Veterans Advisory Council

Six members of the Veterans Council pose in front of a table.

The West Virginia Veterans Advisory Council is an eleven-member body made up of residents of the state who have been separated under honorable conditions from the Armed Forces of the United States. The West Virginia Legislature created the Veterans Council to advise the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Assistance on general administrative policies of the Department, and to advise the Governor and Legislature concerning legislation affecting Veterans and their families.

Members of The Veterans Advisory Council
last updated September 24, 2026

  • Megan Ilnicky, Chair of Veterans Advisory Council / Jefferson County
    Marine Corps Veteran Megan Ilnicky is an Iraq War Veteran, wife, and mother with a passion for supporting Veterans and their families. She previously co-founded the first Veteran Support Program at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and now leads the U.S. Department of State’s Veteran Support Program. She has been a member of the WV Governor's Veterans Advisory Council since 2023, serving previously as the Vice Chair and now Chair.

    Her federal and Veteran-service experience spans more than twenty years across both the Legislative and Executive branches, where she has helped draft key legislation that was ultimately enacted into federal law. Through her work, she has helped strengthen federal workforce support for Veterans, Reservists, National Guard members, and military families by improving access to resources, expanding education on military-related employment protections and benefits, and building stronger partnerships across the federal community.

    Her Veteran-service leadership includes serving as a past Commander, Vice Commander, Chaplain, and Veteran Service Officer with the American Legion; past Junior Vice Commander with the Marine Corps League; and Legacy Life Member of the VFW.  She is also a member of the Women Marines Association, served as an Ambassador for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and is a federally accredited Chaplain.

    She continues to draw on more than two decades of military, federal, and Veteran advocacy experience in service to Veterans and their families.
     

  • Gary Roberts / Nicholas County
    Gary E. Roberts Jr. is a proud United States Marine Corps veteran who served on active duty from 1990 to 1996. He is a former Commandant of Marine Corps League Detachment 339 and remains dedicated to advocating for veterans and their families.

    Gary currently serves as a Nicholas County Commissioner, a position he has held since January 2023. In addition to his county responsibilities, he serves on the Executive Board of the County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia and as Chairman of its Southeast Region, representing 9 counties.

    His additional leadership roles include serving on the National Association of Counties Veterans and Military Services Advisory Council, the West Virginia Public Health Advisory Committee, the West Virginia Counties Risk Pool (WV CORP) Board of Directors, and the Workforce West Virginia Region 1 Local Elected Officials Board. Through these appointments, he works with local, state, and national leaders on issues involving veterans, public health, workforce development, county government, and community services.

    Gary holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Public Administration from Marshall University.
     

  • James Runyon / Kanawha County
    James Runyon served in the West Virginia National Guard for more than 30 years. He had numerous Command Assignments, the last of which was Commander of the 77th Brigade Troop Command, and Human Resource Assignments, including the organization’s Human Resource Officer responsible for managing the Army and Air National Guard’s diverse full-time force. His last assignment before retirement was as Chief of the Joint Staff.

    Runyon is Human Resources Director for Flaherty Legal, a litigation firm with several offices throughout West Virginia. Runyon is also the West Virginia State Director of Selective Service, a member of the Charleston Catholic High School Advisory Council, a member of the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network Organizational Management Committee, and President of the Board of Directors at ABLE Families – a non-profit agency serving children and families in Mingo County.
     

  • Jamie Springston / Cabell County
    Jamie Springston, born and raised in West Virginia, served in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman (Fleet Marine Force) attached to numerous Marine units in combat operations. While deployed in Afghanistan, he participated in more than 120 missions providing medical coverage. After returning home, he continued serving as a firefighter and EMT. He is now working to make changes on a larger scale within the community as he is currently pursuing a degree in social work & political science at Marshall University, where he has helped establish Student Veterans of America and serves as the chapter President.

    Jamie actively advocates for veterans on Capitol Hill as a VFW-SVA Legislative fellow and in the Capitol of his home state of West Virginia. He is very active in his local community of Huntington, WV, where he volunteers with the VA homeless outreach, Habitat for Humanity, and the WV Department of Veterans Assistance. 
     

  • Kelvin Upson / Jefferson County
    Kelvin Upson is a Senior Cyber Professional and Systems Engineer with 24 years of military senior leadership and management experience. Mr. Upson is the Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management Engineering Lead for the V2X Company and has held a senior cyber engineering role as a defense contractor for 11 years. Mr. Upson is also a Certified Advanced Instructor with the University of
    Phoenix, where he teaches courses in the areas of network defense and cyber security. Mr. Upson’s extensive knowledge and experience in leadership, management, education, information technology, risk management and cyber security provides a sound background for serving on the WV Veteran’s Advisory Council.