Steps down as foundation member, drops out of state Senate race
By Steven Allen Adams, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Nearly five months after first forming, the private foundation set up to distribute hundreds of millions of dollars of opioid settlement funds will have its first executive director, and it is someone already familiar to the foundation.
Jonathan Board, the vice president of external affairs for the Mon Health System based in Morgantown, was hired Thursday by the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office as executive director for the West Virginia First Foundation.
“This is a vitally important day, but this day has very little to do with one individual or even a group of individuals,” Board said during a press conference with Attorney General Patrick Morrisey at the State Capitol Building. “Today is about the people of the state of West Virginia. We have a lot of work to do.”
“This is a wonderful day for the State of West Virginia, and quite frankly something I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time,” Morrisey said. “This appointment represents many, many months and many, many hundreds – if not thousands – of hours of work.
“I have the utmost confidence that we’ve now found the single best candidate for this job of executive director,” Morrisey continued. “I believe with all my heart that you’re going to lead this foundation admirably.”
Board, who also serves as the region four representative for the West Virginia First Foundation, will step down as a foundation member in order to run the organization. The foundation voted to accept the appointment later that same day, as well as approving several motions to empower Board in his new role.
