Fairmont State to honor notable alumni during 2023 Homecoming celebrations

Fairmont State University will honor a new group of notable alumni as part of the 2023 Homecoming celebrations during the Emeritus and Alumni Luncheon on Friday, September 29. The Luncheon will be held at noon in Gym 1 of the Falcon Center.

Amy Snively, Director of Alumni Relations, shares her enthusiasm for the upcoming Homecoming festivities, as this will be her first Homecoming serving as the Alumni Relations Director.

“I love Fairmont State Homecoming because it is a tradition that brings us together to celebrate being Falcons,” said Snively. “I am thankful to serve as Director of Alumni Relations at a school that sees and understands the value of their Alumni, and I am looking forward to a lot of reminiscing and reconnecting on Homecoming Weekend.”

Members of the Fairmont Community and alumni are all invited to attend the luncheon. Tickets for the Alumni Luncheon can be purchased online. 

“On behalf of Fairmont State University, I am thrilled to welcome back an outstanding group of alumni for recognition as Alumni Award Winners,” said Fairmont State University President Mike Davis. “They represent the long and storied history of Fairmont State University and they are deserving of the highest honors we can bestow upon them.”

In addition to being recognized at the Alumni Luncheon, this year’s winners will also be celebrated at halftime during the Homecoming football game against Post University on Saturday, September 30. Kick-off for the game starts at 2:00 p.m. at Duvall-Rosier field and will be preceded by the Alumni Tailgate starting at 11:00 a.m. in the White lot. Tickets for the game can be purchased ahead of time online.

The 2023 Alumni Winners who will be recognized include:

Kevin Rogers has over 44 years of experience in electrical contracting and related industries. Kevin is the President of Rogers Electrical, a company he founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Fairmont, West Virginia. Kevin’s experience has provided him with first-hand knowledge of company ownership and operations. Before starting Rogers Electrical, Kevin owned and operated another electrical contracting business in the same industry for approximately 15 years. Kevin is a strong advocate for Fairmont State University. He is a former member of the Fairmont State Foundation Board of Directors and is currently serving on the Fairmont State University Board of Governors. Outside of his work, Kevin enjoys spending time with his family. 

2003 Fairmont State graduate and State Senator Ryan Weld was first elected to the Legislature in 2014, serving one term in the House of Delegates representing the second House District. In 2016, he was elected to represent the first Senatorial District, which includes Hancock, Brooke, Ohio and Marshall counties, and was reelected in 2020. 

In the Senate, he serves in the leadership as the Majority Whip, as well as being the Chair of the Military Committee, and the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee. Prior to serving in the Legislature, Ryan was commissioned into the Air Force Reserve in 2005 and graduated from the Air Force Intelligence Officer Course in 2006. He then spent the next several years serving on active duty. In 2010 and 2011, he served as the Staff Intelligence Officer to the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Zabul, Afghanistan. 

Prior to his deployment, he served as the Executive Officer to the Director of Congressional Affairs of the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. While at Fairmont, he was a member of the Student Government Association, Tau Beta Lota Fraternity, and the Fairmont State men’s swim team. Ryan obtained his law degree from Duquesne University in 2015. Ryan and his wife, Alex, whom he met the day he came home from Afghanistan in July of 2011, live in Wellsburg. 

Amie Gump Fazalare is a 1990 graduate of Fairmont State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health Administration and an Associate degree in Medical Record Technology. Amie received her Master of Arts degree in Counseling from West Virginia University in 1992. While completing her counseling program, she began and continues her 32 year-long career with Fairmont State. During her tenure, Amie has worked in various administration roles to assist and support the students of her alma mater. 

Like many of the students that attend Fairmont State, Amie was a first-generation college student who grew up in Warren, Ohio. Today, Amie resides in Shinnston with her husband, Gary, who also is a graduate of Fairmont State. Amie and Gary are the proud parents of Brandon and Cory who have both graduated from college with honors. As a student, Amie held various positions within the Student Government Association and was a Freshman Counselor. She enjoyed working summers to organize the orientation programs. Also, as a student worker, she supported various offices in Student Affairs, including Career Services and Student Life. Amie began her employment at Fairmont State as an Admissions Counselor and then became Director of Student Recruitment. 

