From expanding healthcare services to jazzing up West Virginia Wesleyan College, Patricia “Trish” Collett and Dr. James Moore have left an indelible mark on Buckhannon. On Thursday, the Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce recognized their lasting contributions by naming them the 2024 Business Woman and Business Man of the Year.
The awards were announced by Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner.
“Our Business Woman of the Year hit the ground running in her now relatively new role serving as CEO of her operation,” Skinner said.
He described Collett as a life-long West Virginian from Elkins who first earned a Bachelor of Medical Science from Alderson-Broaddus College in 1994, then completed the West Virginia University Healthcare Masters of Business Administration Essentials Program in 2006. She joined her current organization, Community Care, in 2000 as a physician assistant.
By 2008, Collett was director of medical services, overseeing both CareXpress walk-in clinics and school-based health centers. She later served as chief operations officer and deputy chief executive officer before stepping into her current position as chief executive officer.
Skinner emphasized that “since assuming her current role of CEO, she has overseen the expansion of services in the Community Care of West Virginia’s service area,” including an upcoming major downtown Buckhannon construction project for a 50,000-square-foot facility.
Collett sits on the Upshur County Development Authority Board and other healthcare boards and is also a member of the West Virginia Healthcare Hall of Fame.
Aside from her professional duties, Collett is an avid runner and an early riser who enjoys life on her family’s beef farm in Randolph County with her husband, four daughters and grandchildren.
“Please join me in congratulating Patricia ‘Trish’ Collett, CEO of Community Care of West Virginia as our 2024 Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year,” Skinner said to the crowd.
When introducing Dr. James Moore as Business Man of the Year, Skinner joked about how Moore might have initially reacted to a long career in Buckhannon.
“If you asked him then if he would still be at Wesleyan almost 20 years later, he would’ve probably replied with some spiced up, jazzy comment like, ‘Man! That gig ain’t bringin’ the bread,’” Skinner said of the jazz musician who now serves as the college’s president.
Moore arrived at West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2006 and has remained ever since, demonstrating deep commitment to both the institution and the local community.
He holds a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and was the first to receive a Doctor of Philosophy in Jazz Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Moore remains active in the Pittsburgh jazz scene with groups like the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra and RH Factor, as well as performing alongside the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and the Bob Mintzer Big Band. His work appears on multiple recordings, including Mintzer’s Grammy-nominated album “For the Moment.”
Back in Buckhannon, Moore has served West Virginia Wesleyan in various leadership roles, including department chair, dean of the faculty and chief academic officer, before assuming the college presidency. He built one of the region’s most vibrant collegiate jazz programs and is also an avid cyclist, hockey player, gardener, cook and auto enthusiast.
“Over the years, he has indeed, ‘broken it down,’” Skinner joked. “Will you please join me as we congratulate our 2024 Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce Business Man of the Year: Dr. James Moore, President of West Virginia Wesleyan College.”
Both Collett and Moore were recognized for their unwavering dedication to the people of Buckhannon and Upshur County. Their collective achievements in health care, education and community engagement underscore the Chamber’s ongoing mission to highlight the leaders whose work continues to energize the region.
