CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Joe Manchin on Thursday appointed a Morgantown man with decades of experience in private technology companies to a nine-year term on the state Board of Education.
Michael I. Green, the chairman of the board of Pittsburgh-based Landslide Technologies Inc., began his career in 1969 as a mathematician, cryptanalyst and software developer at the National Security Agency.
With Green's replacement of Barbara Fish, the Parkersburg region is without a resident on the school board, and the Eastern Panhandle also remains without a board member.
"It was definitely nice having someone within this geographic region serving on the state board," said Wirt County Superintendent Dan Metz. "Hopefully they will realize that it's a statewide post, not a regional post."
Fish, a resident of Parkersburg, agreed with Metz and hopes that Green and other state board members don't neglect the Wood, Wirt, Pleasants, Jackson and Ritchie County area.
"There's that possibility, but I hope it doesn't happen," she said. "State board members don't represent a particular constituency. We're supposed to be speaking up for all children of West Virginia."
For instance, Fish represented the state board at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday at the new Hacker Valley School in Webster County.
"If this person is a really good board member then they're probably going to get all over the state," she said.
On Thursday, Fish said she believes that Manchin was looking particularly for a business person with a strong background in technology, as opposed to someone from a specific region of the state.
Matt Turner, a spokesman for Manchin, said the governor made his pick with the same idea in mind.
"Geography -- where the person may come from -- is not more important than the quality of the person who will serve on the board," he said.
Turner echoed the importance of Green's technology qualifications, and said he brings diversity to the state school board. His background and knowledge will "help us meet these tough demands" needed to prepare students and a workforce to compete in the 21st century, Turner said.
"The governor is very pleased," Turner said. "[Green] has this tremendous technology background and this business acumen."
Fish said Thursday's announcement was a big surprise to her, as she heard rumors that Manchin might appoint a businessman from Wood County.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Joe Manchin on Thursday appointed a Morgantown man with decades of experience in private technology companies to a nine-year term on the state Board of Education.
Michael I. Green, the chairman of the board of Pittsburgh-based Landslide Technologies Inc., began his career in 1969 as a mathematician, cryptanalyst and software developer at the National Security Agency.
With Green's replacement of Barbara Fish, the Parkersburg region is without a resident on the school board, and the Eastern Panhandle also remains without a board member.
"It was definitely nice having someone within this geographic region serving on the state board," said Wirt County Superintendent Dan Metz. "Hopefully they will realize that it's a statewide post, not a regional post."
Fish, a resident of Parkersburg, agreed with Metz and hopes that Green and other state board members don't neglect the Wood, Wirt, Pleasants, Jackson and Ritchie County area.
"There's that possibility, but I hope it doesn't happen," she said. "State board members don't represent a particular constituency. We're supposed to be speaking up for all children of West Virginia."
For instance, Fish represented the state board at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday at the new Hacker Valley School in Webster County.
"If this person is a really good board member then they're probably going to get all over the state," she said.
On Thursday, Fish said she believes that Manchin was looking particularly for a business person with a strong background in technology, as opposed to someone from a specific region of the state.
Matt Turner, a spokesman for Manchin, said the governor made his pick with the same idea in mind.
"Geography -- where the person may come from -- is not more important than the quality of the person who will serve on the board," he said.
Turner echoed the importance of Green's technology qualifications, and said he brings diversity to the state school board. His background and knowledge will "help us meet these tough demands" needed to prepare students and a workforce to compete in the 21st century, Turner said.
"The governor is very pleased," Turner said. "[Green] has this tremendous technology background and this business acumen."
Fish said Thursday's announcement was a big surprise to her, as she heard rumors that Manchin might appoint a businessman from Wood County.
Still, she believes that Green's background might be a good thing for the state board, which is now made up mostly of former educators and some business people. When former Gov. Cecil Underwood appointed Fish nine years ago, she said there were probably too many lawyers on the board.
Judy Hale, president of the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia, agrees that the board does not need to be solely made up of educators.
"I think the board will be well served to have people from different areas," she said.
Still, a member from the Eastern Panhandle could offer a unique perspective to the state board, Hale said.
"They have problems that are unique to their area that no other area in the state has been facing," she said. "They should probably have a voice."
In 2007, Gayle Manchin, the wife of Gov. Manchin, replaced Shepherdstown resident Sheila Hamilton on the state board. Hamilton's nine-year term ended in November 2006.
"The fact that we don't have a minority on the board is a thing that kind of stands out," Fish added.
Given Fish's home address, Manchin was required by state law to choose someone from West Virginia's First Congressional District, which stretches from Parkersburg in the west, north into Hancock County and east into a northern section of the Eastern Panhandle.
In a prepared statement, Green said he is looking forward to the opportunity to serve.
Green earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Boston University and a master's degree in numerical science from Johns Hopkins University.
In 1979, he joined Network Systems Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of high-speed networking equipment, as a sales manager. Ten years later, he held a similar job at California-based Ultra Network Technologies, and then moved on in 1992 to work for FORE Systems, Inc., where he served as senior vice president and general manager of worldwide sales.
Beyond Green and Gayle Manchin, the seven other members of the state Board of Education are: President Priscilla Haden of Kanawha County; Delores Cook of Boone County, Burma Hatfield of Mingo County; Lowell Johnson of Greenbrier County; Jenny Phillips of Randolph County; Wade Linger of Marion County; and Bob Dunlevy of Ohio County.
Reach Davin White at davinwh...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1254.
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