“This incoming class brings a wealth of talent, insight and community connection to the board,” said Taylor Downs, chair of the Fairmont State Foundation board of directors. “Each of these individuals has demonstrated a strong commitment to service and leadership throughout their careers, whether in business, healthcare, finance, or community development. Their expertise, combined with their passion for creating opportunities in our region, will be invaluable as we continue advancing the Foundation's mission and supporting Fairmont State University students for generations to come. This year's results demonstrate what is possible when people invest in the future of Fairmont State. Our donors continue to invest in students, faculty and programs because they understand the difference this University makes in our region. On behalf of the board, I'm grateful for that generosity, for the leadership of Marissa Mauro, and for the Foundation team whose dedication helps turn philanthropic support into meaningful opportunities for our students.”

Fairmont State University celebrated the achievements of the Fall 2025 graduating class during commencement ceremonies held on Saturday, December 13, in the Feaster Center. Two ceremonies took place: a morning ceremony honoring graduates from the College of Business & Aviation, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Regents Bachelor of Arts program, followed by an afternoon ceremony recognizing graduates from the College of Education, Health and Human Performance, the College of Nursing, and the College of Science & Technology. University President Mike Davis praised the graduates’ determination and resilience, as well as the families, faculty, and staff who supported them along the way.
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The morning ceremony featured a keynote address by Mitch Moore, a 2016 Fairmont State graduate in Accounting and Business Administration and a fourth-generation alumnus. A former Student Government President, Moore went on to graduate first in his class from West Virginia University’s College of Law and now practices with Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. He continues to serve Fairmont State and the legal community through leadership roles with the Alumni Association and the West Virginia State Bar.

​The afternoon ceremony included remarks from Gia Deasy, a distinguished alumna and recently retired Special Education Director for Marion County Schools. With more than 40 years of experience in special education, Deasy remains active as an adjunct faculty member at Fairmont State and a statewide education consultant. She was honored this year with several awards, including Fairmont State’s Alumna of Achievement, and she has accepted a nomination to join the Fairmont State Foundation Board of Directors.

Christine Murphy holds an accounting degree from Fairmont State and currently serves as the President of FCX Systems, Inc. in Morgantown. She joined FCX in 2010 as the Controller before advancing to the President role. Prior to her time at FCX, Christine worked for the West Virginia University Foundation for eighteen years, where she was responsible for disbursements of over $40M. While there, she established the purchasing/corporate card program, prepared monthly financial statements, trained internal and external users on software applications, and assisted in the development of a customized software program.
 
Christine serves on the WVMA Board of Directors and on the Finance Committee of the United Way of Monongalia and Preston County. Previously, she served as the Assistant Treasurer of the United Way of Monongalia and Preston County. She has also served as the Treasurer of a community basketball league and has been both a coach and a coordinator within the same league.
 
Adam Rohaly is an Architect and part owner of Omni Associates Architects in Fairmont. He has twenty years of experience in the architecture field and is a partner in multiple private development companies. Adam is a member of the City of Fairmont ICC Board of Appeals, the Fairmont Field Club Board of Directors, and serves as the Vice President of Augusta Development Corporation. He is also a licensed General Contractor and part owner of a small service plumbing company. Adam lives in Fairmont with his wife, Misty, and their two active sons, Rio and Simon.
 
After graduating from Fairmont State in 1990 with a major in accounting and a minor in computer science, Linda Rudy began a career spanning 30+ years in not-for-profit accounting, financial, and operational management. Early in her career, she served in accounting and financial roles at WVU and the WVU Foundation before serving as Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration in the WVU School of Dentistry and in a financial advisory role in the AVP for Finance area at the WVU Health Sciences Center. During this time, she also earned an MBA from WVU.
 
After stepping out of academia for ten years to lead a physician group practice and the county EMS organization for Mon Health System, Linda returned to higher education to serve as Associate Dean for Finance & Administration in the WVU Schools of Public Health, Dentistry, and the Chambers College of Business & Economics before her family relocated to the Miami, Florida area. While there, Linda served as Senior Business Officer for the University of Miami’s College of Engineering.
 
In 2021, Linda relocated to Richmond, VA to serve as CFO of the William & Mary School of Marine Science, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and the VIMS Foundation. In her current role, she leads the offices of Finance, Budget, Sponsored Programs, Analytics, Procurement, and Administrative Operations and manages a total financial portfolio of over $200M.
 
