Our Leadership Operations
Anita Groves, Barbara LeRose, Kelly Blake, and Tamara Mullins
The Nicholas County Community Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The board’s efforts are supported more than 30 dedicated volunteers who serve on various committees. Directors may serve three-year terms, renewable to up to nine years. This process assures continuity of input and the presence of strong civic leaders guiding our foundation. The day-to-day management of the Foundation is handled by our Executive Director.
Board of Directors
Anita Groves, President, currently serves as a Vice President at United Bank. She also served 10 years in the Pacific Northwest as Vice President of Key Bank. Her vast experience in financial and estate planning is a great asset to NCCF. She is currently serving as the President of Nicholas County Community Foundation. Anita spends her time volunteering on several nonprofit boards. She is a Board Member and Treasurer for Friends R Fun School. She serves as a financial consultant for the Nicholas County Fair. She is a board member for Rotary Club of Summersville, a member of Summersville Chamber of Commerce as well as a member of the Grand Order of Royal Leprechauns. She previously served as Audit and Finance Chair for Nicholas County Action Partnership, Secretary and Board member of the Nicholas County Veterans Memorial Park Board as well as Former Board member of the Shelter Workshop.
Greg Sproles, Vice President, Graduated Valedictorian from Fayetteville High School in 1974, obtained a degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting, from West Virginia University in 1978, cum laude, obtained JD from West Virginia University in 1981, admitted to practice before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, the United States District Court for the Southern District and Northern District of West Virginia, the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and in all West Virginia Courts. Greg is a past member of The Board of Governors of the West Virginia State Bar, past Chairman of the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee of the West Virginia State Bar. He serves as a member of several committees appointed by the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals to work on various projects including pattern jury instructions. He is also presently the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 28th Judicial Circuit Public Defender Corporation and a Member of the Grand Order of the Royal Leprechauns, a not for profit charitable organization which provides monetary and other support for numerous charitable organizations in Nicholas County and the surrounding area.
Greg was the assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Nicholas County, West Virginia from 1981 until December 31, 1983. He also had a private practice in Summersville, West Virginia from January 1,1984 until January 1, 2011, when he began a solo law practice.
During my professional career he has primarily engaged in the general practice of law, with an emphasis on litigation. He is currently semi-retired. He serves as a member of several organizations which promote various aspects of the practice of law and have been recognized by his peers for his litigation skills.
He was an Administrative Law Judge with Work Force West Virginia until December 2024 and maintained a private Iaw practice while working in this position, conducting administrative hearings two days per week.
Greg resides in Summersville with his wife, Linda.
Steve Ferguson, Treasurer,is a CPA who owns and operates Ferguson Services, Inc. He is a very active community member, bringing many jobs and businesses to Nicholas County. He is Past President of the Summersville Rotary Club, the Summersville Chamber of Commerce and the Summersville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, He is a current board member of the Nicholas County Board of Education. He was appointed by Governor Jim Justice and serves on the Board of Director of the West Virginia United Health System. He and his wife, Joy, reside in Summersville.
Tamara Mullins, Executive Director since 2017. A trained Registered Nurse, this position was a change in gears, but rivals equally in the ability to serve others. She also serves as a member of the Summersville Rotary Club. She resides in Summersville, with her husband Bandy and four children.
Dr. Kelly Blake, Grant Committee Chair, grew up in Nicholas County and returned in 2012 after living in the Washington DC area. She is a Health Scientist and Program Director at the National Cancer Institute,* where she conducts cancer control and population sciences research, and manages a portfolio of grants that fund research studies at academic institutions and cancer centers across the country. She earned a doctorate degree in social epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. She and her husband Michael Young reside in Summersville with their daughter.
*Dr. Blake is serving in her personal capacity as a member of the Nicholas County Community Foundation’s Board of Directors, as the chair of the Grant Committee, and as a member of the Finance Committee and Scholarship Committee.
Jim Davis, Governance Committee Chair, is a CPA and he and his wife Jane have resided in Summersville since 1984. He is a retired executive from Bright Enterprises. He and his wife have been, and continue to be, involved with our community in many ways.
Barbara LeRose, Scholarship Committee Chair is a very active community member, alongside her husband Rodney. She owns and operates Starlite Promotions and currently serves on the Summersville Rotary Club. She resides in Summersville.
Robert Shafer, Mayor of Summersville, is the owner and operator of Shafer Insurance Associates LLC, an independent insurance agency established in 1992. Beyond his success in the insurance industry, Robert’s passion for public service has been evident throughout his career.
