Fairness West Virginia is governed by non-partisan Board of Directors who volunteer their time and energy to working to better our state and protect our fellow citizens. Our board members share a common commitment to fair treatment for all West Virginians.
Sara Bird, Esq.
Buckhannon, WV
Bird has worked as an attorney for Mountain State Justice, a non-profit public interest law office dedicated to pursuing impact and significant litigation on behalf of low-income West Virginians, since the fall of 2006. Before attending law school, Sara served homeless individuals at Bartlett House in Morgantown, WV. Sara graduated from West Virginia College of Law in 2006, and she received her bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University.
Jeff Crist
Charleston, WV
Crist is Health Action Manager at Covenant House of WV, an organization dedicated to working for justice by offering direct services for people in need while creating social change through advocacy and education.
Christina Dalton, M.B.A., Treasurer
Charleston, WV
Dalton was raised in the Charleston, West Virginia area. After graduating from Riverside High School, she attended West Virginia State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting. After working a short period of time in state government as an Accountant, she enrolled in Marshall University’s Graduate School program and subsequently graduated at the top of her class with her Executive Masters in Business Administration. She is currently studying for the coveted Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation for investment professionals. Today, she holds the title of Assistant Financial Controller for a state government agency responsible for managing the operational activities of the accounting staff in relation to governmental accounting and budgeting. Currently she resides in Charleston with her partner and two daughters.
Robert F. Dunlap, Esq., M.B.A.
Beckley, WV
Dunlap is a Greenbrier and Monroe County native who attended both Greenbrier West and East High Schools, Concord University, and West Virginia University and completed his Juris Doctorate and Masters in Business Administration at Duquesne School of Law. He is admitted to the bars of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. Before returning to West Virginia in 2006, Mr. Dunlap practiced law in Allegheny County, PA, and served on numerous boards including that of Juris Magazine, Secretary of the Women’s Law Association and President of the PLGFS – Pittsburgh Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. Since his return to West Virginia to start his family and establish his law firm, Robert Dunlap Esq. PLLC, Mr. Dunlap has represented numerous corporate clients as inside counsel including PNC Bank, Diversified Enterprises and Family Options Providers, Inc where he currently serves as CEO and President providing statewide social services. He has served two years as an Assistant Public Defender in Raleigh County, teaches various Legal Studies courses at Concord University, and is Of Counsel for the National Fertility Law Group where he assists in the establishment of parental rights for all of West Virginia’s families.
Coy Flowers, M.D., President
Lewisburg, WV
Dr. Flowers is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who is in private practice in southern West Virginia with offices in Lewisburg, Beckley, Hinton, and Union. Born and raised in Huntington, Coy was elected Governor of West Virginia Boys State in 1989 and represented West Virginia at Boys Nation. He graduated as valedictorian from Barboursville High School and matriculated to West Virginia University, as he was named a WVU Foundation Scholar. Coy received both his B.A. and M.D. degrees from WVU, and then completed his internship and residency at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Coy served in the US Navy for ten years and left active service as a Lieutenant Commander. In addition to being a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology and President of the Greenbrier County Medical Society, he is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Coy currently serves on the Board of Trustees at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre. Additionally, Coy was elected to serve on the Greenbrier County Democratic Executive Committee in 2010. Along with his partner of 7 years and their brilliant 6 year old son, he resides in Lewisburg, which is, of course, America’s Coolest Small Town.
John Hagen
Morgantown, WV
John H. Hagen is a Scholarly Communications Consultant based in Morgantown, West Virginia. Originally from Flint, Michigan, Hagen studied Sociology at Michigan State University, where he launched his career at the MSU Libraries in 1987. Hagen’s extensive academic library background includes management the of Institutional Repository programs and coordination of the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) program at the West Virginia University (WVU) Libraries from 1989–2011. Hagen presently serves on the Board of Directors for the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), an international non-profit consortium of hundreds of universities (since 1998). Hagen also serves on the Board of Directors for the US ETD Association (USETDA), a non-profit organization promoting and supporting ETD networks for libraries and graduate schools nationwide (since 2009). In 2009 Hagen served as Co-chair for the 15th International Symposium on ETDs, held at the University of Pittsburgh and co-sponsored by WVU, where Hagen also received the NDLTD International ETD Leadership Award. Hagen has also been significantly involved in political activism and human rights advocacy through his volunteer service efforts. Hagen served as Co-Chair for the WVU Council on Sexual Orientation (COSO), member of the WVU Social Justice Council and founding member of the faculty/staff/allies LGBT networking group WVU Common Ground (1998–2011). Hagen served on the Board of Directors for Caritas House, a nonprofit charitable organization serving the needs of individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS and homelessness in the North-Central West Virginia (2003–2009). Hagen presently serves on the Fairness West Virginia Board of Directors, the leading non-profit LGBT civil rights advocacy organization in West Virginia (since 2009) and served as Co-Chair for the 2nd annual Fairness WV conference in 2010. Hagen is an evangelist for the open access in scholarly communications and social equality movements.
