Gayle Conelly Manchin, First Lady of West Virginia, will deliver the keynote speech at Calhoun High School's graduation ceremonies Friday evening.
Graduation exercises generally draws one of the largest audiences each year.
Gayle Conelly Manchin, wife of governor Joe Manchin III, grew up in Beckley, West Virginia. She was active in church, dancing and community services, and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. She attended West Virginia University, where she attained her Bachelor of Arts in Language Arts and Education and a Master of Arts in Reading.
In 1999, she completed a second master's specialization in Educational Technology Leadership from Salem International University.
Gayle met and married Joe when she was in college. After she graduated, they moved to Fairmont, where they lived and worked for more than 30 years. They have three children, Heather, Joseph IV and Brooke; and six grandchildren, Joseph V, Sophie, Kelsey, Madeline, Chloe and Jack.
Gayle has been a teacher in Marion County schools and a professor at Fairmont State College while also being active in United Way and community service groups in the Fairmont area.
The Manchins moved to Charleston in 2001 and Gayle began playing an active role in community service organizations throughout the area.
In addition to her being First Lady, Gayle is a national board member of The Center for Study of Economic Diversity, Inc. in Texas, and serves by appointment to the National Education Commission of the States.
In addition she serves as a Commissioner on the West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service, Chair of the Governor's Healthy Lifestyles Coalition, Vice Chair of the Governor's Cabinet on Children and Families, and a Co-Chair on the Governor's 21st Century Jobs Cabinet.
She is as a partner on the WV Partnership to Promote Community Well Being Commission, serves as the Nominating Chair on the executive board of The Education Alliance and a member of the Vandalia Rotary Club of Charleston.
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