The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced the appointment of Jill S. Upson as Executive Director of the West Virginia Women’s Commission (WVWC), effective September 26, 2022. She will continue to serve in her current role of Executive Director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs.
A long-time supporter of the WVWC, Upson has been involved as a partner of numerous WVWC events including the annual Women’s and Girls’ Day at the Legislature and Women’s History Month celebration, as well as the work of the West Virginia Suffragist Memorial Committee.
“It is an honor to be chosen to lead WVWC and I am looking forward to beginning this work with the support of the Commission board,” said Upson. “West Virginia’s women and girls are leaders, change-makers, visionaries and hard workers. The Commission will continue its legacy to provide support, education and opportunities for all we serve.”
Upson is a former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, a recipient of the Governor's Civil Rights Award, Chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission, and Chair of the COVID-19 Advisory Commission on Racial Disparities. She received a Bachelor of Science from Shepherd University and a Master of Business Administration from Liberty University.
Upson replaces Julie Palas who has served as interim director since 2016.
The West Virginia Women’s Commission was created by Executive Order in 1977 and is under the umbrella of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.