WVU Alumni Association welcomes new members to board of directors

Sharon Flanery, Billy Gray, Zach Mendelson, Marilyn McClure-Demers and Darin Rogers are the newest additions to the board of directors for the WVU Alumni Association.(WVU Photo)

The West Virginia University Alumni Associationhas announced the addition of five people to its board of directors: Sharon Flanery, Bill Gray, Marilyn McClure-Demers, Zach Mendelson and Darin Rogers will offer their time and experience to the Association beginning Friday (June 5).

"Our new board members represent a wide breadth of expertise across five very different industries," said Sean Frisbee, President, and CEO of the WVU Alumni Association, "their unique perspectives will help us to navigate the challenges facing our organization and our alumni."

Flanery earned her Bachelor of Science degree inpetroleum engineeringfrom WVU in 1978 and was the first female graduate of the program. She began her career as a petroleum engineer before attending law school at Duquesne University, while continuing to work full-time. Throughout her career, Flanery has held many leadership positions in engineering and energy companies. She has received a variety of prestigious awards, including an honorary doctorate from theBenjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

Most recently, she has taken on the role of vice president of exploration at Columbia Natural Resources in Charleston and currently works at Steptoe Johnson PLLC as a member of the Executive Committee and as Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Department. She also sits on the Visiting Committees for the Petroleum Engineering Department and the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

Gray attended WVU and earned a Bachelor of Science degree inelectrical engineeringin 1991. After graduating, he completed a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management from the University of Colorado in 2004. Throughout his career, Gray has operated businesses and sales teams in six countries. He specializes in teambuilding and has held senior leadership positions in both private and public companies. Currently, he is the Global Business Development Director for Industrial Markets for Amphenol Corporation's Information, Communications, and Commercial Division.

Grayl is the founder of the Rocky Mountain Alumni Chapter in Denver, Colorado, and has served as president since its founding in 1997.

McClure-Demers finished a Bachelor of the Arts inpolitical sciencefromthe Eberly College of Arts and Sciencesas well as a Juris Doctorate from the WVUCollege of Law. She is vice president, associate general counsel at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, a Fortune 66 insurance and financial services company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. McClure-Demers has held a variety of high-level leadership roles throughout her career at two Fortune 100 companies and private law practices. She is recognized for her efforts to promote inclusion and advance diversity in the legal profession. McClure-Demers believes in paying it forward and has served on a number of not-for-profit boards.

She is the past President of the Ohio Women's Bar Association and currently sits on the College of Law Visiting Committee. She is an alumna of the Beta Upsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma and was also the first female Summit of Mountain Honorary, WVU’s ranking honorary for outstanding service, leadership and performance.

Mendelson graduated from WVU in 1982 with a master's degree insport management. He serves as principal in EPIC's Pittsburgh office and has been in the construction and insurance industry since 1989. He has held multiple leadership positions for the last three decades at Acordia and Wells Fargo Insurance Services. For the last 20 years, Mendelson has been a member of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers.

His experience is in both private and public entities, including national and international bodies. Mendelson is associated with various professional organizations, including the Pittsburgh Surety Association, Associated Builders and Contractors, Master Builders Association, Ohio Valley Oil and Gas Association, Marcellus Shale Coalition and Pittsburgh Home Builders.

Rogers, a native of Keyser, attendedPotomac State Collegefrom 1983-1985 before graduating from Davis and Elkins College in 1988. He received a master's degree in management from Troy University. After graduation, he began an impressive military career as the Division Officer for the Patient Administration Department. Rogers was the Medical Administrative Officer on the USS Saratoga (CV-60) during its final cruise to the Mediterranean. He later operated across the globe in naval healthcare support offices and clinics until 2012, when he retired from the US Navy after 24 years of dedicated service.

Following his career in the Navy, Rogers was named the director of operations for the Physician Enterprise at St. Vincent's Healthcare in Jacksonville, Florida, before coming home to West Virginia in November 2013, to serve as the vice president and chief ambulatory operations officer atWVU Medicine. During this time, he assumed a health system role as vice president of Provider Network Services, WVUHS, and continues to hold fellow status within the American College of Healthcare Executives.

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