Kimberly Ann Reed
President and Chairman of the Board of Directors , Export-Import Bank of the United States
Photo by EXIM .
JEAN HARDIMAN
AS THE FIRST WOMAN and first West Virginian to serve as president and chairman of the board of directors for the Export-Import Bank of the United States ( EXIM ), Kimberly Reed lives her life according to the same 4-H club pledge she learned growing up in Upshur County : “ I pledge my head to clearer thinking , my heart to greater loyalty , my hands to larger service and my health to better living for my club , my community , my country and my world .”
Throw in the fact that she ’ s a hardworking , focused and dedicated straight shooter with a solid West Virginia education and a diverse Washington , D . C ., career behind her , and Reed is soundly prepared to further her agency ’ s mission
of supporting U . S . businesses in their exporting pursuits .
“ I entered law school knowing I wanted to further issues important to West Virginia at the federal level ,” she says .
She ’ s had many opportunities to do so in a career that spans the U . S . Congress , U . S . Department of the Treasury , Wall Street , international food and agricultural organizations , presidential campaigns and now EXIM .
Reed ’ s broad career follows a childhood filled with difficulty , amazing people and learning opportunities . Born in Charleston , WV , in 1971 , she spent part of her childhood living out of state before settling in Buckhannon at age 5 . Her father , attorney Terry Reed , wanted his children to have the same Upshur County education he had .
When Reed was 9 years old , her mother , Janet , passed away after a three-year battle with cancer , and her grandparents , Avis and Max , helped raise her , making sure she got involved in meaningful activities , including 4-H . Growing up in Upshur County , she did everything from participating in the First United Methodist Church hand bell choir to running track and cross country to serving as a page in the West Virginia Legislature .
“ If there was something interesting to do , I wanted to be part of it and learn and grow ,” says Reed . “ Of course , academics always came first . The Upshur County teachers were outstanding , and programs like Gifted Education and the Governor ’ s Honors Academy made a big difference in my development .”
Reed planned to be a doctor and took the pre-med track while attending West Virginia Wesleyan College ( WVWC ). However , one class — JFK , Catholicism and the 1960 West Virginia Primary taught by Dr . Robert Rupp — changed her course forever . She discovered she loved both science and politics and went the extra mile to graduate in 1993 with a double major in biology and government and a minor in chemistry . She then took the LSAT and applied to the West Virginia University ( WVU ) College of Law .
“ The WVU College of Law provided me with an experience based on West Virginia values , history and people . Studying state law and reading cases written by West Virginia judges touched me deeply , as these things were connected to
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE