MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia University Foundation now has three new members on its board of directors.
Christine Hayhurst Davis, Erika Cramer, and Dave Gruver were all named to the board after they were formally approved by the WVU Foundation Board at a recent meeting.
Foundation officials said each of the new members will bring a different level of business experience as well as their knowledge of the WVU Foundation, their efforts, and how they help West Virginia University continue to thrive. Being the only West Virginia native selected to the board, Davis expressed a combination of joy and honor to be named to a board she has seen help the Mountain State for years.
“It’s a big honor, the foundation has done a lot for the state and the college, so honestly, humbled is the best descriptor,” said Davis.
Davis, who is originally from Morgantown, graduated from WVU in 2007 with a degree in industrial engineering. Since then, she has served as the president of Hundred Resources LLC. where she has worked with Mountain State based energy companies on production, distribution, leasing, and several other aspects of the oil and natural gas industry, while also being a mother of three. With her role in a major industry
“Cindi Roth (WVU Foundation president and CEO) and I have been in communication for a few years,” said Davis, regarding her sense of eventually getting the induction call. “And so I knew it was on the horizon, didn’t know it was going to be this soon, but I definitely was looking forward to it,” she said.
As part of the introduction process, Davis has gotten in touch with both Cramer and Gruver, who will bring their own share of business and educational leadership to the table.
Cramer, who graduated from WVU in 1990 with a finance degree, is the co-founder of the managing partner How Women Invest LLC, and Gruver, who splits his time between New York and Morgantown, is the director of sales for the UGG fashion brand North America branch. These three, who are close to finishing the training portions of the induction process, will also be in a unique situation where they will be one of the few, three appointee class to be named to the board, which has not been lost on Davis, her colleagues, or the senior members of the WVU Foundation.
“They’ve done a really nice job of laying out expectations slowly, they’ve given us weekly assignments, so that’s made it a whole lot easier,” Davis said regarding the introductory process.
With Davis sworn in, she becomes the third West Virginia resident out of fourteen members of the WVU Foundation board of directors. She will also be one of the youngest WVU alums on the board, with her being the only graduate from a 2000’s class. She will join fellow board members who have contributed to not only WVU, but also to the business, legal education sectors, among many others. As she prepares to be a part of a board that will determine the allocation of around $160 million in donations that the foundation receives annually, Davis is ready to bring a local and youthful perspective on how the WVU Foundation can better serve the community.
“You’re going to have some overlap that you’re not aware of,” said Davis about the potential of having diverse backgrounds on the board. “I’m hoping that since I am a little bit younger, I am in the community, especially in the Morgantown community, I can give that perspective,” she said.
The WVU Foundation is the private fundraising arm for West Virginia University. It received nearly $164 million in donations in the 2023 fiscal year from nearly 21,000 donors.