For twelve years, Amie directed the multi-million-dollar Federal GEAR UP grant that provided support to West Virginia counties to provide systemic change in the schools and communities. Upon the completion of the grant, Amie returned to her role as Director of Recruitment. She currently serves as the Director of Legacy Engagement and is an Academic Success Coordinator. Amie’s passion for Fairmont State is genuine and she loves serving the students. Amie has volunteered and served on numerous boards including the Fairmont State Alumni Association, Leadership Marion, HOPE, Inc., and as an officer for seven years at Lincoln High School’s Athletic Booster Organization. 

Amie’s state-level affiliations include chairing the WV ACT Council and while working in Admissions and Recruiting she served as President for WVACRAO. In 2000, Amie received the WVACRAO Rick Snow Award which honors distinguished young professionals. In 2020, Amie was awarded the Outstanding Academic Advisor in Primary Role by NACADA. 

Vicki Huffman recently retired as principal of Johnson Elementary School in Bridgeport, West Virginia. She started her educational career doing her student teaching at Johnson Elementary in 1983. From there she worked in various Harrison County elementary schools for 15 years before going to the Harrison County Central Office as the English/Language Arts & Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator.

After seven years of missing the kids, she returned to Johnson Elementary as the Assistant Principal for five years and then principal for the past 12 years. Vicki was a National Honor Society graduate of South Harrison High School in 1980. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Fairmont State College, now Fairmont State University, in 1984. At Fairmont State, she was a member of the women’s basketball team where she was named a NAIA All-American. She was inducted into the Fairmont State College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. 

She received her master’s from Salem-Teikyo University in 1991. She then went on to earn other certifications from WVU and WV Graduate College. She was one of seven Reading Recovery Teacher leaders in West Virginia from 1992-2000. She has been serving on the Harrison County Parks & Recreation Board for 24 years. Vicki was born and raised in Harrison County and grew up near West Milford and now lives in Bridgeport with her husband, Jay Matthews. She has one son, Tyler Morgan who graduated from Bridgeport High School in 2014, Fairmont State University in 2018, and is currently stationed in Hawaii with the U.S. Air Force.

CJ Goodwin is a West Virginia native, born and raised in Wheeling. He is a 2012 Fairmont State graduate who received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. He transferred to Fairmont State University in 2010 after spending two years at Bethany College in Northern West Virginia. He walked on to the Fairmont State football team entering his senior year of college.

 CJ led the team in yards per catch, averaging just over 18 yards per carry. After a single season at Fairmont State, CJ transferred as a graduate student to California University of Pennsylvania. He spent a single season at California University before being invited to a tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was signed to the Steelers practice squad for that year. 

After a single season with the Steelers, CJ spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and made an appearance in Super Bowl 51. Ultimately, CJ ended up with the Dallas Cowboys and is still a member of the organization. Off the field, CJ spends time mentoring the youth of the Perry Galloway Jr. Foundation, a nonprofit mentoring organization he founded to honor his late father and mentor after his passing. CJ speaks to schools and youth groups across the country.

Mitch Moore is a 2016 graduate of Fairmont State, holding degrees in both Accounting and Business Management with a concentration in Finance. During his time at Fairmont State, Mitch was heavily involved in several on-campus organizations and served as the Student Body President from 2014-2016. After graduation, Mitch earned his Juris Doctor, Order of the Coif, from the West Virginia University College of Law. Mitch is now an attorney with the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson in Morgantown, WV. Mitch is proud to serve his alma mater as a member of the Fairmont State Alumni Association Board of Directors. 

A Fairmont native, Victoria Stiles attended Fairmont Senior High School and graduated from Fairmont State University with degrees in Health and Physical Education in 2014. During her time at Fairmont State, she was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma National Sorority and was a student worker at the College Park apartments. Upon graduation, Tori obtained a Health and Physical Education teaching position at Mannington Middle School where she was employed until accepting a position at Fairmont Senior High School in 2023.

Brian Abraham, a Logan County native, is a class of 1993 graduate, with a degree in Business Administration. After receiving his bachelor’s degree he went on to graduate from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1996. Brian returned to Logan and opened a practice until 1999 when he became the Prosecuting Attorney for Logan County and was elected twice before leaving office to start his own law firm. 

During this time, Brian was directly commissioned into the U.S. Army Reserve following 9/11 and went on to serve in Iraq as an Operational Law Officer. He has served on active duty with XVIII Airborne Corps and the 101st Airborne Division. Today he holds the rank of Colonel in the West Virginia National Guard and serves as the Chief of the Joint Staff. 

