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August-September 2008
Betty Ireland Makes History
 Betty Ireland
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Betty Ireland made history when she became West Virginia’s 28th Secretary of State, as the first woman ever elected to the Executive Branch of state government.
“I’ve held two political positions in my life,” Secretary Ireland said. “One, when I was elected to the Charleston City Council, and the other, when I was elected Secretary of State. I haven’t considered these positions to be political opportunities, but as jobs where my skills sets have been well matched. I had a great deal of knowledge about business, technology, financing, and the operations of state government, and felt very well qualified to be the Secretary of State.”
Secretary Ireland was elected Secretary of State in November 2004, and sworn into office in January 2005. “On my first day on the job as Secretary of State, I presented five (5) key issues to my staff, which would be our primary goals to accomplish together during my four-year term. They included: (1) upgrade our office technology, (2) become compliant with the federal HAVA (“Help America Vote Act”) mandate, (3) re-establish the election fraud unit, (4) have a well-trained workforce within our office, and (5) utilize ‘best practice’ models from other states when appropriate.“
As we all know, if you want to get a job done, and have it done well, give it to a woman; and Secretary Ireland has not only accomplished all her goals, but she has done so in record time.
“My overall job is very complex. And, because the Secretary of State is also the state’s Chief Elections Official, my office is also responsible for the elections in our state. It’s our responsibility to ensure that all elections held throughout the state are on time, fully functional, and conducted in a fair and clear manner, “ Secretary Ireland explained. “This office is also the repository and safe-keeper of many official records for the state, including business and licensing records for both in-state and out-of-state companies who do business in West Virginia,” Secretary Ireland added. “And, any out of state company who wants to sue an instate company must also go through my office. Essentially, this office becomes the out of state company’s agent of record. Also, all charitable and non-profit organizations, doing business in West Virginia, must register with this office, as well as ministers and private investigators. ”
“Documents that have anything to do with the Executive Branch of state government in West Virginia must be recorded and acknowledged by the Secretary of State’s Office. We constantly update our databases to ensure that all public records are available and easily accessible to the public. We also keep track of legislative laws, rules and regulations as well, and all meetings throughout the state that need to be publicly noticed,” she explained.
“Since I became Secretary of State, we have integrated vast amounts of records and documents, providing the general public not only with easy access to records, but also ease in filing documents electronically. This was indeed a tremendous task, but one that needed to be done. And now, with those upgrades in place, the system works more efficiently and accurately.”
“In 2005, when I was sworn into office, the Secretary of State’s Office was already under a federal mandate to become compliant, by January 1, 2006, with the Help American Vote Act (HAVA), passed by the United States Congress in 2002. This legislation mandated that all polling places, nationwide, be equipped with electronic voting equipment. Although this was a huge undertaking, through the outstanding efforts of all 55 County Clerks, and my staff, we were one of the few states that were indeed compliant with HAVA before the deadline.”
“As one of my accomplish primary goals, I can certainly say, with great assurance, that our staff is very well-trained, efficient and truly focused on helping not only the citizens of our state, but also folks from out-of-state, do business with the State of West Virginia. Soon after I took office, department managers were elevated and empowered; and strongly encouraged to attend at least one regional or national conference for continuing education, and to see how other states address similar issues we share,” Secretary Ireland said.
“My goal to share ‘best practices’ brought about the ACP (Address Confidentiality Program), which we patterned after a similar program in Vermont. The ACP provides victims of domestic violence, both men and women, the opportunity to use a blind P.O. Box in the Secretary of State’s office as their mailing address and keep their physical location confidential. Applications for this program are being taken through agencies that work with victims of domestic violence.”
“As the first women ever elected to the Executive Branch of state government in West Virginia, I believe it’s also my responsibility to mentor young women, and encourage all women to register, vote and consider running for public office. Women are 51% of the population nationwide, yet greatly under-represented in the political arena. In West Virginia, we only have two female members of the State Senate out of 34, and 17 female members of the House of Delegates out of 100. So, I would certainly encourage all women to consider public service. You can start at the local or county level, assume positions of leadership, and go on from there,” Secretary Ireland suggested. “When women choose to lead an organization, or further a cause they truly believe in, we know it’s essential to have a support system at place both at home and in the workplace. And we certainly can’t be ‘thin-skinned’ which is one of the reasons I think most women shun the political arena, along with the desire to avoid both confrontation and negativism. But women’s strength outweighs all of those aversions. Anyone who raises children, runs a household and everyone in it, and takes care of elderly parents knows how to make the hard decisions. We can be tougher than we think,” Secretary Ireland said.
“Early last summer, I made the decision not to run for re-election. I know all too well what a statewide campaign for office demands, and at that time, I was caring for both of my elderly parents. Although it appeared to be a difficult decision, it was both the right, and only decision I could make. Since that time, both of my parents have passed away, my father last August, and my mother just this past April. It was indeed the right decision, and a blessing to have been with them during their final years,” Secretary Ireland said.
“Now, it’s time for me to get back on track with my own life. I still have a lot of ideas, and will take some time to re-invent myself. I intend to write and publish, contribute to talk-radio and television, and continue my leadership involvement with the Stennis Center for Public Service. One of the primary goals of this organization is to provide meaningful initiatives for women, which will promote participation by women on all levels of public service, and they do a fabulous job. ”
“The last several years have truly been life-changing—campaigning, being elected and serving as the Secretary of State, while also taking care of both my own family and dealing with the care, then loss, of my elderly parents. So when my term expires next January, I will take that time to re-group, and immerge as a smarter, stronger and more enlightened person. And, if the right opportunity presents itself, I would indeed be ready for the challenge of yet another political office,” she smiled.
Secretary Ireland is a native of Charleston, West Virginia, and is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati. She taught for several years in the West Virginia public school system, then entered the private sector as a small business owner and executive in the pension business. She has served on the City of Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals and was an At-Large representative on the Charleston City Council. Secretary Ireland became the state’s first Certified Pension Consultant and served as Executive Director for the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board. Prior to her election as Secretary of State in 2004, Secretary Ireland was President and CEO of Jackson & Kelly Solutions, LLC.
She was named one of America’s ‘Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers’ by Government Technology magazine in recognition of outstanding initiatives, through the use of technology, that make government more accessible to the people. Secretary Ireland was also selected as a member of the Council of Pacesetters, by the Stennis Center for Public Service, and was honored at its annual Southern Women in Public Service conference. She is a founding member of the Vandalia Rotary Club of Charleston and lends her support to a diversity of organizations in the Kanawha Valley. Secretary Ireland is married to Sam Haddad and has four children and two grandchildren.
Betty Ireland is the first woman to be elected to the Executive Branch of state government in West Virginia. Her office is located at 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, WV 23505. Telephone: 304 558 6000
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