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 state 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 as of January 31, 2025
Adam Truex, Chairman – Ohio County. Adam Truex served as a Cryptologic Technician in the U.S. Navy’s Cryptologic Warfare Community. He retired honorably as Chief Petty Officer after 21 years of combined active and reserve duty service.
Adam is the Assistant Executive Director for the Ohio Mid-Eastern Regional Education Service Agency (OME-RESA), where he leads the agency’s business and service operations in support of 56 school districts throughout 13 counties within southeast Ohio. Adam has served over two years on the Helping Hero’s board of directors and is the Northern Panhandle Veterans Council (NPVC) treasurer. Adam earned his bachelor’s degree in business leadership administration and his master’s degree in organizational leadership from West Liberty University, where he is also an adjunct professor for the School of Professional Studies.
Jack Gerrard – Harrison County. Vietnam War. Jack Gerrard served in the United States Air Force from 1964 until 1968 and was deployed to Vietnam. He served as a Department Commander in the American Legion, the National Committee for Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, and as a Chaplain for the American Legion. Additionally, he is a Veterans of Foreign Wars member and serves on the Harrison County Honor Guard.
Corrina Boggess – Putnam County. Corrina Boggess served as a commissioned officer in the Army and Army Reserve. Her postings include Battalion Commander - 376th Personnel Services Battalion, Tikrit, Iraq, and Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel - Office Chief, Army Reserve in Washington D.C., from which she retired as a Colonel.
Boggess served as the 2022 - 2023 Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of West Virginia. She is also a member of the National Legislative Committee and has held several other elected positions and committee memberships within and on behalf of that organization. Corrina is a member of the Association of the United States Army Life and served on the National Advisory Board of Directors from 2000 until 2003. She is also a member of the Reserve Officers Association and American Legion.
Boggess received a Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia University, a Master of Arts from the University of Phoenix, a Master of Science from the U.S. Army War College, and a Doctor of Executive Leadership from the University of Charleston
James W. 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.
Megan Ilnicky – Jefferson County. Megan Ilnicky, a former Marine, is the program manager for the Veteran Support Program in the U.S. State Department.
In her role, she ensures that veterans, active military personnel, military families, and spouses of service members who have either worked at the State Department - and also those who are newly hired receive the help and assistance they need. Her role includes making formal policy recommendations to help veterans employed by or who retired from the State Department.
Following her transition from the Marine Corps to civilian life in 2004, Ilnicky worked for the U.S. Congress Chief Administration Office, Wounded Warrior Program.
Jaime Springston – Cabel 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.
He serves as a stakeholder in the United Against Hate Program by the Department of Justice, the WV Veterans Suicide Prevention Committee, the City of Huntington’s DEI committee, and a VFW Post Trustee. Jamie has co-founded Benefit Talk, a collaboration program that provides accurate disability and education information to service members within the Reserves and National Guard units.
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