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.
ENDORSEMENTS & ACHIEVEMENTS
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Advancing Civil Rights Through AdvocacyRecognized by Governor Jim Justice as a 2018 honoree for “Advancing Civil Rights Through Advocacy”. Chosen by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF) from a nationwide search as one of its Emerging Leaders.
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Executive Director, Herbert Henderson Office of Minority AffairsDecember 2018 – Present Appointed by Governor Jim Justice to lead the agency tasked with serving historically marginalized citizens of the state Designed, implemented, secured $500K in funding, and managed first agency grant program to address the social determinants of health Traveled to every county in the state, hosting public listening tours to collect data on $1.6 billion in federal spending allocations (In progress. To be completed December 2022.) Led year-round effort to educate on the history and to commemorate Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, as Chair of the Governor’s Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission As West Virginia COVID-19 Task Force on Racial Disparities Chair, created historic Commission and organized minority COVID-19 testing events across the state during the height of the pandemic. Served on Governor’s 2020 Census Complete Count Commission resulting in a 99.9% response rate, first in the nation
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State Delegate, West Virginia LegislatureJanuary 2015 – December 2018 Elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2016 to represent approximately 18,500 citizens in the Charles Town, Ranson, Kearneysville, and Harpers Ferry areas of West Virginia. Successfully worked collaboratively with 133 other legislators to introduce and help pass laws on behalf of the citizens of West Virginia Took the lead on tough issues such as education reform, ethics reform, addiction, and criminal justice reform, and have been the lead sponsor and co-sponsor of successful reform legislation that tackle these important topics Served in leadership role as the Vice Chair of House Banking, Chair of the Women’s Caucus, Chair of the Minority Caucus, and Chair of the Joint Select committee on Minority Issues. Served on two major House committees and five minor committees, including the Select Committee on the Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse and also served as a member of the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability (LOCEA) Professionally communicated pertinent information to constituents at public forums, radio, and in television interviews