Dr. James Moore officially named President of West Virginia Wesleyan College

News Release
March 13, 2023

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – The WVWC Board of Trustees, at their February 2023 meeting, unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. James Moore as the President of West Virginia Wesleyan College. Dr. Moore has been serving as the Interim President since February 17, 2022. His appointment as President takes effect immediately, and is for a five-year term.

“Under Dr. Moore’s leadership as Interim President, the college has recognized significant accomplishments and has worked hard to realign with our Strategic Plan,” said Caroline Rapking, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Because of this work and the tangible outcomes, it became apparent to the Board that naming Dr. Moore as the President was in the best interests of West Virginia Wesleyan College.”

Dr. Moore shared his enthusiasm: “I’m humbled and honored by this opportunity to continue to lead West Virginia Wesleyan College. This has been my home for 17 years, and I’m excited for us to continue to build upon the victories we’ve had over the past twelve months.”

During the past year, WVWC has emphasized partnerships that align with both its mission and the strategic direction of the college. A partnership with Community Care of West Virginia for the creation of a master’s degree program in behavioral health/counseling, with a $1.2M project investment from Aetna Better Health of WV was announced in early February of 2023. This partnership also provides a special tuition program for employees of CCWV and their dependents to aid in CCWV’s employee retention.

In January of 2023, the college announced a partnership that guaranteed job placement for nursing graduates with Mon Health System and also included a special tuition program for employees of Mon Health and their dependents to aid in Mon Health employee retention.

In the summer of 2022, WVWC also partnered with Notre Dame High School for the administration of their performing arts conservatory, with the City of Buckhannon for operational support of the newly renovated Colonial Theater and with Upshur County (WV) schools with the Grow Your Own program, which provides accelerated degree completion and guaranteed job placement for Upshur County students majoring in K-12 Education at WVWC. The college has also seen positive early indicators for recruitment and retention of students for Fall of 2023 and with the launch of new programs is forecasting growth in the years to come.

Under Dr. Moore’s leadership, the college has also become more intentional about working with the State of WV for the betterment of the college. This included securing a $1M grant from the Higher Education Policy Commission for the expansion of undergraduate nursing education, as well as working with the legislature to include private colleges in the WV Invests program.

“It’s been a very exciting time at West Virginia Wesleyan College and I am grateful for the support of the campus, the broader Buckhannon community, and for the passion of our alumni base,” said Moore.