Jill Upson:
Public Speaker
Political Pundit
Business Owner
ABOUT
"Jill Upson is a high-performance leader with extensive experience in public administration, policy-making, management, strategic communications, and media relations. She is a proven achiever with national and statewide recognition for leadership, dedication, and commitment to excellence."
Jill Upson is the Executive Director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs (HHOMA). She was appointed to this cabinet-level position in December 2018 after serving for four years as a legislator in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Elected twice to the West Virginia House of Delegates, Upson served as Vice Chair of Banking, in addition to serving on various committees, caucuses, and commissions. Due to her steadfast leadership in criminal justice reform, Upson was recognized by the Governor of West Virginia with his Civil Rights Award.
Director Upson currently serves as Chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission and is a member of the HOPE Scholarship Board. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Upson formed and Chairs the COVID-19 Advisory Commission on Racial Disparities which continues to lead in statewide equitable vaccine distribution and testing. She also successfully spearheaded all weekly minority COVID-19 testing sites in multiple locations throughout the state during the height of the pandemic.
Upson is currently working toward a PhD in Public Policy: Education Policy. She has earned an MBA: Public Administration at Liberty University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Shepherd University. She is married to retired Navy Commander Kelvin Upson and is the mother of DJ and Chandler.