Board of Directors
The BridgeValley Foundation leadership consist of a group of local industry and community leaders who volunteer their time to help BridgeValley build a brighter future for the places we call home.
Mr. Rick Atkinson, Chair - Term expires: June 30, 2025
Rick serves as the City Manager for the City of South Charleston and began volunteering on the Foundation Board in 2018.
Charlie Bearse - Term expires: June 30, 2025
Charlie Bearse joined Blackhawk in 2018 as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Bearse has 38 years of operations experience in Central Appalachian coal mining. Starting as an hourly underground miner, he has developed extensive operating experience in underground mining, surface mining, coal preparation and operations support. Driving improvements in safety and operations has been a primary career focus for Mr. Bearse. Prior to joining Blackhawk, Mr. Bearse spent most of the previous 25 years managing mining operations for Massey Energy and its successor, Alpha Natural Resources. Mr. Bearse is a graduate of Michigan Technological University, where he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering. He is a certified mine foreman and mine rescue responder
Ashley N. Deem - Term expires: June 30, 2025
Ashley N. Deem currently serves as the Deputy Clerk of the Supreme Court of Appeals overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Intermediate Court of Appeals.
Prior to law school, Ashley started a public relations company which consulted on various non-profit and issue advocacy campaigns, as well as political campaigns at the state and federal levels. Following law school, she clerked for Chief Justice Elizabeth D. Walker of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. She then entered private practice where she handled significant trial preparation in product liability cases all over the country. With the creation of the state’s new Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA), Ashley felt compelled to return to public service and has been integral in its implementation and execution.
With a deep commitment to education, Ashley was appointed by Governor James C. Justice to serve on the Board of Governors at BridgeValley Community & Technical College, where she served as chairman of the board. Ashley currently serves as an adjunct professor of legal studies and sits on the BridgeValley Foundation Board.
Ashley resides in South Charleston with her fiancé, Greg, stepchildren, Navy & Abe, and world’s most wonderful goldendoodle, Maggie.
Ashley is a graduate of West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She also holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Law.
Ms. Danielle Douglas - Term expires: June 30, 2024
Ms. Douglas serves as branch manager for The Huntington National Bank. She is also a registered investment representative for Huntington Financial Advisors.
Mr. R. Charles Dusic III, CPA (inactive) - Term expires: June 30, 2026
Mr. Dusic joined the West Virginia Regional Technology Park as its COO/CFO in December
2021. In his role he is responsible for all park daily operations, including oversite
of the operation staff and all financial, compliance, reporting and human resources
matters.
Mr. Dusic has multi-industry experience along with comprehensive financial expertise
(Financial Planning and Analysis, Reporting, Accounting, Budgeting, Growth Management,
etc.), his leadership provides a breadth of experience across all aspects of business
including HR, IT/Technology, Risk Management, Pricing & Contract Negotiation, Acquisitions
and Project Management.
Mr. Dusic previously served as the Chief Financial Officer for West Virginia Media
Holdings, LLC through the fill lifecycle of the organization from start-up, capital
raise, acquisitions, centralizing operations, and growth management culminating in
the successful sale of the company to Nexstar Broadcasting.
Mr. Dusic’s professional experience includes over 10 years in public accounting working
with clients in multiple industries, governmental entities, and non-profit organizations.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Advantage Valley and has previously
served on the Board of Directors for the Central West Virginia Airport Authority,
the West Virginia Broadcasters Association and as Committee Chair for the Media Financial
Managers Association CFO Summit.
Dr. Sue Forsbrey - Term expires: June 30, 2026
Dr. Forsbrey developed and directed the BridgeValley Nursing program and continues to serve on its advisory committee. She has served on the Foundation Board since its inception.
Mr. John Frisby, Vice Chair - Term expires: June 30, 2026
John Frisby started his career with the State of West Virginia in 2002 after serving 3 years as a private insurance agency owner/agent. He began with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner Consumer Division investigating consumer complaints and related issues. His investigator duties expanded into insurance fraud cases under direct supervision of the Division’s General Counsel. In 2008 Mr. Frisby became a Senior Investigator for Securities Enforcement with the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office focusing on investment and financial crimes.
John is a 2018 graduate of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Basic Academy, and currently serves as an investigator with Corrections Investigation Division. Since joining CID he has conducted numerous internal and multiple division investigations. He handles WVDCR Security Threat Group tracking and is presently assigned to the West Virginia Fusion Center where is Manages the inmate communications program that provides inmate communications and information to law enforcement and prosecutors state-wide. John is an original member of the Governor-appointed COVID Task Force 19, and has served as a special investigator to a DHHR Task Force working COVID-19 related cases.
He has completed numerous schoolings with NICB, NAIC, NASAA, FINRA, ARELLO, ARDA,
and currently maintains his Certified Real Estate Investigator (CREI).
John is a 1993 graduate of West Virginia Institute of Technology with degrees in Printing
Technology, Printing Management, and Business Management. In 2013 he completed the
Fraud Certificate program from West Virginia University Institute of Technology. As
an investigator, he has also completed the Reid Technique for Interviewing and Interrogation
and attended the Bolger Center operated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
He is an active member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (MSU Huntington), a Fusion Liaison Officer (FLO) with the West Virginia Fusion Center, a City Council Member for the City Of Montgomery WV, President of the Park and Recreation Board of Montgomery WV and the Vice Chair of the Foundation Board of BridgeValley Community and Technical College.
Mr. Frisby is the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Riverside High School in Belle, WV.
Ms. Rachel Harper - Term expires: June 30, 2026
Rachel is one of BridgeValley's distinguished alumna and the Director of Student Life and Leadership for BridgeValley. While attending BVCTC, she was the Student Government (SGA) President, Board of Governors (BOG) Student Representative, and the first WV HEPC State Advisory Council of Students (SACS) Chair from a two-year institution. She went on to study at West Virginia State University where she received both a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in History and her Master’s in Public Administration. While at WVSU, she was both SGA Vice President, BOG Student Representative, WV HEPC SACS representative for WVSU, as well as, president of the Political Science Society and member of multiple campus organizations.
Dr. Carl Kennedy - Term expires: June 30, 2026
Dr. Carl owns Kennedy Dental in Montgomery, WV. In addition to serving on the Foundation Board, he is actively involved in the communities of Montgomery and Smithers.
Susan Russell, MSN, RN, NE-BC, RN-BC - Term expires: June 30, 2026
Susan is the Director of Nursing Practice and Magnet® Recognition for Vandalia Health System – Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) in Charleston, West Virginia. She oversees the organization’s Magnet® Journey, as well as facilitates learning opportunities for nursing students and is a member of several local nursing schools’ advisory boards. Susan collaborates with managers and frontline nursing staff through shared governance on the development and maintenance of nursing policies/practices for the surveillance of clinical outcomes documentation group and nursing quality and safety. In addition to nursing policies, Susan works closely with the Pharmacy Directors on nursing drug diversion monitoring and reporting for the system.
Susan is the Immediate Past President for West Virginia Organization for Nursing Leadership
(WVONL), member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), American
Nurses Association
(ANA), and West Virginia Nurses Association (WVNA). She is also a member of the CAMC
Federal Credit Union Board and has been the Board Chairperson since 2022. She has
worked with the CAMCFoundation on numerous events such as the Gala, the yearly Children’s
Golf Event, and the CAMC Foundation Employee Emergency Fund committee. Susan’s career
has spanned over 34 years in her various roles at CAMC.
Susan obtained her master's degree in nursing from Chamberlain University and holds two nursing certifications through ANCC.