Kelly Kibble Griffith
Board Secretary
Senior Legal Editor, Thomson Reuters, Charleston WV
Kelly Griffith is a native West Virginian who, thanks in large part to her involvement with TMI’s WV Scholars’ Academy in high school and college, is deeply committed to providing opportunities for people of all ages to spend meaningful time in the mountains. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Conservation and Management from the University of Kentucky, Kelly earned her law degree from Georgetown University.
Joanna Ganning
Associate Dean for Faculty Research, Development and Administration, Levin College of Public Affairs and Education, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH
After spending the summer of 1998 at Spruce Knob, Joanna returned to her hometown of Keyser with a desire to be part of a better future for Appalachia. To that end, she earned a BS in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State. Through various internships, including one as mentor to the 2000 Scholars Academy, she found her niche in economic development strategy and analysis. Joanna earned a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech and a PhD in Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Joanna serves on the boards of Shaker Heights Development Corporation, VibrantNEO (a committee of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency), and is a community member of the Shaker Heights City Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals.
Dr. Frederick Gottlieb, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine
Fred is a West Virginia native and has been involved with Experience Learning from its early days as Woodlands/ Mountain Institute. He has also been involved in issues of international health and community development for over 40 years. Dr. Gottlieb graduated from WVU Medical School and was trained in Internal Medicine at University of Calif- Davis. He has a Master’s Degrees in Public Health as well as International Affairs. He has worked on assessment of rural health care delivery models and refugee evaluations in Asia, Africa, and South America. He served as Regional Medical Officer for the US Peace Corps in Southern Africa and worked in the tsunami recovery in Indonesia. He has received the US Public Health Service Physician of the Year Award. He currently practices and teaches Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at the University of Utah.
Kristen Beverage
WV Recreational Economies Initiative Manager for Partner Community Capital.
Kristen is a local to the small mountain town of Marlinton, WV and takes pride in the beautiful assets that the Monongahela National Forest has to offer. Prior to her position with the PCAP, Kristen was a Business Advisor with the WV Women’s Business Center. In January of 2023 she traveled to Delhi, India to complete her graduate degree of Master of Arts in Applied Community Development from Future Generations University. Until 2021, Kristen was the Executive Director of the Snowshoe Foundation and is an active member of Rotary International. She also has an extensive background in Recreation and Trail Development from her work with the US Forest Service earlier in her career. She received her undergraduate degree in Finance from West Virginia University.
J. King B. E. Seegar III, MD, Founding Trustee, Board Member Emeritus
Medical Director, Pendleton Community Care Clinics (PCC), Franklin WV
King Seegar has spent 31 years as a pediatrician at PCC, a non-profit clinic started and spun off by Woodlands in 1983, carrying on our legacy of community learning and service. Coming full circle, he is returning to work on our board in support of Experience Learning.
Jennifer Taylor-Ide – Board Member Emerita
Behavioral Health Counselor, PCC School-based Health Clinics, Franklin WV
Jennifer Taylor-Ide originally developed many of Woodlands/TMI’s beyond-the-classroom programs and philosophies, headed up our professional development projects, and worked for many years with our school programs.