Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission
Gayle Conelly Manchin attended West Virginia University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Language Arts and Education and a Master of Arts in Reading, and a second master’s specialization in Educational Technology Leadership from Salem International University. She was appointed by Governor Jim Justice to serve as Cabinet Secretary for the Office of Education and the Arts within his administration.
As an educator, Gayle worked in Marion County Schools at the secondary level, served on the faculty of Fairmont State University in Developmental Education and was the Director of the university’s first Community Service Learning Program. From 2000-2004, she directed the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in WV and through the Secretary of Education and the Arts, implemented a statewide initiative, WVPASS (WV Partnerships to Assure Student Success).
From January 2005 until November 2010, Gayle served as West Virginia’s First Lady and the official hostess of the Governor’s Mansion where she was an advocate for West Virginia children and families. In addition, she was appointed by the Governor to serve as a member of the State Board of Education, where she completed her tenure in 2015 after serving as President for her last two years. She is the Chair of the Board for Reconnecting McDowell, an AFT initiative serving rural WV, is a past president of the Vandalia Rotary Club of Charleston, and currently serves on the Clay Center Advisory Board, Vision Shared and as an Emeritus Member of The Education Alliance. In addition, she serves on the REL Appalachia Governing Board.
On the national level, Gayle is a Past-President of the National State Boards of Education (NASBE). She served by appointment of Sec. of Education, Arne Duncan to the FIPSE (Federal Improvement for Post-Secondary Education) Board from 2010-2014, and is a current member of the International Friendship Club and the Senate Spouses Organization in Washington, DC. Gayle is also a member of the Board of Directors for Horton’s Kids, a non-profit organization serving at-risk youth in Washington, DC. She has spoken both at a state and national level on challenges of rural education, poverty, and our responsibility to intersect economic development with education through collaboration with the Governor’s STEM and STEAM initiatives.
Gayle Conelly Manchin was sworn in as the Appalachian Regional Commission’s thirteenth federal co-chair on May 6, 2021, becoming the first ARC federal co-chair from West Virginia. Nominated by President Biden, Manchin works directly with ARC’s 13 member governors, their state alternates and program managers, and a network of local development districts to continue to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth throughout Appalachia.
An alumna of West Virginia University, Manchin worked as an educator in Marion County Schools, served on the faculty of Fairmont State University, and was the director of the university’s first Community Service Learning Program. She directed the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in West Virginia between 2000-2004 and implemented a statewide initiative, WV Partnerships to Assure Student Success. Manchin previously served as West Virginia’s First Lady between 2005-2010 and was appointed to serve as a member of the State Board of Education, serving her last two years as president. She was the chair of the Board for Reconnecting McDowell, Inc., an AFT initiative serving rural West Virginia, is a past president of the Vandalia Rotary Club of Charleston, and was an emeritus member of The Education Alliance. She also served as cabinet secretary for the West Virginia Office of Education and the Arts.