DAY 1 RECAP:

2025 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT: 

POWERFUL VOICES

It's been a great first day at the

West Virginia Chamber of Commerce

2025 Women’s Leadership Summit: Powerful Voices

New This Year: Check out a recap of Day 1 from the Women’s Leadership Summit, featuring the highlights and big takeaways that shaped the day’s discussions.

And get ready—tomorrow’s sessions are sure to bring more inspiration and fresh ideas. We can’t wait to see you there!

A trailblazer in the field of medicine and a passionate advocate for health care access and equity said women’s powerful voices are needed more than ever at a time of great change and much misinformation.

Patrice Harris, CEO and Co-Founder of eMed, told women at the Women’s Leadership Summit that her own personal foundation was developed and many of her lessons were learned while growing up in Bluefield, W.Va., where her family gathered at her grandmother’s house and shared time around the table.

The health care leader said she has discovered it is very important for women to have a strong purpose, to climb mountains to give their voice and to battle misinformation when they encounter it. She encouraged women to get beneath the headlines and to maintain their curiosity.

As women take the leadership reins, Harris said, they should never be afraid to fail and they should always stand in their authentic voice.

The first African American woman to serve as the president of the American Medical Association, Harris said COVID-19 hit about seven months after she took the helm of the AMA. She said she used her new platform as a way to use her voice, doing national TV interviews as an opportunity to talk about the importance of healthcare during a pandemic.

Three women recruited to West Virginia as part of a talent attraction program for remote workers said they have loved continuing their careers here while enjoying outdoor recreation in the beautiful mountains and becoming part of communities they love.

Ascend West Virginia participants Kate Dubickas, Holly Bittinger and Emma Crow-Willard spoke about their experiences during a presentation moderated by Marshall University First Lady Alys Smith. Alys and her husband, Marshall University President Brad D. Smith, co-founded the Wing 2 Wing Foundation that launched Ascend.

Dubickas of Ascend New River Gorge said moving to West Virginia has allowed her to be more connected to people who love nature and outdoor recreation and has given her more time to evaluate her professional goals. Bittinger of Ascend Greenbrier Valley said she has loved the built-in community she found, and her experiences have exceeded her expectations. Crow-Willard of Ascend Morgantown Area said she has loved her outdoor experiences and is currently exploring an opportunity to develop a YouTube series on West Virginia farmers.

Meanwhile, Alys Smith said the Ascend program is bringing new people into West Virginia with a “fresh set of eyes” who are offering new perspectives, and the Ascenders are becoming some of the Mountain State’s best ambassadors.

A veteran utility executive who pushes her company to be on the cutting edge of innovation knows a thing or two about power, not just the electricity her company generates, but the power that comes through leadership.

Kelly Tomblin, President and CEO of El Paso Electric, said true power is often talked about but rarely achieved and requires a change in the concept of power, personal rediscovery, a focus on wellness and freedom and needs all of us for it to succeed.

Finding your true power gives others an invitation to do the same, so everyone’s unique gifts are fully manifested, she said.

A storyteller at heart, Tomblin outlined 10 steps to expanding your power – be uniquely you; resist letting your role define you; surround yourself with positive, diverse people; have the courage to tell your story; declare your intentions; direct your exposure; rebuke the perfection “not enough” trap; never stop growing and learning; fight fear like the enemy it is; and bring meaning to it all.

Knowing and honoring your true self, resisting the temptation to have any role define you and surrounding yourself with people who lift you higher are also keys to finding your true power, she said.

Tomblin emphasized that your story is your power, and that you should own your entire story and invite others to tell you theirs. She encouraged women to make their lives meaningful, combining hard work with a higher purpose.

Packed into a full agenda at the 2025 Women’s Leadership Summit was a surprise - the announcement of the West Virginia Chamber’s inaugural Women’s Leadership Award.

Charleston attorney Ellen S. Cappellanti, who has dedicated her professional life to Jackson Kelly PLLC and to the West Virginia community, was selected for the honor.

During her more than 40-year career at Jackson Kelly, colleagues say Cappellanti has become one of the firm’s most respected voices and has developed deep connections in the business community.

