WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Nov. 19, 2014 — West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has appointed Dillonvale resident Leslie “Les” DeFelice and Weirton resident Patrick Ford to serve on West Liberty University’s Board of Governors. The appointments were announced Sept. 30 and Nov. 6, respectively, and were effective immediately.
“We welcome Les and Patrick to the Board of Governors and look forward to their insight, leadership and energy as we serve the cause of Higher Education in the Northern Panhandle and the entire region,” said Chairman of the Board George Couch.
DeFelice formerly served as chairman of the West Liberty University Foundation. He also serves as a member of the WLU Investment Committee and is chair of the executive committee for the WLU Small and Family Business Program.
DeFelice is the owner of DeFeliceCare and Visiting Angels, medical supplies and elder care service companies located in Wheeling.
He is a 2005 recipient of the State Journal’s Who’s Who in West Virginia Business Award.
DeFelice began his career in Chicago, working in sales for the Continental Group, an industrial packaging firm. From there he moved to Texas, where he led a $3 million dollar, 30-plus wholesaler of paper products.
In 1981, he began working in funds management and was a vice president at Abilene National Bank. Afterwards, he began to work in government bond sales in Dallas. DeFelice moved to a position with the E.F. Hutton Group, next, working in both Houston and New York City.
In 1988, DeFelice returned to the Wheeling market as an independent trader until 1991 when he joined Liken Home Medical, Wheeling, in a management position.
DeFelice graduated from WLU with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in business administration in 1976.
Ford is the executive director of the Business Development Corporation (BDC) of the Northern Panhandle, the economic development agency for Brooke and Hancock counties.
Ford has almost 30 years of experience in economic and community development and worked as a development executive in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and Florida.
Recently, he was recognized by Wall Street Journal for closing the “Deal of the Week,” a public-private partnership whereby the BDC acquired the former Wheeling Corrugating plant in Beech Bottom, W.Va.
Ford holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Virginia and is a graduate of Leadership West Virginia.
He also was selected as a “Top Entrepreneur in West Virginia” by the West Virginia State Journal.
Ford was an instructor in leadership at West Virginia Governor’s Honors Academy and has lectured on leadership and team-building at the Kalon Scholar Program (Bethany College), Leadership Fayette County and the Pittsburgh Neighborhood Academy.
As an appointee of Gov. Tomblin, Ford also represents the northern district of West Virginia on the West Virginia Public Port Authority Board. Additionally, he serves on the boards of the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Planning and Development Council and the West Liberty Research Corporation Board of Directors.
Also serving on the WLU Board of Governors are Beverly Burke, staff representative; Joseph Carey, New York City; Richard Carter, Wheeling; Sandra Chapman, Wheeling; Brian E. Joseph, Triadelphia; Patrick D. Kelly, Charleston, W.Va.; Evan Newman, student government representative; Frank Noble, Jr., faculty representative and Ann Thomas, Wheeling.