The new chairman of West Virginia University’s board of governors said President Michael Benson, whose tenure kicks off next month, will have solid support.
“I’m confident that he’s going to get the job done. I’ve had multiple conversations and have shared, you know — my desires and his desires are in touch and in tune with each other,” said Rusty Hutson, the chief executive of Diversified Energy who was selected last week to be the new board president.
“He sees and he knows the challenges that are coming for all universities, not just ours. I mean, this is a big issue across the whole country, and so we’re all going to have the same issues and the same issues to deal with on a daily basis. He’s well up for the challenge.”
Benson will officially start as the 27th president of West Virginia University in July. His contract begins on July 15th and runs through June 30, 2030. Benson has spent the past four years as president at Coastal Carolina and previously was president at Eastern Kentucky, Southern Utah and Snow College.
He will succeed Gordon Gee, whose second g0-round at WVU started in 2014. During the most recent board of governors meeting, Gee urged everyone to put aside differences: “For the first time since I’ve been here, we have divisions on our board.”
“Divisions are unhealthy,” Gee said. “I make a plea to all of you today to think about the fact that the university is more important than you.”
The transition for WVU’s president will now coincide with big changes on the governing board.
In a meeting marked by comments about ongoing discord, board members last Friday voted 9-6 for Hutson to be the new chair rather than the current chairman, Martinsburg attorney Rick Pill.
After Pill’s nomination to continue as chairman was voted down, vice chair Patrice Harris announced that she would decline her own nomination to continue in her role. Instead, Harris nominated the current secretary, businessman Bob Reynolds, to be the vice chair. No one else was nominated, so Reynolds got the role.
That means a shuffling of the board that led WVU through the presidential search.
Benson got the job as president in a 15-2 BOG vote in February, with businessman Bray Cary and attorney Steve Ruby as the no votes. But sources said discussions in an earlier closed session revealed a much closer split, with House Speaker Roger Hanshaw getting significant support. Sources indicated last week’s vote for BOG chairman reflected that.
Still, in an interview today on MetroNews Talkline, Hutson said the new president will have the support necessary for a successful start.
“He’s well up for the challenge. He’s already fit in very well with the university and its people and the students and all that. He’s going to fit in very well, and he’s going to hit the job, you know, running and accomplishing great things,” Hutson said.
“I do believe that the board wants to work hand in hand with him to make sure that the strategic vision for the future is met. And so I he fully has my support and the board’s support, and we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure he’s successful.”
Hutson emphasized the need for transparency, more open sessions and inclusive decision-making as the board moves forward.
“I think that at the end of the day, we got the we got our president that we want. And I think he’s going to do a fabulous job. But I want to be more transparent. I want these things to be a full board conversation with transparency around it, and a lot of different inputs. And so I think you’ll see that happen as we move forward,” he said.