Speakers 2024

Marvin Woodie

Kyle Langsley Speakers 2024 24 October 2024

Title: President
Company: Conn-Weld Industries, LLC

Marvin Woodie graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and began his career with Conn-Weld Industries in 1986. Throughout his tenure, Marvin has held various roles, starting as a project engineer where he was involved in product development. He later served as Vice President of Field Operations, playing a key role in expanding Conn-Weld’s global presence. Marvin now serves as President of Conn-Weld Industries, LLC.

Marvin is passionate about education, community, and manufacturing. He serves on several boards aimed at advancing West Virginia’s future, including the Bluefield State University Board of Accreditation for the Mechanical Engineering Department, The Wade Center, WVU’s Visiting Committee for the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, the Graham High School Foundation, and the West Virginia Manufacturers Association.

Jim Linsenmeyer

Kyle Langsley Speakers 2024 24 October 2024

Title: Region Manager
Company: WV Dept of Economic Development

Jim Linsenmeyer, a native of West Virginia, serves as the Region Manager for the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, overseeing the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands regions. In this role, Jim focuses on helping West Virginia-based businesses grow by leveraging the state’s resources, while also working to attract international companies to invest in the state’s infrastructure and economy.

Jim holds an undergraduate business degree from Xavier University and an MBA from West Virginia University. Prior to joining the Department of Economic Development, he spent 40 years operating and owning beer and wine wholesale businesses in West Virginia. Over the course of his career, he has been involved in numerous startups, mergers, and acquisitions of small businesses.

Following his retirement, Jim dedicated several years to providing pro bono consulting services to business colleges, incubators, and accelerators in the Baltimore area, serving as a guest lecturer and entrepreneur-in-residence.

Glenn Jeffries

Kyle Langsley Speakers 2024 24 October 2024

Title: WV Senate
Company: Chair of Economic Development Committee

Senator Jeffries, who represents parts of Kanawha and Putnam Counties, is a successful businessperson and entrepreneur who chairs the West Virginia Senate’s Economic Development Committee. Working collaboratively with the West Virginia Development Office and all levels of government, Jeffries brings a private sector perspective to economic development and builds lasting relationships with existing and potential companies to position the Mountain State to grow more jobs and opportunities.

Dana Burns

Kyle Langsley Speakers 2024 23 October 2024

Title: Vice President
Company: Potesta & Associates, Inc.

Dana holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from West Virginia University. He is the Vice President of Potesta & Associates, Inc., a civil, geotechnical, and environmental consulting firm with offices in Charleston and Morgantown, West Virginia, as well as Winchester and Richmond, Virginia. Dana is a Registered Professional Engineer with over 45 years of experience in civil/site, geotechnical, and environmental engineering.

Bill Bissett

Kyle Langsley Speakers 2024 23 October 2024

Title: President
Company: West Virginia Manufacturers Association

Bill Bissett is the President of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA), which represents companies that make products in the Mountain State as well as associate member companies who are dependent on manufacturing for their livelihoods. Representing members of all sizes that produce products as diverse as automobiles to handmade wooden furniture, the WVMA provides a strong voice for its membership in Washington, D.C., the State Capitol, and across West Virginia.

A native West Virginian, Bissett previously served as State Director for United States Senator Shelley Moore Capito. Prior to his role with Senator Capito, Bissett led the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce, which is in his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia. He has also served previously as the President of the Kentucky Coal Association and the Chief of Staff & Senior Vice President for Communications at Marshall University. Before working for his Alma Mater, Bissett was Vice President of Public Relations for Charles Ryan Associates, an integrated marketing firm in Charleston, WV.

Bissett earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from Marshall University, in addition to receiving his commission in the United States Army. He was part of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership WV program as a member of the Class of 2018. Bissett is member of both the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism & Mass Communications Hall of Fame at Marshall University and the West Virginia Public Relations Hall of Fame.