Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College welcomes Dr. Andrew Blackwood and Ms. Sonnee Carter to its Board of Governors.
Blackwood brings extensive leadership, management and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teaching experience to Eastern. Since 2004, he has served as the executive director of the National Youth Science Foundation (NYSF), a non-profit whose mission is to inspire lifelong engagement and ethical leadership in STEM and related professions. For 12 years he directed NYSF’s flagship program, the National Youth Science Camp (NYSCamp).
Blackwood serves as the organization’s chief executive officer and has managed nearly $10 million in state and federal grants. He has developed new, informal STEM programs including the West Virginia Governor’s School for Mathematics and Science, West Virginia Youth Science Camp, Youth Science Leadership Institute and Youth Science Discovery Experience. He is currently leading development of the NYSCenter, which will become the permanent home for NYSCamp and other STEM-related education programs.
Prior to joining NYSF in 2005, Blackwood was a tenured professor of mathematics and coordinator of the Regent’s Bachelor of Arts program at West Virginia University Institute of Technology for 13 years. He has additionally had adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Charleston and Marshall University. In addition to his service as a member of the Board of Governors of Eastern, Blackwood serves on the boards of the West Virginia Youth Symphony and Heart of the Highlands Trail System in Tucker County. He is an active referee for the United States Rowing Association and serves on the jury for several national championships and Olympic trials events.
He holds a doctoral degree in education leadership studies from West Virginia University. Blackwood resides in Charleston with his wife, Holly, and has three daughters who attend West Virginia University.
As the daughter of a hardworking family, Sonnee Carter built her career on a dedication to excellence. A lifelong resident of West Virginia, Carter grew up in Onego, where she helped her parents run a community store and post office.
Carter established her nursing career in the emergency department of Grant Memorial Hospital where she was quickly promoted to manager of the emergency and intensive care units before obtaining the role of emergency department manager at Valley Health. She then served as a Valley Health physician representative for more than 15 years.
She brings decades of experience in nursing and healthcare to Eastern’s Board of Governors and is eager to leverage that knowledge within the Moorefield community to better serve students and residents through the college and its nursing program.
Carter is a member of the American Association of Physician Liaisons and has served two terms on the Governing Board of the Potomac Highland Guild. She holds an Associate of Science in Nursing and Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Merchandising from Davis and Elkins College. She resides in Petersburg and enjoys meeting new people and serving her community.
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