West Virginia Executive Spring/Summer 2020 | Page 104

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James L. Fawcett Jr.
President, Highmark West Virginia
SAMANTHA CART
Photo by John Sibold.
JAMES FAWCETT’S FAMILY LEGACY of service initially inspired
him to pursue a career with the U.S. Air Force. His father was
a physician in the Army, and two of his second cousins served
as Air Force pilots. “I was always mesmerized by hearing about
their service,” he says.
During four years of college and ROTC training, where he
earned a commission as a second lieutenant, Fawcett learned
the importance of preparation and teamwork, skills that easily
translated into a career in health care financing and management,
and he now carries on his family legacy by serving the citizens
of the Mountain State as president of Highmark West Virginia.
As Fawcett transitioned into the business world, he had the
good fortune of joining Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania
in 1988 in the national client sales division.
“Joining a company that has offered different career paths
over my 32-year career and provided me with new challenges
every five to 10 years has been exciting,” he says. “I have moved
to several different divisions and geographies over time.”
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE