The West Virginia University Alumni Association Board of Directors has appointed Gregory Darby, Darren Feeley, Thomas Flaherty, James “Rocky” Gianola and Tracy Schoenadel to serve six-year terms on the board.
The board also elected Charles Emanuel of Orlando, Florida, to his first term as chair; Bill Beynon of Naples, Florida, as vice chair; Casey Rentch of Charlotte, North Carolina, as secretary; and Mike John of Charleston, as treasurer.
“I’m excited to have such a diverse and accomplished group of alumni join our board,” said Sean Frisbee, president and chief executive officer. “Greg, Darren, Tom, Rocky and Tracy will bring tremendous experience and energy to the organization. I look forward to working with them to advance the interests of West Virginia University, the WVU Alumni Association and our more than 200,000 graduates.”
Greg Darby
Darby earned an accounting degree from West Virginia University in 1980. The president and co-owner of the Little General Store, Inc. convenience store chain and Cramer Security and Investigations, he has grown the company from eight locations to more than 120, employing 1,500 people, across West Virginia.
Darby is vice chair of the West Virginia Oil Marketers and Grocers Association Board of Directors. He previously served on the Exxon Distributor National Board of Retailers and the BP Regional Retailers Board of Directors.
A well-known philanthropist, Darby supports a wide range of community initiatives, local schools and higher education institutions throughout the state.
Darby resides in Beckley with his wife Darlene. They have two sons, Cody and Dustin.
Darren Feeley
A 1993 graduate from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, Feeley is the CEO of GeoPay, Inc., a digital financial service company.
Feeley has more than 25 years of experience as a business leader in the telecom, media and technology industries. A serial entrepreneur, Feeley has started a number of business ventures throughout his career in addition to serving in executive roles at several Fortune 100 companies. He is also an advisor to Morgan Franklin Consulting’s Mergers and Acquisitions Technology Team.
Feeley is the former chair of the Innovation Technology Committee for the Northern Virginia Technology Council and past president of the National Capital Area Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association.
Feeley resides in Falls Church, Virginia, with his wife Stephanie. They have three children, Emerson, Elle and Finnegan.
Tom Flaherty
Flaherty earned both a business degree in 1971, and law degree in 1974, from WVU. He is senior member of Flaherty Sensabaugh & Bonasso PLLC, where he specializes in commercial and civil litigation, appellate practice, personal injury litigation, insurance coverage and defense, workplace liability and mediation.
He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for 23 consecutive years, longer than any other personal injury defense attorney in West Virginia.
Flaherty is a past chair of the WVU Board of Governors. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors for Brickstreet Insurance since the company’s inception, serving as the chair from 2006-2015. Among his volunteer leadership roles, he has co-chaired the Campaign for Legal Aid in West Virginia and the Capital Campaign for the Ronald McDonald House.
Flaherty resides in Charleston with his wife Paula. They have two sons, Colin and Ian.
Rocky Gianola
A 1978 accounting graduate from the Chambers College of Business and Economics and 1982 graduate of the College of Law, Gianola is president and managing director of Gianola Barnum Bechtel & Jecklin LC, where he specializes in commercial estate planning and business transactions.
Gianola has been admitted by the West Virginia Supreme Court, United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia and the United States Tax Court.
He is the board chair of Gerrick Electric Company and Director of Rockhorn, Inc. and Mountaineer Capital Holdings.
A Mountaineer football letterman, he is past chair of the WVU Letterman’s Association and a member of Mountain Honorary.
Gianola resides in Morgantown with his wife Victoria. They have two daughters, Mallory and Sara.
Tracy Schoenadel
Schoendael earned both a bachelor’s degree in 1987, and a master’s degree in 1989, from the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. She is the senior vice president and managing director of Sports for North America at SMG Insight/YouGov Sport, a company specializing in media measurement and sponsorship evaluation for the sports sector.
Schoenadel has more than 25 years of experience in the sponsorship and advertising industry. Prior to her current role, she served as United States Vice President for Sports Intelligence at Kantor Media and as executive director of the industry-leading ESPN Sports Poll.
She has previously served WVU on the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Campaign Committee and as a member of the CPASS Board of Visitors.
Schoenadel resides in Stamford, Connecticut, with her spouse Laura.