Lou Ann Johnson
Jackson County, WV
Lou Ann is a native of Sophia, Raleigh County and currently resides in Jackson County. A graduate of Concord University, she served as State Director for Senator Jay Rockefeller for 23 years before retiring in 2008. She now works as a government affairs consultant.
Pepe N. Johnson
Clarksburg, WV
Johnson was born and raised in Clarksburg, West Virginia. After graduating from Liberty High School, he attended Fairmont State College where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree (summa cum laude) in Business in 1999. Deciding to “take the road less traveled,” he enlisted in the United States Army prior to graduation from Fairmont State. Pepe served as an artilleryman at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he was selected “Soldier of the Year” in 2001. While still serving at Fort Sill, he came out and was discharged under the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy. He resides in Clarksburg.
Justin Murdock
Huntington, WV
Murdock is a graduate of Wayne High School and still resides in Wayne County where he lives with his partner. He is a father of two children who happily occupy much of his time. Justin is a manager at a family business in Huntington where he works closely with the disabled community and the Veteran’s Administration. He is an active member of his church where he serves on the council and joins them in fighting for social justice issues. He and his partner have been active in fighting and organizing for LGBT rights on a grassroots level in the Huntington area.
Jessica Scott
Buckhannon, WV
Scott is Instructor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Coordinator of Gender Studies at West Virginia Wesleyan College. She holds a Master’s degree in Music from the University of Illinois and a Master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She has traveled extensively outside of the United States as a performer, volunteer, and researcher, most recently to South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Austria, and South Korea. Her research interests include legal recognition of same-sex relationships in South Africa and LGBT visibility in Appalachia. While living in South Africa in 2009 and 2010, she was a researcher for the Gender, Sexuality, Law project at the African Gender Institute of the University of Cape Town. She resides in Elkins, WV with her partner.
Stephen Skinner, Esq.
Shenandoah Junction, WV
Skinner was raised in Charles Town, West Virginia, and graduated from Jefferson High School, West Virginia Wesleyan College, and the West Virginia University College of Law. He is admitted to the bars of West Virginia, New York, the District of Columbia. Before returning to the West Virginia in 2004, Mr. Skinner practiced law in New York City. Mr. Skinner handles catastrophic injury and consumer law cases across the country. He is a member of the American Association for Justice, the District of Columbia Trial Lawyers Association, the West Virginia Association for Justice, where is a board member. He just stepped down after three years as President of the Board of Trustees of the Contemporary American Theater Festival. Skinner is an alumni of West Virginia Boys State and the West Virginia Governors Honors Academy. In 2008, Skinner was elected as a pledged Barack Obama Delegate to the Democratic National Convention representing West Virginia’s Second Congressional District. In 2009, Governor Manchin appointed him to the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. Skinner’s Charles Town-based firm, Skinner Law Firm, focuses on representing consumers and victims of negligence.
Adam Smith
Washington, DC
Smith grew up in Parkersburg, WV. After graduating from Parkersburg South High School, he attended college at Elon University in North Carolina. After a short stint at a PR firm, he moved to Public Campaign, a national nonprofit organization working on campaign finance reform. At Public Campaign, Smith worked in all areas of communications, including research, writing, graphic design, and online advocacy. He also assisted state based organizations across the country on legislative and communications strategies, including in West Virginia. Today, Smith is the Press Secretary for Public Campaign and lives in Washington, D.C.
T. Donald Sommerville, M.D.
Huntington, WV
Dr. Sommerville is a physician practicing in the Huntington area.
Board of Advisers
Scott Crichlow, Ph.D., Morgantown, WVAndrea Marano King, Esq., Charleston, WVIan Gibson-Smith, Shepherdstown, WVJohn Saunders, Ph.D., Buckhannon, WVKevin Waldo, Esq., Charleston, WV
