Speaker Biographies

SENATOR SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO U.S. Senator for West Virginia

Shelley Moore Capito was elected by the people of West Virginia to the United States Senate in 2014, and re-elected in 2020. Shelley became the first female Senator in West Virginia’s history and in 2020, was reelected with the largest margin of victory for a Republican in state history - winning more than 70 percent of the vote and all 55 counties, surpassing the previous mark she set in 2014 when she won more than 62 percent of the vote and all 55 counties. A lifelong West Virginian herself, Senator Capito was born in Glen Dale in the Northern Panhandle. She holds a B.S. in Zoology from Duke University and a M.Ed. from the University of Virginia. She and her husband Charles L. Capito Jr. reside in Charleston. They have three adult children: two sons, Charles (wife Laura) and Moore (wife Liberty), and one daughter, Shelley (husband Colin Macleod). They have also been blessed with eight grandchildren: Celia, Charlie, Eliza, Rose, Arch, Macaulay, Lewis, and Thomas.

E. GORDON GEE President, West Virginia University

Currently serving for a second time as president of West Virginia University, Dr. E. Gordon Gee has been a leader in higher education for more than four decades. In 2009 Time magazine named him one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States. Recently, the website Great Value Colleges named him the nation’s top university president. In addition to his service at West Virginia University, Gee served as president of The Ohio State University (twice), Vanderbilt University, Brown University, and the University of Colorado. He is the co-author of over a dozen books, including his forthcoming book What’s Public about Public Higher Education ,and two recent ones, Leading Colleges and Universities and Land-Grant Universities for the Future . He has also authored many papers and articles on law and education. His service on education-governance organizations and commissions is extensive. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the National 4-H Council and the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America He served as chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors Executive Committee for the 2017-18 year and is a Big 12 representative on the College Football Playoff Board of Managers. He is a Member of the Center for Economic Development (CED) Task Force on Building a More Civil and Just Society and an inaugural member of the Education Advisory Board (EAB) Presidents Advisory Council.

Don LaMonaca is the Business Line Director for Battelle’s Critical Infrastructure Business Line. With roughly 300 staff located across the United States, CIBL delivers innovative technology-based solutions and technical services to improve resiliency, safety, and security across the energy and transportation sectors. Currently, Don is leading the development and execution of long-term growth strategies in carbon capture and storage, low carbon energy, clean transportation, and infrastructure resiliency markets. Don has over 30 years of experience advancing critical infrastructure technologies and solutions, including over 25 years with Battelle. Don began his career with Battelle as an engineer then program manager for aviation and transportation technology research, development, test and evaluation programs. Don holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from the College of New Jersey and a Master of Business Administration degree from Rutgers University. He and his wife, Gabrielle, live in southern New Jersey along with their two sons, Sam and Jake. DON LAMONACA Business Line Director, Critical Infrastructure, Battelle

SENATOR JOE MANCHIN U.S. Senator for West Virginia

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) was sworn into the United States Senate on November 15, 2010 to fill the seat left vacant by the late Senator Robert C. Byrd. For Senator Manchin, serving as West Virginia's Senator is truly an honor and a privilege. Born and raised in the small coal mining town of Farmington, W.Va., Sen. Manchin grew up learning the values that all West Virginians share — family, common sense, fairness and hard work. As a small businessman, he learned firsthand from his grandfather, Papa Joe, who was an Italian immigrant and the town grocer, the importance of serving the public. As a young man, his beloved grandmother, Mama Kay, inspired Senator Manchin's belief in public service through her unflagging compassion and desire to help those less fortunate. Senator Manchin is an avid pilot, outdoorsman, hunter, angler and motorcyclist. He has been married for more than five decades to the former Gayle Conelly of Beckley. They have three children: Heather, Joseph IV and Brooke, and are the proud grandparents of Joseph V, Sophie, Kelsey, Madeline, Chloe, Jack, Carly, Vivian, Beaux and Knox.

NICHOLAS PRESERVATI Director, West Virginia Office of Energy

A true collaborator at heart, H. Toney Stroud serves as Marshall University's General Counsel and VP for Strategic Initiatives and Corporate Relations. His department encompasses more than 80+ employees and converges external affairs with policy and economic development to maximize Marshall's efforts to grow Appalachia. An accomplished attorney with more than 24 years of experience, Toney also serves as Marshall University's Chief Legal Officer and manages the institution's legal department. Prior to joining Marshall University, Stroud was an assistance vice president at Encova Insurance, managing outside counsel in 28 states, providing legal support for the company's human resources team and advising on legislative and government relations matters. Prior to Encova, he was a member at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC from 1998-2013. Stroud earned his law degree from West Virginia University College of Law and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Marshall. He is an avid runner, having completed more than 30 marathons. He and his wife, Cassie, are active in their church, enjoy attending Marshall events and live in Ona with their two daughters. H. TONEY STROUD General Counsel and Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Corporate Relations, Marshall University Nick obtained his Master of Science Degree in Energy Policy and Climate in 2021 from Johns Hopkins University, graduating summa cum laude. He received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law - Chicago in 1997 and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame in 1994. Nick currently serves as the Director of the West Virginia Office of Energy and the Executive Director of the West Virginia Public Energy Authority. He began his legal career in Chicago, where he worked for the AmLaw 200 firm Hinshaw & Culbertson. He then served as Regional Counsel for American Electric Power before starting his own boutique-law firm in Charleston, WV, focusing on energy litigation. For over a decade, he served as a managing member and general counsel for multiple energy companies, including CNP Properties, LLC, Met Resources, LLC, and Onyx Energy, LLC. He has received an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell, which is the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards, reflecting the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and Judiciary. He has been nominated by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Energy Law and Natural Resources and has been recognized as one of America's leading lawyers for Energy Law by Chambers USA.

LOU VON THAER President and CEO, Battelle

Lewis “Lou” Von Thaer was appointed President and CEO of Battelle, the world’s largest independent, not-for-profit research and development organization, in October 2017. Battelle, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, began operations more than 90 years ago. Today, Battelle employees deliver technology solutions for the national security, healthcare, energy, and environmental markets. The company has a storied history of innovation and technology advances and is highly regarded for its management role at nine national laboratories in the United States. Previously, Lou served as CEO of DynCorp International, a $2 billion company with 12,000 employees. Lou was responsible for driving growth across federal market sectors that included aviation services, intelligence solutions, logistics and contingency operations, and operations and maintenance support. Prior to DynCorp, Lou held the position of President of the National Security Sector at Leidos, Inc., a $4 billion business focused on intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber, logistics, and systems solutions. Lou holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Rutgers University. Lou serves as board chair of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, UT-Battelle (operator of Oak Ridge National Laboratory), AmplifyBio, and National Veterans Memorial and Museum, and on the boards of Ambri, and American Electric Power. He is a member of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees and serves on the advisory boards of InnovateOhio and the American Council for Capital Formation.

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