Two new citizen members have been elected to the West Virginia Humanities Council’s Program Committee. The Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, serves West Virginia through grants and direct programs in the humanities.

The newly elected citizen members are Beth See Bean (Hardy County), a retired educator and former heritage outreach coordinator, and Hannah Hedrick (Ohio County), manager of print shop operations at the Mother Jones Center for Resilient Community. Current members Sudhakar Jamkhandi and James Smith were reelected to second terms.

Both new members will serve a three-year term, from June 1, 2025, to June 1, 2028. The Humanities Council budgets more than $800,000 for grants and programs each year. The Program Committee recommends funding decisions to the Humanities Council Board of Directors. The 22-member committee includes 11 members drawn from the Council board and 11 citizen members who represent the public.

For more information about the West Virginia Humanities Council and its programs visit www.wvhumanities.org or call (304) 346-8500.