Four West Virginia University alumni and one current student are the newest members of the WVU Alumni Association Board of Directors following their election during the Association’s annual business meeting.
Jihad Dixon, Andrew Hartsog, Donald T. Robinson and Anthony Webster will each serve six-year terms and student member Rozaireo “Ro” Jones will serve a one-year term. Their terms took effect in June.
Jihad Dixon, a two-time University graduate and a native of Charleston, has built his career at the intersection of strategy, operations and social impact. Dixon currently serves as the senior associate for strategy and operations at My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, an initiative of the Obama Foundation. He has led national efforts across higher education, philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, helping mission-driven teams turn vision into action and build stronger, more sustainable systems.
Dixon also serves as president of the WVU Black Alumni Association, where he has helped grow alumni engagement and strengthen connections between Black alumni and current students through events, outreach and mentoring efforts. In 2022, he was honored with the John F. Nicholas Jr. Alumni Service Award for his continued commitment to the University and its alumni community.
Andrew Hartsog, a native of Beckley, is the executive vice president at Constellis, a global leader in security and government services. Before entering the private sector in 2023, he completed over 30 years of distinguished government service, culminating in a role as a Senior Intelligence Service executive with the Central Intelligence Agency. His career as a paramilitary operations officer included multiple tours as chief of station, as well as chief of operations for special activities. His career spanned the earliest days of conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq to assignments across the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Europe. Earlier in his career, Andrew served with U.S. Army Special Forces.
Throughout his career, Hartsog earned some of the CIA’s highest honors, including the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, two Distinguished Intelligence Stars for Valor and the Directorate of Science and Technology’s John McCone Award for Excellence in Technical Operations, among others. Dedicated to supporting those who served alongside U.S. forces, he now serves on the boards of Badger Six and FAMIL USA, which are foundations committed to assisting Afghan partners who contributed to American national security during the war in Afghanistan.
Donald T. Robinson is the president of MVB Financial Corp. Since joining MVB in 2011, he has played a pivotal role in transforming the institution from a $350 million bank in North Central West Virginia to a $3 billion bank with nationwide operations. Appointed president in 2022, Robinson previously served as executive vice president, chief financial officer and corporate development officer for MVB Financial and MVB Bank. He also led MVB’s listing on Nasdaq, marking the first for a West Virginia bank in 18 years, and has overseen more than 15 mergers and acquisitions throughout his tenure.
Robinson began his career as an audit manager with Arthur Andersen in Washington and later joined a West Virginia accounting firm as a partner overseeing the audit practice. In 2005, he joined Linn Energy as the chief accounting officer and subsequently served as the commercial regional manager for Huntington Bank’s West Virginia region, prior to joining MVB. Robinson serves on the Finance Committee of St. Francis Central Catholic School, the Mon Health Medical Center Board of Directors and is a founder of GameChanger, a student-powered substance misuse prevention organization.
Anthony Webster is a two-time University graduate and a native of Bridgeport who has held progressive leadership roles across the water technology, pharmaceutical and mining industries for over three decades. He retired in 2023 as chief human resources officer for Evoqua Water Technologies in Pittsburgh.
Webster’s vast global experience in both corporate and private equity organizations took him around the world, including four years living and working in Paris. A proud Mountaineer, he has remained actively engaged with WVU, serving for over a decade on the MSIR Council within the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics, and teaching courses in personal finance and strategic human resources. He has also served on the Xtend Ministries International Board for more than 10 years.
Rozaireo “Ro” Jones, a junior journalism major from Fairmont, is the 2025-26 Student Government Association vice president. Jones is also a brother of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity and a political contributor for 100 Days in Appalachia, where he focuses on reporting in West Virginia communities, elevating the voices of socioeconomically disadvantaged populations within the state and bringing their stories to a broader audience.
During his studies, Jones has collaborated with the White House Correspondents Association to expand scholarship opportunities for students. He has also worked in other public service capacities, previously serving on the press team of Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., and for WBOY-TV in Clarksburg.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming these outstanding individuals to the Board,” said Kevin Berry, vice president of Alumni Relations and CEO of the WVU Alumni Association. “Their diverse experiences and strong commitment to our mission will enrich our alumni community and help drive continued growth, collaboration and impact.”
During the annual business meeting, new members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors Executive Committee were elected to serve one-year terms. Zach Mendelson of Pittsburgh will serve as chair of the Board of Directors. Additionally, Sharon Flanery from Charleston will serve as vice chair; Gabrielle St. Léger of Philadelphia as secretary; Kamau Brown of Marina del Rey, California, as treasurer; Kevin Ellis from Bridgeport as at-large; and Marilyn McClure-Demers of Columbus, Ohio, as past chair.
“It is an incredible honor to be elected chair of the WVU Alumni Association Board of Directors,” said newly elected chair Zach Mendelson. “As a proud Mountaineer, I’m excited to work with this dedicated group and continue building meaningful connections among alumni and with the University we all love. WVU has had a profound impact on my life, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to give back in this way. I look forward to working with our board and alumni community to elevate our mission and create opportunities that bring Mountaineers together.”
The WVU Alumni Association was organized in 1873 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1977. It is the oldest University affiliate serving its largest constituency.
