Laura Martin
Director of Communications and External Affairs,
American Water Mid-Atlantic Division
FROM AN EARLY AGE , Laura Martin, director of communications
and external affairs for American Water’s Mid-Atlantic Division,
had the poise, composure and professionalism needed to excel
in a public relations career.
Growing up, Martin didn’t have a concrete idea of what
career path she wanted to take. It wasn’t until she went to
work as a lifeguard at the YMCA at the age of 16 and met
her boss, John Clark, that the pieces began to fall into place.
“One day we were talking about college, and John mentioned
that I would be great at public relations because he thought I
had the poise, maturity and communication skills needed for
that type of career,” she remembers. This was the first time she
had ever heard of the field, and that conversation sparked an
interest to pursue it.
When Martin graduated with a degree in public relations from
West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2007, she took an executive
assistant position at the YWCA of Charleston. Within a few
months, she advanced to the marketing and communications
assistant. “The women I worked with there wanted to make a
difference in people’s lives, and I realized that feeling fulfilled
by my work was important to me too,” she says.
Over the next few years, Martin climbed the ranks, moving
up to the role of director of marketing and communication
for the YWCA, where she remained for more than two years.
In 2010, she joined American Water as the external affairs
manager, and at the beginning of 2019 she was promoted
to her current role, where she is responsible for American
Water’s public relations, media relations, social media, customer
communications and community outreach efforts in Pennsyl-
vania and West Virginia.
“I manage a team of eight external affairs professionals
located throughout our company’s service area in these two
states,” says Martin. “What I enjoy most is that in the public
relations world, no two days are the same.”
Her professional journey has not come without challenges.
As the external affairs manager, she was one of the faces of
West Virginia American Water during the company’s response
to the Freedom Industries chemical spill in 2014.
“In the immediate days to follow, as the spokesperson and
lead communications manager for the utility whose water supply
was contaminated by the spill, I worked around the clock in an
extremely difficult, high-pressure situation,” she says.
Martin attributes her ability to overcome the immense chal-
lenges of that situation to her colleagues and then-West Virginia
American Water President Jeff McIntyre. “Our ability to get
through the event and its aftermath was fueled by our conviction
that we had done the right thing and would continue to do the
right thing no matter how difficult the circumstances because
hundreds of thousands of people were counting on us,” she says.
Whether she is writing a press release or hitting the gym, Martin
aims to stay motivated in both her professional and personal life.
“My motivation to excel is based on the attitude that I should not
settle for anything less than the best I can do,” she says.
Martin applies that same attitude toward her community
service work, and she is passionate about giving back to those
who are less fortunate. Currently, she gives her time to the
American Heart Association as a member of the Charleston
Heart Walk executive leadership team, YWCA of Charleston as
a planning committee member for Mardi Bras for a Cause, United
Way of Central West Virginia as a Day of Caring volunteer and
the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association as a volunteer,
supporter and foster provider.
“I give back because I feel that my life has been blessed with
good fortune, and I would be greedy if I didn’t pass some of
that along,” she says.
For Martin, West Virginia has always been home, and she
couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. “My husband and I
both love this state—not because it is perfect by any stretch
but because we love the people and we believe in the state’s
potential,” she says.
MAGGIE HATFIELD
Martin inside the Girl
Scouts of Black Diamond
Council Volunteer Resource
Center conference room.
TRACY A. TOLER PHOTOGRAPHY
W W W. W V E X E C U T I V E . C O M
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