Since 2007, Robert has served as the Mayor of the City of Summersville, showcasing his long-standing commitment to local governance. His dedication extends beyond the political arena, as he actively engages in initiatives aimed at supporting economic growth and improving the quality of life in southern West Virginia.
Robert’s involvement in community development is exemplified by his participation on various boards of directors dedicated to the betterment of the region. Drawing from his background as a Marine, Robert continues to uphold a strong commitment to the military. His support extends to veterans and military-related causes.
Jay Borrell, Investment Committee Chair, is a manufacturing professional currently holding the position of plant manager at JELD-WEN Fiber WV. He has been in the field for more than 33 years. He also serves in several roles at Summersville Baptist Church. He resides in Summersville and enjoys spending time with his sons.
Mary M. Igo is the Regional Director of Operations for the Nicholas County Campus of New River Community and Technical College has been employed by New River since 2002. Mary is serving as NCCF Secretary. Igo has an R.B.A. from Glenville State College and an M.B.A. from Salem International University. Igo is currently the President of the Summersville Rotary Club, Secretary of the Summersville Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Vice President of both the 4-H Leader’s Association and the Nicholas County Community Action Partnership Board.
Dr. John Mark Walkup is a professor of music at New River Community and Technical College, where he teaches courses in music, fine arts, and education. He has also served in various administrative roles from Department Chair to Dean and has been named a Chancellor’s Leadership Fellow. He has earned degrees from Glenville State College, the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and West Virginia University.
He resides in Summersville with his wife, Angie, and their kids, Kathleen and Johnny. They all enjoy travel, hiking, and various sports activities.
Bruce Tallamy, born in Plainfield NJ, -9-1942 served in the US Navy 1961 to 1967 ( MM-2 SS), submarine service aboard the USS Conger SS-477 and the USS Redfin SS-272 leaving the service of my country with an honorable discharge.
1967 to 1971 – Employed by Associates Capital Company in Virginia Beach, Va., Charlotte, NC., and Charleston, WV as a commercial/consumer lender.
1971 to 1978 – Employed by Ashland Financial Services, Summersville, WV as a commercial/consumer lender.
1978 to 2009 – Employed as Sr. Vice President by Farmers & Merchants Bank, One Valley Bank South, all predecessors to Branch Bank and Trust Company who purchased the common stock of One Valley Holding, where I served from 2000 to 2009 as the Sr. Vice President/ City Executive for the Nicholas, Fayette, Webster and Clay county area with a concentration of commercial lending and overseeing the five banking facilities in my assigned geographic area. Retired in September 2009 as Area President.
2009 to present – Retired
I currently and formerly served as a member of the Board of Directors for the following: Nicholas County Building Commission (current), Nicholas County Community Foundation (current), Nicholas County Solid Waste Authority (former)
Summersville Youth Athletics, Inc. (former), Summersville Regional Medical Center (former)
Bruce Sigler was born in Fayette County, WV and then moved to Nicholas County in 1977. He was in the coal industry for 30 years and is currently a small business owner in the county. Bruce has volunteered at the Summersville Bread of Life Food Pantry for the past 12 years where he currently serves as the Chairman.
All elected board member terms are three (3) years. With approximately 1/3 of the terms expiring each year. No member of the Board of Directors may be reappointed or reelected to serve on the Board when he or she has been on the Board for three (3) consecutive terms; however, a member may be elected again after a respite of one year.
NCCF Committees
In addition to our Board of Directors the Foundation relies heavily upon the work of our committees. These committees are comprised of both board member and other individuals, who are not serving on the board but support the mission of the NCCF. The committee structure and all committee appointments are evaluated annually and appointed by the President of the Foundation.
Asset Review
Donor Development
Finance
Governance
Grant Distribution
Investment
Marketing
Scholarship
Anyone interested in participating as a committee member or a director is encouraged to contact us at (304) 872-0202 or by email at [email protected].
Contributors
In keeping with the charitable purposes of the Foundation, our objective is to keep operating expenses at a moderate level and to provide a high quality service to all donors and charitable organizations. The NCCF covers its operating costs through administrative fee’s charged to each endowed fund (1% , or less, of the market value of endowed funds annually and 2.5% non-endowed funds), donations from private individuals as well as grants from businesses and entities of government.
The Board of Directors of the Nicholas County Community Foundation would like to thank the following businesses and organizations for their investment in our community’s future, as contributors to our operating fund:
Adkins & Young Accounting Services
Milan-Puskar Foundation
Community Trust Bank – donated office space
First Energy Corp – Operating Costs Grant
Truist Foundation of West Virginia
City of Summersville
United Bank Foundation
Greg Sproles Law Firm
Ferguson Accounting Firm
The GDB
Lake Country 3WS 95.7
Designs by Tara