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Ms. Patricia Hamilton, CAE

Executive Director, West Virginia Association of Counties

About Ms. Patricia Hamilton, CAE

Patti Hamilton has served as the Executive Director of the West Virginia Association of Counties since October, 1997.  Her work experience includes several years as a high school teacher, a small business owner, and as a Utilities Analyst and legislative liaison for the WV Public Service Commission.  Patti is a cum laude graduate of West Virginia University and earned a master’s degree in Management/Public Administration from the West Virginia Graduate College.  She is nationally certified by the American Society of Association Executives as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and is a graduate of Leadership West Virginia and the County Leadership Institute, sponsored by the National Association of Counties. She is Past President of the National Council of County Association Executives and the Conference of Southern County Associations (15 states), and has earned her County Certified Association Executive recognition. Accomplishments of the WV Association of Counties under her tenure include the founding of the Community Leadership Academy in collaboration with West Virginia University, the implementation of the self-funded WV County Dental/Vision Benefit Plan in 2000, and the creation of the WV Counties Risk Pool in 2007.  In 2011, in collaboration with WV PBS, a video entitled “Living Monuments - The West Virginia County Courthouse” was completed and won the 2011 “Spirit of West Virginia” Award from the WV Division of Tourism and was nominated for an Emmy. The movie led to a full-color book  featuring all 55 county courthouses, published in time to celebrate WV’s 150th birthday in 2013. Raised in Oak  Hill, Fayette County, Patti resides in Charleston with her husband Dave Higgins and is proud to say that all three of her sons are WVU graduates!