Jackson Kelly attorney Lindsay Petrosky presented Cappellanti with the award, calling her an amazing colleague, mentor and friend who has touched the lives of so many women and their careers. Cappellanti said she was humbled and thrilled to receive the honor and was blessed to have had so many great women, colleagues and clients in her life.

The annual Women’s Leadership Award was created to honor those who have not only excelled in their fields but also have lifted others as they rose.

Many women are afraid of financial matters, but they can turn that fear into financial fitness through education and planning, a bank executive said.

Jan M. Pattishall-Krupinski, Chief Administrative Officer at WesBanco Bank, Inc., said women are less financially literate than men; are at a financial disadvantage due to career interruptions and life changes; more stressed about money; and can have increased fear or reduced awareness from physiological and social conditioning.

Pattishall-Krupinski recommended women create a five-step financial fitness plan: educate yourself and your family; take control of your personal finances; get an expert on your side; prepare for the unexpected; and plan for the next generation.

She said to get a handle on personal finances, women should understand their pre- and post-tax income, expenses, assets and liabilities, review account access and ownership/beneficiaries, and use personal financial management tools.

Women can help close the financial knowledge gap with websites such as www.wife.org, www.wiserwomen.org, and www.dowjanes.com and books and podcasts.

The story of WVU Medicine, a nonprofit affiliated with West Virginia University, has been 30 years in the making during its evolution into the state’s largest health care provider.

Jessica Alsop, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Health Officer of the WVU Health System, gave a guided tour of the journey.

In 1984, Morgantown businesswoman Hazel Ruby McQuain donated $8.5 million that helped with the construction of J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, the flagship medical center at WVU that replaced University Hospital.

The West Virginia Legislature passed a bill in 1996 that created a nonprofit corporation that included Ruby Memorial and United Hospital Center. By 2014, the system grew to five member hospitals as the needs in health care increased.

Today the West Virginia University Health system, which operates under the WVU Medicine brand, has evolved into the state’s largest health care provider with 25 hospitals and a comprehensive, academic medical center. With a $50 million gift from the Hazel Ruby McQuain Trust as a catalyst, there are plans in to build the state’s first comprehensive cancer hospital at the medical complex in Morgantown.

Alsop said as the system eyes its future, it continues to follow its mission of improving West Virginians’ health through excellence in patient care, research and education.

Women can create a powerful leadership presence by developing a framework that sees opportunities before they exist, brings people, strategy and purpose together and turns ideas into results, a company executive said.

Deb Degner, President of The Leadership Bridge, LLC, said women leaders excel by having a vision that focuses on innovation, problem solving and setting “stretch” goals. Successful leaders also should create an alignment that creates a stronger team buy-in.

Research shows women-led startups generate 10% higher revenue, she said.

Some of the key questions women should ask when developing their leadership style is exactly what they want, how it will be different, how they align and inspire and what the next steps will be, Degner said.

Women shouldn’t be intimidated by what they don’t know; their strengths can be the different approaches they take and their ability to get people involved, to focus on social impact and to solve problems.

Degner offered tips on the best ways to craft a vision (focusing on impact, being bold and seeking role models) and traps to avoid (staying safe and small and ignoring intuition).

Successful women leaders build alignment by being collaborative, inclusive and empathetic, and they excel because they are multitaskers, resilient and adaptable.

Nearly 22 years after her rescue during the Iraq War, former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch described her ordeal and how everyone, no matter what they are personally facing, can overcome adversity through perseverance.

Lynch, the Women Veterans Program Administrator at the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance, described her capture when her unit was ambushed in Iraq and was held captive for nine days before her dramatic rescue on April 1, 2003.

She was knocked unconscious after a rocket-propelled grenade struck the Humvee in which she was riding. Several soldiers, including her best friend who was driving the vehicle, died. Lynch was the only survivor.

Lynch described how she sustained severe injuries when she was beaten with a pipe and held in captivity and her weight plunged to 76 pounds. She recalled when American soldiers arrived, and how one soldier ripped an American flag off his uniform and gave it to her to reassure her. She shared a video at the summit that showed the dramatic rescue.

The West Virginia native and retired U.S. Army soldier told women that through perseverance, misfortunes can be turned into milestones. She also asked everyone to keep soldiers serving around the world to keep them in their thoughts and prayers.

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