WEST VIRGINIA BAR FOUNDATION
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD
LAWYER OF THE YEAR AWARD

At the 2000 Annual Meeting of the West Virginia State Bar, the West Virginia Bar Foundation continued its tradition of presenting awards to two outstanding West Virginians.

The Citizen of the Year Award for 2000 was presented to Sam Bowling of Charleston, West Virginia. Mr. Bowling is the President of a company which performs mechanical contracting in industrial plants, hospitals, schools and commercial structures here in West Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Tech University with a mechanical engineering degree. Mr. Bowling has been heavily involved in professional societies such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Professional Engineers and the West Virginia Society of Professional Engineers. He has also served as the President of the West Virginia Contractors Association, the Kanawha Valley Builders Association and the Professional Engineers in Construction. His list of community activities is almost endless. It includes serving as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of City National Bank and Citybank Holding Company, a member of the Charleston Renaissance, the West Virginia State Chamber of Commerce, the Business and Industrial Development Council, the West Virginia Building Trades Health and Welfare Fund, the Private Industry Council of West Virginia and the Charleston Area Medical Center Foundation. He has served as a Trustee of Sunrise Museums, a Trustee of the United Way of Kanawha Valley, a Board Member for the Fund for the Arts and the Frankel Foundation as well as Chairperson of the Board of the Buckskin Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Bowling is an avid athlete as shown by memberships in the Charleston Tennis Club, the Charleston Ski Club, the Great Kanawha River Navy, the Cherry River Navy and serving as the Commodore of the Charleston Boat Club.

The 2000 Lawyer of the Year Award was presented to James C. West, Jr. of Clarksburg, West Virginia. In addition to Mr. West's full time practice of law for almost forty years, he has worked tirelessly on public and community service efforts. He worked at the Salvation Army every Christmas season, putting food baskets and gifts together for families in the local community. His involvement with the Salvation Army continues to this day as an Advisory Board member and as an ever faithful worker regardless of the task assigned to him. He enjoys service on the Advisory Board, it is the hands-on work of the Salvation Army that he enjoys most. Mr. West is a member of the Rotary Club and has been for many years. He actively supports his community projects. For example, he could be found last fall in a spaghetti kitchen serving and, when others left, he was cleaning up. He has also been a long time supporter of the United Way, serving in leadership roles, including Campaign Chairman. Beyond financial support for the United Way, he spends untold hours speaking to people individually, on the radio and making presentations seeking support for the United Way and for the community projects it serves. Over the years, he has been recognized by several community agencies for the support and leadership which is provided. Mr. West helps with testing for the Civil Service Commission and is a supporter of the West Virginia University Law School having been named as a Dean's Partner. He served on committees with Federal Court Judge Maxwell when mediation was but a pilot project and actively serves as a mediator today, a service to litigants, to this person's peers and to the courts. Mr. West has made and continues to make, a difference in state and local communities. His service reflects favorably on the law profession and his commitment to public service - his willingness to devote the time and effort necessary to get the job done year after year - should be recognized.