Brian is also a 2023 graduate of the U.S. Army War College and was awarded a Master of Strategic Studies degree. He joined the office of Governor Jim Justice in 2017 as the General Counsel and then was selected as his Chief of Staff in January 0f 2021. He serves on various boards and commissions of the state. Brian is married to Judge Stephanie Abraham and they reside in South Charleston with their two sons. 

Kenneth Hibbs is a 1981 graduate of Fairmont State with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education with specializations in Chemistry and Physics. While at Fairmont State, he was a member of the American Chemical Society for Students and Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Ken taught chemistry, physics and physical science for over 35 years in Marion County schools. He retired in 2019 after teaching 30 of those years at East Fairmont High School, having previously taught at Fairmont Senior, Rivesville, and North Marion high schools. 

Ken also coached sports for over 20 years, coaching basketball, baseball, cross country and track & field. Several of his teams have earned conference and regional championships in track and cross country. He coached the 2017 AA Boys West Virginia State Cross Country Championship team. Additionally, several of his athletes have won individual championships in cross country and track and field events. 

He has been selected as a four-time NCAC/BIG 10 conference coach of the year, and also the 2018 West Virginia State Cross Country Coach of the Year. In Ken’s spare time he likes to fish, ski, hike, camp and travel. Ken is married to Gretchen Hibbs and they are the parents of daughter Rachel and her husband Lee Tempest of Pittsburgh, PA, and son Matthew of Salt Lake City, UT.

Linda Longstreth, the youngest of eight siblings, was born and raised in Mannington, West Virginia. Linda earned her Bachelor of Arts from Fairmont State College and her Master of Science from West Virginia University. She served her county as a soldier and Staff Sergeant in the United States Army Reserves. Linda worked at the Department of Human Services and was the Administrator of OIC Training Academy, a program dedicated to helping women in need of skills in medical and dental assisting. Linda served the state of West Virginia for 16 years when she was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates. She is currently on the Marion County Commission and enjoys gardening. Linda resides in Fairmont, West Virginia. 

Barbara Scott is a 1975 graduate of Fairmont State with a Bachelor of Science Degree and is a member of Phi Mu Sorority. Barbara was the Circuit Clerk of Marion County for 26 years. She served on numerous committees for the Supreme Court, served twice as President of the West Virginia Association of Counties and has been recognized twice by the Trial Lawyers as Outstanding Clerk. After retiring in 2013 she was approached by the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals to serve as a consultant for Court and Online Information Services to implement a statewide paperless court system. She retired from that role in 2019. Barbara is the mother of two children, Shelby and Tyler, and the grandmother of one granddaughter, Mia.

Dr. Ronald D. Pearse grew up in Monongah, WV, and is the son of TJ and Madge Pearse, lifelong educators in Marion County. Ron graduated from Fairmont State in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology in 1967 from West Virginia University. Ron joined the faculty of Fairmont State in 1968 and served as chairperson of the School of Social Sciences from 1994 until his retirement in 2003. 

Ron opened a private practice as a Licensed Psychologist in 1971 and received a Doctor of Education degree in Counseling Psychology in 1990 from WVU. During his private practice Dr. Pearse provided assessments, evaluations, counseling and therapy services to many state, local, regional and federal organizations. Dr. Pearse is a Co-owner and Founder of Academy Programs, LLC. This includes YOUTH Academy (1999) – a 22-bed residential treatment facility for adjudicated youth, YORE Academy (2008) – a 24-bed residential treatment facility for adolescents dealing with behavioral and substance abuse and YALE Academy (2014) – a 24-bed residential treatment facility for adolescents dealing with behavioral and substance abuse. 

Ron was elected WV Jaycees President in 1965 and served as United States National Vice President of Jaycees from 1966-1967. Additionally, Ron has been a member of the Fairmont Rotary Club for many years and served as President from 1997-1998, Fairmont State Foundation Board from 2001-2007, Board of Directors for Family Services Agency, Central West Virginia Medical Advisory Board, Board of Directors of North Central Community Action, Board of Directors of Friends of the Symphony, Advisory Board for the Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling and Community Psychology at WVU, Board Member of Marion County Day Report Program and Treasurer of Marion County Democratic Party from 2006-2020. 

Dr. Pearse was awarded a Diplomate from the American College of Forensic Examiners in 1998 and the Alumni of Achievement Award from the Fairmont State Alumni Association in 2002. Ron and his wife, Julie (Class of 1989) are the proud parents of Alex and Gabriella Pearse.