Officers
Theresa Phipps, President
Mrs. Theresa Phipps is a ‘native’ of Wheeling, West Virginia and currently works for U.S. Government Accountability Office as a Senior Financial Auditor in Washington D.C. Previously, she worked at Ernst and Young, a CPA firm in Charleston West Virginia as a Senior Auditor in the banking and health care industry. She received her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling West Virginia. She has been an active member in the West Virginia State Society since moving back to D.C. in 2004 as the Delegate to the National Conference of State Societies. In 2000 Theresa had the honor of serving as the Cherry Blossom Princess for the State of West Virginia.
Chris Greaver, Vice President
The Vice President of the West Virginia State Society for 2008 is Mr. Chris Greaver. Chris grew up in Shinnston, West Virginia in Harrison County. He received a bachelor’s degree in finance from West Virginia University in December 2000. Chris moved to the Washington area in 2002 to work for AFLAC. In 2004 he became a financial analyst for the U.S. Navy at the Pentagon. Chris lives on the D.C./Maryland border in Prince George’s County. He spends a lot of his free time traveling back to West Virginia to experience the outdoors and to root for the Mountaineers. He looks forward to helping the Society become the finest representation of the state to the people of the nation’s capital. He is the nephew of past President Gary Crayton.
Shane Barker, Congressional Liaison
Shane was born in South Williamson, KY, on October 16, 1979. He grew up in the southern coalfields of West Virginia, and has always had a deep concern for the mining community, and for the economic vitality of West Virginia. Shane earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Marshall University in December 2002, and is currently working towards a master’s degree in public administration.
After studying education policy in the West Virginia Senate during the 2004 regular session, he worked in the Washington, DC, office of Congressman Nick J. Rahall, II before accepting a position with Senator Robert C. Byrd. Shane currently works in the Government Relations office of the Air Force Association, where he spends most of his time advocating for Air Force veterans and retirees, in addition to more robust active-duty health and educational benefits. As someone who greatly appreciated having the opportunity to work for West Virginia in Washington, DC, Shane is excited about the prospects of reinvigorating the West Virginia State Society.
Miranda Kessel, Membership Chair
Miranda L. Kessel, originally from Martinsburg, is a West Virginia University graduate. Throughout her life, Miranda has always held a deep appreciation for her home state and wanted to take a career path where she can help fellow West Virginians. She is fulfilling those goals in Washington D.C., where she works for her local representative, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. Miranda enjoys the city life in Washington D.C., but always looks forward to getting back to the Mountain State to enjoy the outdoors and cheer on the Mountaineers.
Linsey Godbey, Delegate to National Convention of State Societies
Linsey Godbey is an Assistant Account Executive in the Marketing and Brand Strategy practice of GolinHarris. In this role, she works primarily on the McDonald’s account, assisting with its various programs. Linsey joined GolinHarris in February of 2006 as the Executive Assistant to Lane Bailey, Managing Director of the Washington, D.C., GH office. In March of 2007, she was promoted to the role of AAE to orchestrate monthly rounds of McDonald’s owner/operator meetings and monitor McDonald’s in the media. She had led product publicity campaigns, executed tactics in crisis relations situations and has also gained experience in media pitching and event planning. While in college, she also reported for the Dominion Post, Morgantown, WV’s newspaper. Linsey received her Bachelor of Science in Public Relations with minors in English and Spanish from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. She remains involved with WVU by participating in events with the National Capitol Area Chapter and writing for WVU’s alumni website. Linsey is a member of PRSA and also had the honor of being named West Virginia’s 2007 Cherry Blossom Princess by the National Conference of State Societies.