industrial Extension is aligned from the federal, state, and University level. She also consults with clients facilitating risk assessments, creating strategic plans, and developing marketing and business growth plans. She has additional expertise in building assessing quality, environmental, and safety management systems as well as conducting compliance and system assessments to identity continuous improvement opportunities. Previously Staci has held global, senior leadership positions for private and publicly traded companies with responsibilities for global manufacturing operations. Staci holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Pittsburgh, a Masters in Business Administration from Duquesne University, and is a certified ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949, and ISO 14001:2015 internal auditor.

David Goldberg is CEO of nonprofit SeeMore Impact Labs and Co-Director of Excel Together West Virginia. David has a BS from Yale and a PhD from Caltech in molecular biology, with postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard and Cambridge University, during which he led the first team to reinsert a gene back into a higher organism (gene therapy to cure fruit flies of alcoholism!). David then did postdoctoral work in artificial intelligence (AI) at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He then left science to become a serial entrepreneur across many sectors, with over 20 patents and successful exits in geophysics, optical networking hardware, automated image indexing, consumer electronics, microbial antibiotic resistance testing, and more. On his 50th birthday, he redirected his efforts to social entrepreneurship. 

David has presented at: the White House Conference on Upskilling America; the state economic development conferences in Texas, California and Colorado; the National College and Career Readiness Commission; and the National Council for Workforce Education. He served as a member of the National Panel on Postsecondary Education and the Future of Work (Education Commission of the States), and is on the Advisory Council of the Coalition for Career Development.

Jim Kaufman serves as President and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association (WVHA). Prior to joining WVHA, Jim served as vice president of public policy for the Children’s Hospital Association and director of government affairs for the Johns Hopkins Institutions. 

With over 25 years of health policy experience, he has advocated at the federal, state, and local levels, addressing a variety of issues to improve access to care including Medicaid hospital payments, Medicare physician incentive reforms, and biomedical research. Jim’s experience also includes the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Maryland General Assembly. 

In addition, Jim is a member of the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) Board of Trustees, the West Virginia University’s Master of Health Administration Advisory Board, an instructor with the West Virginia Rural Community Health Scholars programs, and the American Legion Mountaineer Boys State program. 

Jim earned his bachelor’s degree from McDaniel College, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Baltimore and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore Graduate Schools. 

The West Virginia Hospital Association is based in Charleston, WV.

Sean P. Redmond is vice president of labor policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Redmond’s responsibilities include monitoring National Labor Relations Board and Department of Labor policy developments, advocating for legislative and regulatory reforms, researching union finances, working with coalitions on labor and employment issues, and writing for Above the Fold, the Chamber’s digital publication.

Redmond was previously executive director of the Chamber’s Workforce Freedom Initiative, a multimillion-dollar grassroots, education, and advocacy campaign to preserve workplace democracy and prevent the adoption of organized labor’s anti- growth agenda.

Before joining the Chamber, Redmond served as chief of staff and senior advisor for the Office of Labor-Management Standards, the federal agency charged with enforcing criminal and civil legal provisions ensuring the financial integrity, transparency, and democratic governance of labor unions. Redmond was appointed to the U.S. Department of Labor in January 2001 as part of the George W. Bush administration’s transition team and served until 2004 as special assistant to Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

Immediately before his appointment to the Department of Labor, Redmond served on the staffs of the 54th presidential inauguration, the Bush-Cheney presidential transition, the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign, and the 2000 Republican National Convention. Prior to those campaign-related positions, Redmond worked at the free market think tank Citizens for a Sound Economy as a grassroots coordinator and development assistant.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Redmond participates in several nonprofit organizations. From 2011 to 2015, he was president of the Georgetown Alumni Club of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., and he has served as a member of the Georgetown University Alumni Association Board of Governors since 2009. Redmond also is a member of the Board of Regents and student mentor for The Fund for American Studies as well as a member of the Board of Governors of the American Independence Museum in Exeter, NH, and he is a lifetime member of the National Eagle Scout Association.

Redmond graduated from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service with a B.S.F.S. in international politics, where he earned membership in the Phi Alpha Theta history honor society. He received an M.A.L.S. in social and public policy from Georgetown and an M.B.A. in international business from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, where he earned membership in the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society. He also is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Institute for Organization Management.

Redmond is a native of the Washington, D.C., area and resides in Arlington, Virginia.