The Hometown Girl
Crystal Mersh
President and CEO of Quality Executive Parnters, Inc.
Crystal Mersh grew up in Calhoun County and says her whole experience of growing up there is exactly what led her back. In fact, she lived all over the world and, 40 years later, decided it was time to come home and invest in the county that helped her develop and grow.
Mersh’s first job was with Mylan Pharmaceuticals, and she chose to grow her career in that field. After 26 years in the corporate world, 10 years ago, she opened her own management consulting firm. She formed the West Virginia–based American Medicines Company, where she focuses on bringing generic medicines back to the U.S. for manufacturing.
“I have a passion for the underdog, and anything I sink my teeth into is related to that,” Mersh says. “If I see something that’s wrong, that needs to be fixed, I am in there to fix it.”
Mersh is also the president of the 1982 Foundation—a nonprofit in Calhoun County working to convert the old high school into a self-funded, mixed-use space for everyone.
“Our plans there are to take this beautiful 100-year-old building and turn it into a community center.” She says it will have a daycare facility, fitness center, and commercial kitchen, and it will be self-funding with vacation rentals, retail and office spaces for lease, and a cafe.
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Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.
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