First Lady Cathy Justice appointed to State Board of Education

By Matthew Young, RealWV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Less than 24 hours after being elected to succeed Joe Manchin in the United States Senate, Governor Jim Justice, on Wednesday, appointed his wife and West Virginia’s current First Lady Cathy Justice to the state Board of Education. 

In a letter to Secretary of State Mac Warner, dated Nov. 6, Gov. Justice advised the secretary’s office of the appointment, noting that Cathy Justice will be succeeding Dr. Daniel Snavely. Snavely, whose term expired on Monday, was initially appointed in March 2019 to complete the unexpired term of a previous board member. The governor further noted that his wife’s appointment is for a full nine-year term, and is subject to confirmation by the State Senate. 

The State Board of Education consists of 12 members – nine of whom are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the State Senate. To be eligible for appointment, an individual must be a resident of West Virginia. State code requires that, “No more than five of the appointive members may belong to the same political party and no person is eligible for appointment to membership on the state board who is a member of any political party executive committee.” Those holding state or federal public office or employment are disqualified from appointment to the board.

The governor’s letter to Secretary Warner advises that Republican Cathy Justice resides in Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, which satisfies the residency requirement. However, with her husband’s election to the United States Senate, it is presently unclear how much time either Justice will be spending in Washington, D.C. 

RealWV will provide updates regarding the Senate confirmation process as additional information is made available.