In addition to his role as a commercial insurance agent with Mountain State Insurance Agency, Brady Campbell maintains a law practice focused on contract negotiations and criminal defense. He is a graduate of West Virginia University, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the school before earning his JD in 2012. In the community, Brady serves as the Chairman for the WV IIABA Young Insurance Professionals. He is the Vice President of the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association Board of Directors and is a member of the West Virginia Trucking Association Board of Directors. He is a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy and a former member of the Charleston City Council. Brady also served as the WVU Mountaineer Mascot from 2006 through 2008. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities including gardening, camping, golfing, and skiing. He lives in Charleston, WV with his wife, Rachel, and his son, Jack.
 
Santino Cava is a 2019 graduate of West Virginia University and a 2021 graduate of the NADA Academy. He is the son of Dan and Michelle Cava and has served as the General Manager of Dan Cava Toyota World since 2021. Santino has been in the car business with his father for the past eight years.
 
Alethea Moody Wise is the daughter of Fairmont State Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Moody. She is the second woman in WVU Track and Field History to earn the All-American status, and proudly owns the Women’s High Jump outdoor record which was set in 1990 and still stands today. After earning a Marketing degree from WVU, Alethea began her real estate career. She served as the Secretary, Vice President, and President of the Fairmont Board of Realtors and was a member of the MLS Board of Directors. She continues to be a leader in her firm, Compass Realty Group.
 
Along with her husband Ed, Alethea also runs a successful real estate business which strives to give a new start to dilapidated homes that would otherwise be razed. She was recently highlighted by WBOY-12 for her interior design of a home in the South Park Historic District of Morgantown. She is the proud mother of Haley, Ashley, and Sydney, who are all active in the family real estate business. A member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Alethea continues to serve her community by working with Scott’s Place to provide affordable housing to those without homes.
 
“The relationship between Fairmont State University and the Fairmont State Foundation is critical to the long-term success of the university and of higher education in the region,” said Fairmont State University President Dr. Mike Davis. “This partnership is bolstered by the impressive backgrounds of the new members who have agreed to serve. The future is bright, and I look forward to building it together.”
 
The new members were approved at the Fairmont State Foundation Board of Directors annual meeting in June, beginning their tenure as board members on July 1. The Foundation Board of Directors is led by Chair Dixie Yann, Vice-Chair Kim Pellillo, Secretary Kevin Wilfong, and Treasurer John Guido.

The Fairmont State Foundation has announced the addition of three new members to its Board of Directors, including Taylor Downs, John Guido and Christina Lavorata.

“We are so enthusiastic to have these highly capable and genuinely caring individuals join our board,” said Fairmont State Foundation President, Rachel Rae Dyer. “Their willingness to step up and serve at such a meaningful time in our organization’s history shows their dedication to the success of the Fairmont State Foundation as we pursue our mission to serve and support the students of Fairmont State University. We are grateful to them for taking on this important role, and we look forward to welcoming them to our Falcon Community.”
Taylor Downs is a member and attorney at Manchin Injury Law Group in Fairmont, and a member and attorney at Manchin Ferretti, PLLC in Martinsburg. He earned his JD from West Virginia University in 2011, following degrees in history and political science from Shepherd University in 2008. In addition to more than 10 years of experience in personal injury law, Downs has extensive experience serving on boards for professional associations and regional agencies, including the American Association for Justice, the WV Association for Justice, the South Fairmont Rotary and the Marion County Rescue Squad.

John Guido is a partner with Baker Tilly US, LLP. He has 40 years of domestic and international audit and accounting experience in various industry sectors, including privately owned and publicly held business entities. He is a leader on issues regarding federal program compliance audits performed under Uniform Guidance, audits of employee benefit plans subject to requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as well as public company audits performed under the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and regulations of the Securities Exchange Commission.

Christina Lavorata is a 1970 graduate of Fairmont State with a degree in elementary education. She also holds an MA and an Ed.D. from West Virginia University. Lavorata taught in Marion County schools from 1971 through 1998, before joining the faculty in the Education Department at Fairmont State. In 2004, she transitioned from teaching to administrative roles, serving as associate provost and provost at Fairmont State until 2018.
Fairmont State University Interim President, Dianna Phillips, also provided welcoming remarks to the new board members.

“The board has done such an incredible job in successfully identifying talented new members. I am looking forward to working collaboratively with them, the entire board and President Dyer over the next year," Phillips said. 

