approximately 2,500 employees that report
to these nine agencies. I try to make sure all
of these agencies are working collaboratively
and toward fulfilling commerce’s mission,
which is to promote and preserve the well-
being of the citizens of West Virginia through
diverse economic development, appropriate
use of the state’s abundant natural resources
and active promotion of West Virginia as a
world-class tourism destination.
WVE: Give us your perspective on
the current state of the economy in
West Virginia.
EG: We are an improving economic
environment,
and we see improving economic
Gaunch tours the AHF Products
facility in Beverly. Photo by WV
indicators. The unemployment rate, GDP and
Department of Commerce.
workforce participation are all moving in
the right direction, and we are seeing strong
WVE: Tell us a little bit about your background and revenue growth in our state. I believe we are also in an improving
work experience.
business climate based on some of the actions the Legislature
EG: I began working in the insurance industry in 1967. I has taken over the last several years. Our legal environment is
worked for an insurance company for four years before going better, so the business climate in general is better. The state’s
into the brokerage business, where I spent 34 years. I retired strategic location to major markets is a real strength, and we
and became the primary caregiver for my mother who had need to capitalize on that more. The natural beauty of our
Alzheimer’s, which was the hardest job I’ve ever had. After state is another strength, as well as the proliferation of natural
that, I got bored with being retired and ran for the West Virginia resources, particularly coal and natural gas.
Senate, where I held office for four years.
In terms of our challenges and weaknesses, none are insur-
mountable. The first challenge is workforce availability. Every
WVE: What inspired you to accept the position of day we go out looking for new businesses to bring to West
commerce secretary?
Virginia, but if we don’t have a viable workforce for them, then
EG: This position is right in my wheelhouse. It was kind of we are going to have a difficult job recruiting those companies.
what I was prepared for educationally, and with my business Closely associated with that challenge is the workforce partici-
and Senate background, I feel like I am a good fit for the job. pation rate. Historically we have had a low workforce participa-
I was honored when the governor called me and offered me tion rate. I don’t know the cause of that, but it is something
the position. The first thing I thought about was that Michael we have to address, and we are trying to do that. The next
Graney had been recently appointed as the executive director challenge is that our education outcomes are not what they
of the development office, which was a real positive for me need to be. I’m not casting blame on any part of that system.
because Mike and I have been friends for 30 years. I didn’t give I’m just saying that the results are what they are, and we have
a lot of consideration to the challenges or problems that had to improve those outcomes. Population loss is another nega-
been associated with the commerce department in the past. tive factor, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the lack
I just thought about whether or not I could add value to the of available flat industrial sites, which is not insurmountable.
process, and I decided that I could.
The last challenge is infrastructure needs, including roads,
bridges, sewer, water and broadband. We are improving our
WVE: Tell us about your responsibilities as the roads, thanks to the governor’s Roads to Prosperity Highway
Program. We are also making headway in broadband and in
commerce secretary.
EG: My job is to cast the vision, and because we have nine the utility construction area, but we still have a way to go.
individual agencies under commerce, that is a huge responsibility.
Commerce is a very diverse organization. The West Virginia
WVE: Based on these observations, what goals
Development Office, which is one of its nine agencies, oversees have you set for the commerce department?
the Business and Industrial Development division, International
EG: I want to make sure all nine commerce agencies are sin-
Development division, Small Business Development Center, gularly focused, working in concert toward the goal of making
Community Advancement and Development division, Office of West Virginia a good place to live, work and play. That sounds
Energy and Broadband Enhancement Council. The other eight very idealistic, but we have specific goals to guide us to that
agencies are the Division of Forestry; West Virginia Geological point. I would like to see our development office—and we are
and Economic Survey; Division of Labor; Office of Miners’ seeing it every day under the direction of Michael Graney—
Health, Safety and Training; West Virginia Division of Natural become more proactive as opposed to reactive, and by that I
Resources; Division of Rehabilitation Services; West Virginia mean we need to become a sales force that is out making calls
Tourism Office; and WorkForce West Virginia. There are proactively on industries we have selected that we want to
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