Starting as a tenure-track professor of
business at Averett University in Rich-
mond, VA, Martin quickly advanced
through various administrative roles. Each
step up the academic ladder demanded
more responsibility but provided a greater
opportunity for her to create meaningful
change in the lives of students, including
creating the first executive fast track
Master of Business Administration degree
program in the state of Virginia.
Accepting the position of president
at Fairmont State University in Janu-
ary 2018 was an honor for Martin. In
West Virginia she saw an opportunity
to create change in the lives of students.
The values and upbringing she and her
husband, John, share mirrored those of
the West Virginians they met.
“I came here because I believed there
were tremendous opportunities at Fair-
mont State to transform the lives of the
people in our state and in our communi-
ties,” she says. “I saw an innate passion
for education, for educating the next
generation of leaders. I saw people who
are resilient and who have grit. I came
here because I believed in what I saw.”
As president, Martin bears the weight of
West Virginia parents on her shoulders,
and she believes the university has the
capability, the breadth of programs and
the heart to educate the next generation
of leaders West Virginia needs.
“As a parent, we all want better for
our children,” she says. “Those sacrifices
shape who you are, and that is quite hon-
estly why I’m here at Fairmont State.”
Identifying New Opportunities
In the months prior to starting her
presidential duties, Martin moved into a
residence hall on campus to engage first-
hand with students, faculty and staff. “I
wanted to send a very direct message that
students are first and that I’m here to listen
to their needs and try to remove some of
the obstacles to their success,” she says.
What Martin found was that Fairmont
State is one of the best-kept secrets in West
Virginia. She could not grapple with the
fact that most high school students were
not aware of the oldest and third largest
university in the state. In light of this, one
of her first objectives was to establish a
digital presence for the university and
begin sharing its story with the world.
“A challenge reveals an opportunity,
so that was the first opportunity—to
be able to create a platform to tell our
story,” she says. “I want to have a place
that’s a destination of choice for students
because of the excellence of our academics
but also because of the nurturing, caring
environment we afford our students.”
Embracing the Falcon Family
When Martin speaks of the Falcon com-
munity, she instinctively uses the word
family—a family that does not just begin
and end with the students but encompasses
the faculty, staff, alumni, legislators and
community at large. Martin’s day-to-day
tasks include ensuring the fiscal stability
of the university, overseeing its growth
and, most importantly, being an integral
and active part of the family.
Martin considers Fairmont State and
the city of Fairmont to be one in the same,
which means what benefits one is ulti-
mately also beneficial for the other. As
such, she is actively involved in the com-
munity, dedicating time to the United
Way, a local hospital board and the Marion
County Chamber of Commerce. She has
also been appointed to the Blue Ribbon
Commission on Four-Year Higher Ed-
ucation, named to the Anti-Terrorism
Advisory Council for the northern district
of West Virginia and regularly attends
Student Government Association meet-
ings, student and athletic events and
faculty and staff activities when she’s not
on the road recruiting.
“I consider all of these as being a part
of something that is greater than the self,”
she says. “I live on campus, and for me
this is a privilege 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, 365 days a year.”
Preparing for West Virginia’s Future
Martin’s belief in the gravity of educa-
tion, everlasting family ties and persistence
serve as a constant source of inspiration.
“Many of our students are doing what I
was doing 35 years ago,” she says. “They
are coming to school full time and working
two full-time jobs during the summers,
and I can identify with them. I under-
stand hunger. I understand having to
choose between eating or buying a text-
book. We are determined to ensure Fair-
mont State provides an exceptional, af-
fordable and accessible education to all
those who seek it.”
She is also determined to help address
the issue of keeping West Virginia’s talent
at home to help move the state forward.
Martin joins Fairmont State students
at the homecoming bonfire.
Photo by Jared Tadlock/Fairmont State University.
Martin and Freddy the Falcon at the university
Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Photo by Jared Tadlock/Fairmont State University.
Martin and her family at the
wedding of her daughter, Katherine.
Photo by Shannon Moffit Photography.
“My goal is to position Fairmont State
University to become the provider of
choice for an educated workforce for the
state of West Virginia so we can keep our
talent here where it belongs as opposed
to being the greatest exporter of talent,”
she says. “I want us to be able to attract
and retain the next generation of leaders
and industries so we can grow our state.”
Martin has embraced the Mountain
State—and its challenges—as her own.
She is inspired by her students, the state’s
natural beauty and its people, who she
believes are second to none.
“The people and the incredible heart
they possess is quite candidly what makes
this state a destination,” she says. “It’s my
opportunity to pass it forward, to perhaps
make a small little impact on the lives of
others just like so many others have made
a huge impact on my life.”
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