Region 4 Hires Dower for West Virginia First Foundation

May 9—MORGANTOWN — In a nearly unanimous vote Thursday morning, Region 4 selected Jon Dower as its representative on the West Virginia First Foundation, the 11-member board tasked with distributing hundreds of millions in opioid settlement dollars. .

Dower finished second to Jonathan Board when the 13-county region held its initial vote last July. Council vacated the position in March to become the foundation’s executive director.

Of the 76 government bodies – 63 cities and 13 counties – in the region, 24 (nine counties and 16 municipalities) participated in Thursday’s vote.

All but one supported Dower.

Dr. James Barry was appointed by the city of Fairmont and received Fairmont’s vote, but did not participate in the meeting.

“I’m very grateful. I’m grateful that all of these elected officials have put their trust in me. I see this as an honor, and I don’t see it just as a volunteer opportunity. I feel a fiduciary duty to help my region,” Dower said. I can do it, I am willing to do it for all the counties in our region.”

Dower has spent more than a decade working in addiction recovery. He is the executive director of WVSL Solutions, teaches addiction at the undergraduate and graduate levels at WVU, and has served on the Governor’s Task Force on Substance Abuse since 2018.

He is also in long-term recovery.

“The thing about me is not just that I have the lived experience side of things, but I have over a decade of working in this area and the academic background to understand evidence-based practices – what works, what doesn’t work, and really how to achieve this population. I think like them,” he said.

Board, who has been in the role of executive director for less than a week, said the foundation is “very close” to making an announcement establishing an application process “with as little burden as possible.”

“We fully appreciate and understand that we do not exist except because people have suffered and died,” he said. “We recognize that in every penny we spend in every conversation we have. We like to keep that in mind, and we should.”

Representatives participated via meeting software and in person at the Monongalia County Commission Chambers.

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