Steven B. Hedrick
President & CEO, MATRIC, Inc., and Chairman
& CEO, Appalachia Development Group, LLC
JENNIFER JETT PREZKOP
Photo by Tracy A. Toler Photography.
STEVE HEDRICK’S FIRST JOB was that of a soldier, serving as
a commissioned officer and scout platoon leader in the U.S.
Army. Embracing a lifelong calling to be a professional soldier,
he had just graduated from West Point and was looking toward
the future with the same mentality he seems to apply to all
opportunities that come his way: go big or go home.
The vital lessons he learned as a young platoon leader helped
lay a solid foundation for both his career and his favorite pastime:
helping move West Virginia forward. “Mission first, soldiers
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always. Work hard, be relentless, have a will to win that is
bigger than the challenge before you. Take care of your people
and equipment, and you’ll do well and create the opportunity
for others to do well,” he remembers of those lessons.
Understanding this mentality, it is easy to see why Hedrick
was chosen to lead MATRIC, a South Charleston-based stra-
tegic innovation partner and research and development center
where professionals are solving the most difficult science and
technology problems. MATRIC is keeping innovation alive in