The Board of Directors election opens on May 8th

All WVAGP members receive an email from Wild Apricot with a link to the ballot when the election opens on May 8th. You must be a current member in active standing within the organization to vote, so remember to pay your current year membership dues before June 1st for your vote to be counted. The election closes Monday, June 1st at 9:15 am. If you have any questions or feedback, contact the Election Committee at election@wvagp.org or fill out the Elections Feedback Survey.

Slate of Candidates

We are pleased to present the following slate of candidates for election to the WVAGP Board of Directors 2026-2028 term. In accordance with our bylaws, candidates are ordered by sector and then last name, with personal statements as submitted by each candidate. There are six Board positions and one Alternate position open this election. 

Eric Bess

City: Charleston

Professional Sector: Private Industry

I am currently a Principal Project Manager GIS and GIS Group Lead for a global engineering firm and office principal for the Charleston Office. I have over 26 years GIS experience with 13 being in the natural gas industry before switching to consulting. I am a current WVAGP Board Member and appreciate the exposure and opportunity that brings in the geospatial community. I am active in GIS solution development for major projects across a variety of sectors and consistently looking for innovative ways to apply GIS to a variety of projects to enhance efficiency, data management and data analytics and reporting. I look forward to engaging the WVAGP more with private industry and other related organizations to diversify beyond local/state/federal agencies and educational institutions.

James Seth Davidson

City: Alum Creek

Professional Sector: Private Industry

I have been a GIS professional for the past 13 years, and I am currently pursuing my PhD at West Virginia University, where my work continues to deepen my commitment to advancing geospatial science in our state. I am honored to be nominated for a position on the WVAGP Board, and I see this as an opportunity to give back to the community that has shaped my career.

Marvin Davis

City: Morgantown

Professional Sector: Regional/Local Organization

Hello! President Emeritus Marv here. I spent six of the past seven years on the Board of Directors, and was the most recent past President. I'm known for long meetings, encouraging us to take action, and most notably the Festivus tradition of airing of grievances! My vision for WVAGP is to expand what we offer in education and engagement with stakeholders, whether they are lifelong members or professionals just getting started in the field or using the technology. My goals to accomplish that are:

1. Engage leadership of as many related groups of users and organizations as possible to gain members or build associate memberships,

2. Encourage the development of a student-led Affiliate, and

3. Find ways to grow our funding for events and student opportunities.

Regardless of the outcome of this election, I plan to be involved with multiple WVAGP committees going forward, so whether I dread it or run from it, destiny arrives all the same. Marvin 2026!

Meryl Friedrich

City: Elkins

Professional Sector: State Government

In my role as a GIS Analyst with the WV Division of Natural Resources, I get to use GIS to turn data into actionable and visually appealing information that can advance wildlife conservation and management in this incredible state. I am grateful to WVAGP for providing opportunities to improve my technical skills and learn from a vast network of colleagues, which is why I am committed to giving back to the association. I have been a board member for four years and have served on multiple committees as well as on the executive board as Vice President and currently as President. It would be a privilege to continue my service towards the association if re-elected. I am passionate about the mission of WVAGP to support coordination and collaboration amongst members and with the public, and to facilitate training, networking, and professional development opportunities.

Maggie McGhee

City: Huntington

Professional Sector: State Government

I have been working with GIS since my first internship in 2019, and I currently work for the West Virginia Division of Highways. Huntington is my home and I am a proud Marshall alum. In my free time, you can find me on a trail or cozied up with some knitting, crochet, or another craft. For the past year, I have been chair of the WVAGP Training Committee. Throughout this experience, I have had the pleasure of learning from other dedicated professionals in our organization as we've worked to coordinate needed training in our state. Joining the board would further my involvement as part of my overall goal to help expand access to resources and contribute to our community. I would like to say thank you to everyone I have worked with this year, and I look forward to continuing to participate in any capacity.

Frank LaFone

City: Morgantown

Professional Sector: Education/Research

I've enjoyed my years of service to the Association. I hope to help guide it into a new phase of association.

Barb MacLennan

City: Fairmont/Morgantown

Professional Sector: Education/Research

My interest in serving as a WVAGP board member stems from my deep respect for the organization, its members, and the impact it continues to have across West Virginia. As a past board member and president, and through service on multiple WVAGP committees, I have had the opportunity to contribute to strengthening communication, including recently working to draft the effective WVAGP one-pagers we use at events, supporting outreach such as tabling at events such as WV GeoCon and municipal conferences, and helping build connections across our community. These experiences have given me a strong understanding of both where we have been, where we can continue to grow, and how I can continue to support what I think is one of the most collaborative and creative industries in WV.

I believe we are in a critical phase for WVAGP as the field of geospatial technology continues to expand into areas that might not know the importance of geospatial professionals, best practices, and our long history of some of the earliest and most innovative GIS work adopted by other states. There is a real opportunity to build on our momentum by increasing engagement, supporting collaboration across sectors, and continuing to grow a strong and visible geospatial community across the state.

Current Board of Directors

For more information, see the Board page

Meryl Friedrich, President*

Dusty Hays, Vice President

Amanda Adams, Secretary

Jennings Starcher, Treasurer**

Johnathan Adkins

Veronica Balcer

Eric Bess*

Hussein Elkhansa

Jessica Gormont**

Frank LaFone*

Barb MacLennan*

Taryn Moser, Ex-Officio

*Eligible for re-election in 2026

**Ineligible for re-election because 6-year term limit reached

2025-2026 Board of Directors (L-R): Amanda Adams, Veronica Balcer, Meryl Friedrich, Dusty Hays, Taryn Moser (ex-officio), Jennings Starcher, Hussein Elkhansa, and Johnathan Adkins.

Not Pictured: Eric Bess, Jessica Gormont, Frank LaFone, and Barbara MacLennan.