1980
1981 Graduated from
West Virginia University
1983 Joined Employer’s
Service Corporation
1985
“It is a leader’s responsibility
to grow seeds, and that is what
I plan to do for West Virginia.”
1990
1993 Joined Junior
League of Charleston
1995
1998 Graduated from
Leadership West Virginia
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2005 Named the executive
director of Leadership
West Virginia
2009 Received the Honorary
West Virginian Award
2014 Joined Girl Scouts of
Black Diamond Council’s
board of directors
2017 Joined WVU
Women’s Business Center’s
advisory council
2017 Joined the Women
for Economic and
Leadership Development
steering committee
and selection process of each class, select
the eight sites for the program sessions and
coordinate the speakers for each session as
well as all the other activities that support
our annual eight-month program,” she
says. “We know at LWV that the cultivation
of new leadership is of the utmost impor-
tance to the Mountain State.”
Farris was introduced to the LWV pro-
gram when she was nominated to partici-
pate in 1998. “My employer saw the value
in investing in employees by nominating
one of us every year,” she says. “The places
around the state we experienced and the
topics we discussed truly made a differ-
ence in my focus throughout my career.”
Farris took a leap of faith in 2005 with
the encouragement of the people around
her and applied for the executive director
position at LWV. She was one of 60 people
that applied for the position. “I was in a
comfortable place in my career,” she says.
“Comfort feels good, but experiencing
your passion feels great. At first, I was
uncomfortable being among so many
experienced leaders—until I realized we
all have something to offer, share and
learn. I still learn something new every
day, and now it is my responsibility to
make a difference.”
Farris is grateful for her mentor, Anna
Dailey, managing partner of Dinsmore &
Shohl LLP, whom she credits for giving
her the confidence to be a great leader.
“Anna is a past chair of the LWV board of
directors and has been one of my biggest
cheerleaders,” says Farris. “Anna set clear
expectations for me when I was hired
for the job. She offered me the space to
be successful but was still there when I
needed her help.”
Farris credits her parents as being her
biggest motivation for her success. “My
parents instilled respect and hard work
in me,” she says. “I saw it every day, even
beyond my dad’s job and my mom’s work
at home with the kids. They still found
time to volunteer with our church. My
mom participated with Meals on Wheels
every week, and my dad was the unpaid
maintenance man. They had a great in-
fluence on me growing up.”
The importance of giving back was
instilled in Farris at a very early age, and
today she strives to make a difference not
only in her career but in her community as
well. “Because I am focused on leadership
training with my job, I am drawn to the
same in my community service,” she says.
Farris is a member of the board of direc-
tors for the Charleston Vandalia Rotary
Club, West Virginia Society of Association
Executives and Girls Scouts of Black Dia-
mond Council. She also serves as the sec-
retary for the WVU Women’s Business
Center advisory council and a member
of the steering committee for Women for
Economic and Leadership Development.
Her role at LWV also includes organizing
events with the Mountaineer ChalleNGe
Academy, The Education Alliance and
West Virginia K-12 Speakers’ Bureau.
By giving back to the community, Farris
hopes she can inspire others and help
propel them forward to success. “You may
know your purpose and work on grow-
ing your potential as you move toward
success, but it can be very lonely if you
are not helping others grow as well,”
she says. “It is a leader’s responsibility
to grow seeds, and that is what I plan to
do for West Virginia.”
WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM
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