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Man grad named 2018 Milan Puskar Entrepreneur of the Year

By BILL LUSK

The Logan Banner

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —Jason Donahue, a 1989 graduate of Man High School and broker and principal for FEOH Realty, was recently named the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Milan Puskar Entrepreneur of the Year.

Donahue, whose company had been involved in large and small projects, said it was an honor to be recognized.

Jason Donahue, Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Milan Puskar Entrepreneur of the Year

“It’s nice for your community to see benefit in your efforts and projects,” Donahue said. “I was thrilled but shocked at the same time.”

Donahue and his wife, Janet, formed FEOH in 2011 after helping other firms in other states acquire and develop sites for Walmart stores.

“We started FEOH six years ago and concentrated our efforts a little closer to home,” Donahue said. “My professional efforts were more concentrated in West Virginia and Pennsylvania instead of North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.”

To this day he still remains great friends with his former partners, who stayed in South Carolina while he looked for opportunities closer to home.

FEOH, deriving from a Nordic symbol originally meaning wealth and land, provides consulting services for buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants and develops commercial property.

“We always tried to find a solution,” Donahue said. “Or find a compromise that represents the needs of our clients and is beneficial to all parties.”

Donahue, a graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in Political Science, has been involved in the opening of about 80 Walmart’s in eight states amounting to almost $250 million.

He also has been involved in smaller projects in the Morgantown area. Two Starbucks stores have opened their doors, and they have worked to find tenants for properties at Granville Square just off Interstate 79. Other projects include two dozen Walmart stores in West Virginia and a number of Sheetz locations.

“We have been involved in large and small projects totaling over $2 billion of capital investment,” Donahue said. “Over $600 million of projects have been in West Virginia.”

Perhaps his biggest accomplishment was the acquisition of 60-acres that turned out to be the future home of West Virginia University baseball and the West Virginia Black Bears of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League. Ground was broken for the new ballpark on Oct. 17, 2013 at University Town Centre, an off-campus shopping and entertainment complex in Granville, and FEOH played a major role in that expansion.

A fan friendly design with 2,500 seats with additional hillside and club seating, a fan amenity and a park that is open year-round.

In August 2014, the Jamestown Jammers of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, announced they would move to West Virginia. The newly named West Virginia Black Bears, along with West Virginia University would play their home games at Monongalia County Ballpark.

In its inaugural season, BallparkDigest.com named Monongalia County Ballpark the best short single Single A ballpark in the country. West Virginia ranked 39th among Division I baseball programs in attendance, averaging 1,801 per home game.

“Walking across the Monongalia County Ballpark with WVU leadership and Pittsburgh Pirate ownership after the first pitch ceremony was the most amazing feeling,” Donahue said. “To see your idea become such a successful reality meant the world to me.”

The Black Bears won the 2015 New York-Penn League Championship defeating the Williamsport Crosscutters in three games and the Staten Island Yankees in two games to win the crown.

Since its opening the Mountaineers are 45-27 including an 18-18 Big 12 conference record and a 9-8 record against ranked opponents.

“I felt like we made a difference,” Donahue said. “WVU baseball has been pretty good.”

Donahue said he owes a big thanks to Logan County for providing him with the opportunity to be successful.

“I am very appreciative of the opportunities it (Logan County) provided me,” Donahue said. “The foundation of my entire career was built in Logan County.”

Bill Lusk is a news and sports reporter for the Logan Banner and can be reached at 304-752-6950. You can also reach him by email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @LogBannerSports.

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