West Virginia Executive Spring/Summer 2020 | Page 74

Enhancing
Commerce,
Ensuring
Integrity
Secretary
of State
Mac Warner
Photo by WV SOS Office.
KRISTEN UPPERCUE
Long before Mac Warner became West Virginia’s 30th
secretary of state, his parents set an example of political and
community involvement. His father, who served in World War
II, passed this dedication to service on to all six of his children,
most of whom have served in the Army or Navy.
Warner graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and the
West Virginia University College of Law before receiving his
master’s degree in international law from the University of
Virginia. He then spent 23 years serving in the U.S. Army, five of
which were spent in Afghanistan, before retiring as a lieutenant
colonel. Upon being elected secretary of state in 2016, Warner
had the goal of incorporating his family’s dedication to service
into the position.
Whether a West Virginian needs help starting a business,
running for office or registering to vote, Warner and his staff
take pride in running similar to a business, focusing on efficiency,
positive customer service and keeping West Virginians first.
This focus has allowed West Virginia’s smallest constitutional
office to lead the nation in many areas surrounding the election
system and small business support.
“So many times, you hear about West Virginia being last
in things or at the bottom of lists, but we’re actually leading
the nation in a number of areas,” says Warner.
Moving at the Speed of Business
When Warner entered office, he began streamlining processes
and limiting the amount of hoops business owners in the state
had to jump through.
There is a lot of paperwork required to register a business,
but the process is now completely digital, eliminating the need
for thousands of filings each year and opening up the process
for even more potential business owners. Warner plans to
incorporate a similar process this summer in other areas,
including nonprofit, notary and trademarking.
“We’re taking out the middle person and streamlining the
entire process,” he says. “This has reduced the workforce in
this office by about 15 percent. We’re doing more with less.”
One of the most effective improvements to West Virginia’s
business arena is its new business portal, a multi-agency
initiative that provides a single point of entry for business
owners to access state services and complete the requirements
for operation. Coined the West Virginia One Stop Business
Center, the portal was launched during Warner’s first year in
office. Now in its third year, it houses five state agencies under
one roof: the Secretary of State’s Office, Department of Labor,
State Tax Department, Small Business Development Center
(SBDC) and WorkForce West Virginia. This center was the first
in the nation to combine such a large number of government
agencies, according to Warner.
While business owners would have had to travel from building
to building to meet with government agencies in the past, today
all the services they need are located inside one building. Two
regional business hub offices are also available in Clarksburg
and Martinsburg to offer local resources to business owners
in those areas.
“It’s never been easier to start a business in West Virginia,”
says Warner.
To make the process even simpler, Warner, alongside the
SBDC, has implemented a one-stop resource kiosk that presents
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE