Gov. Jim Justice appoints First Lady Cathy Justice to 9-year term on state school board • West Virginia Watch

First Lady Cathy Justice will likely soon join the state school board following an appointment this week from her husband, Gov. Jim Justice.

Cathy Justice’s appointment will still need to be confirmed by the state Senate. If approved, she will serve a nine-year term as she fills the seat recently vacated by Dr. Daniel Snavely, whose term expired this month.

Jim Justice announced his wife’s appointment during his weekly news briefing on Thursday. The story was first reported by The Real WV, a Greenbrier County-based news site, on Wednesday. 

During Thursday’s briefing, the governor said Cathy Justice once worked as a substitute teacher in Raleigh County “a long, long, long time ago.” He said it took some convincing for her to accept his appointment to the state school board. 

“In the beginning, I couldn’t get Cathy across the finish line on this, but I think she’ll do an amazing job and so she’s fired up now and ready to go and do the job,” Jim Justice said. 

Charleston Gazette-Mail reporter Sierra Marling asked the governor during his briefing what he would say to any “inevitable accusations of nepotism” regarding him appointing his wife to the state school board. 

Jim Justice said he had trouble hearing the question and C.J. Harvey, his director of communications, said there may have been technical difficulties. 

The governor then, however, did seem to offer a response.

“All I can say is Cathy is super qualified. And for crying out loud, you know, there’s no point in beating up Cathy. She’s given everything she could possibly give,” Jim Justice said. “Like I said, I had to really, really work hard to talk her into this.”

Cathy Justice is a lifelong West Virginia resident and a 1975 graduate of Marshall University, where she studied secondary education. Professionally, she previously served as the president of Comer Electric, Inc., a company founded by her parents, according to her official biography.

“I am honored to take on this role and to continue working to support our wonderful students, teachers, and families,” Cathy Justice said in a Thursday news release. “Every child in West Virginia deserves a safe, welcoming environment where they can thrive. I look forward to contributing to the Board and helping our education system grow stronger for everyone.”

The first lady currently serves as the president of the state advisory council for Communities In Schools, a national nonprofit program focused on drop-out prevention that provides students in schools with resources they need to be successful. Through Communities In Schools, Cathy Justice helps head the Friends With Paws program, which has so far placed more than 40 therapy dogs in schools throughout the state.