The new members were approved at the Fairmont State Foundation Board of Directors Annual meeting in June, beginning their tenure as board members on July 1. The Foundation Board of Directors is led by Chair, Nick Oxley, Vice-Chair, Kim Pellillo, Secretary, Kevin Wilfong, and Treasurer, Roger Stewart.

The Fairmont State Foundation serves as the non-profit organization that solicits and administers private donations on behalf of Fairmont State University, and recently welcomed five new members to its Board of Directors. New Board of Directors members include Kathy Martin, K. Alex Miller, II, Chad Riley, John Wilson and Dixie Yann.

“It is my pleasure to welcome this group of new Board members,” said Gary K. Bennett, Fairmont State Foundation President. “Collectively they bring a tremendous amount of talent and expertise to the board.”

Kathy Martin is a 1995 graduate of Fairmont State with a Board of Regents degree. Martin is the owner-broker of KLM Properties, Inc. headquartered in Morgantown. She began her career as an appraiser, then became a licensed sales associate in 1985, and finally a broker in 1989. 

Growing up the daughter of a coal miner in Oceana, WV where homes were modest with limited diversity or style, she envisioned herself in a different kind of home when she grew up. That experience led her to a career in real estate. When she is not making her clients dreams of home ownership a reality, she enjoys getting away on her Harley-Davidson motorcycle with her husband, fellow Fairmont State graduate Pat Martin (’75), and spending time with their children and grandchildren.

K. Alex Miller, II is a 2001 graduate of Fairmont State with a bachelor’s in business administration. He is a founding partner of Miller Law Offices in Fairmont, where he practices law with his father, Kenneth R. Miller (’65). As a student at Fairmont State, Miller was named four times to the President’s List and received multiple awards as a student athlete. He graduated from West Virginia University School of Law in 2004 and began his career at the Gary Morris Law Office in Weston.

Miller concentrated his efforts in the area of oil and gas law, gaining extensive experience in the field. In addition to his work in the oil and gas industry, he later joined the law firm of Higginbotham & Higginbotham in Fairmont working to litigate personal injury cases.

Chad Riley is a 1995 graduate of Fairmont State University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering technology. A 2008 Fairmont State Outstanding Young Alumnus, Riley serves on the University’s technology advisory committee and has been a part of many of the building projects that have taken place on campus in recent years.

Riley has served as CEO of the Thrasher Group since 2016 and manages overall operations of the company providing leadership and strategic oversight for each of the 10 office locations. With a passion for economic growth, he has been actively involved in more than 20 economic development projects through the state including industrial parks and strategically designed sites for manufacturing and commercial clients.

John Wilson graduated from Fairmont State with a bachelor’s in accounting in 1988. Wilson is a certified public accountant with Schmidt & Wilson, LLC in Pittsburgh, PA. Wilson is also a co-owner and co-founder of Cox Well Service, LLC in Spencer.

After completing his four-year degree and graduating Summa Cum Laude from Fairmont State, he completed his master’s in accounting at WVU and later the master’s of tax program at Robert Morris University. Wilson worked for Deloitte, Haskins, & Sells, a Big Eight accounting firm in Pittsburgh and later joined the corporate tax department of PNC Bank where he spent 13 years before starting his own practice. 

Dixie Yann recently completed her term on the Fairmont State University Board of Governors, serving since 2012. Yann is active in the community with several organizations including the Pricketts Fort Memorial Foundation, United Way and Marion County Meals on Wheels, which she co-founded. In addition to helping meet the needs of her community, she and her husband Frank enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.

“We are thrilled to welcome this exceptional group of leaders to our Foundation Board of Directors,” said Fairmont State University President, Mirta M. Martin. “Each of them are experts in their industries, and bring a unique, meaningful perspective to the Board. I am certain that each of these leaders will continue to represent our Falcon Family well.”

In addition, new officers were elected to the Foundation Board of Directors. Nick Oxley (‘01), a Wealth Advisor for Buckingham Strategic Wealth, will serve as Chair. Oxley received a bachelor’s in finance from Fairmont State and has an MBA from West Virginia University. He resides in Charleston where he is active with several non-profits. Kim Pellillo, an Associate Agent with Dick Moore Insurance Agency, will serve as Vice-Chair. Kevin Wilfong (’77), President and Owner of Middletown Properties and Wilfong Enterprises, will serve as Secretary. Roger Stewart, President and CEO of Soles Electric Company, was re-elected to serve as Treasurer.