New Advantage Valley Co-Chairs Elected

Huntington lawyer Christopher L. Slaughter and Charleston businessman Wayne D. Morgan have been elected co-chairs for Advantage Valley beginning in 2010. They replaced Huntington Regional Chamber CEO and President Mark Bugher and Charleston lawyer Ellen Cappellanti who had served as co-chairs since 2006.

CAMC Teays Valley President and CEO Al Michaels was elected Vice Chairman while Marshall University’s Layton Cottrill was elected Secretary and American Electric Power’s Mark Dempsey was elected Treasurer.

Slaughter practices law in the Huntington office of Steptoe & John and represents employers in labor and employment law matters. His practice is evenly divided between counseling and litigation and his clients include companies in the construction, energy, health care, hospitality and manufacturing industries.

Active in community affairs, Slaughter is past chairman of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Board of Trustees, Ethics, and Religious Liberty Commission (Nashville, TN), Treasurer and Board of Trustees of the Huntington Museum of Art, West Virginia State Chamber and Tri-State Society of Human Resource Management.

Morgan currently serves as President of West Virginia American Water. In this capacity, he is responsible for delivering high quality water service to more than 600,000 people throughout West Virginia.

Morgan has been active in local economic development organizations. He is a board member of the Charleston Area Alliance, A Vision Shared, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the West Virginia Section of American Water Works Association, and the West Virginia Business Roundtable.

“All of us in the Advantage Valley region are indebted to Mark and Ellen for both their vision and commitment to regional identity and growth,” said Advantage Valley President Mike Herron.

“Chris and Wayne are very successful and high energy professionals who will not only provide continuity to existing projects but who will also offer a fresh perspective to developing new ventures that will enhance the economy of the region.”