The Public Servant
Jill Upson
Executive Director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs
Jill Upson describes herself as a globetrotter who settled down in West Virginia in the early 2000s because she and her husband fell in love with the Mountain State.
“I’ve always had a heart for service,” Upson says. During her school years, she was voted “Most Concerned.” Years later, her life led her to political advocacy when, in 2014, she served in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
In 2018, Upson was appointed to a cabinet-level position as the executive director for the HHOMA. She is passionate about public service and believes it is her calling, because she can see firsthand the impact that public service has. “The power that public service gives you to help other people is definitely what motivates me to keep doing it,” she says.
Upson is a board member of the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council and of Summit Community Bank in Moorefield. She is also a devoted member of her church and serves in the leadership there, as well. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in education policy and plans to continue her work at the HHOMA.
Written by Megan Huff
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