The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation
For immediate release: Feb. 1, 2026
Contact: Dr. Michelle Foster, President and CEO, TGKVF
304.246.3620
The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation (TGKVF) elected Michael Graney, Dr. Pat Kusimo, and Dr. Allison Jarrett to serve as Trustees for the Foundation at the December 10, 2025 meeting. The Board has 13 elected Trustees and includes Dr. Michelle Foster, President and CEO of the Foundation.
Michael Graney is a seasoned executive, entrepreneur, and economic development leader whose career spans more than thirty years across private industry, business development, and statewide economic strategy. Mr. Graney served as Executive Director of the West Virginia Development Office, where he led statewide efforts in business recruitment, retention, and expansion.
Dr. Patricia Kusimo has more than forty years of distinguished experience in the field of education. Throughout her career she has been a public school teacher, associate professor of mathematics at West Virginia State University, and served as a systems engineer with IBM dedicating herself to educational research, particularly in improving academic outcomes for African American and low-income students. Dr. Kusimo held leadership roles as President and CEO of both the West Virginia Center of Professional Development and The Education Alliance, making a lasting impact on educational policy and practice.
Dr. Allison Jarrett shares her dental expertise through her private practice on Charleston’s Westside. She attended West Virginia University for both her undergraduate and graduate studies. She obtained her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from West Virginia University School of Dentistry in 2016. After dental school, she completed a general practice residency at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. There, she was given the Resident of the Year Award and the Excellence in Restorative Dentistry Award. Dr. Jarrett is a member of the American Dental Association®, the West Virginia Dental Association, and the Kanawha Valley Dental Association.
Established in 1962, TGKVF had $388 million in assets and over 600 philanthropic funds under management as of December 31, 2025. As the largest community foundation in Central Appalachia, TGKVF is also one of the top 100 community foundations in the United States.