The Problem-Solver

Samantha Stone

Preston County Commissioner and school bus driver

When Samantha Stone found out that the school district her sons attend didn’t have enough bus drivers to transport kids to and from school, she didn’t wring her hands and complain—she did something about it. Getting her Commercial Driver’s License wasn’t something that Stone had ever planned on but, rather than wait for someone else to drive the sitting buses, she decided she’d just learn to drive them herself. “I just really wanted to help out, and I was in a position to do that,” she says. “And it turns out I really like it.”

Stone, who was born and raised on a farm, now owns her own cattle farm with her husband, Kevin, in Preston County, where she also serves as a county commissioner. She was sworn in in 2019 and feels it is an excellent way to give back to the community she grew up in and loves so much. “I want people here to have a sense of hope for our future,” she says.

It is important to Stone that young people see all the beauty and potential of West Virginia, and that’s why she’s willing to listen to the input and ideas of anyone who wants to help get the state back to what it once was. “I guess that would be my superpower. I try to stay open-minded, hear what people have to say, and use my ears and mouth accordingly.”

Written by Megan Huff

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