MORGANTOWN — Cheek to jowl.
That’s how former WVU President Gordon Gee once described the relationship between the university and the city of Morgantown.
The imagery speaks of a connection that steps beyond mere proximity and into the realm of symbiosis — different animals, inextricably connected.
As Gee put it, “No university is more entwined and more cheek to jowl with its community than is West Virginia University and the city of Morgantown.”
And now both are under new management.
Tuesday marked the first day on the job for Michael Benson, who succeeded Gee as the university’s 27th president.
Benson stepped into the role about a month after the West Virginia University Board of Governors split 9-6 on a vote to select Robert “Rusty” Hutson Jr. as the body’s next chairman, denying Richard Pill a second year in the role.
Meanwhile, about a quarter-mile from Stewart Hall, in Morgantown City Hall, City Manager Jamie Miller is less than a month into her tenure as Morgantown’s chief executive.
In her first meeting, Morgantown City Council split 4-3 in selecting Danielle Trumble as the city’s mayor, denying Joe Abu-Ghannam a second year in the role.
In a statement, Miller said she’s confident the school and the University City can continue to strengthen their bond and achieve even greater shared success.
“On behalf of the City of Morgantown, we are delighted to extend a heartfelt welcome to President Benson. His impressive expertise in higher education and distinguished leadership promise to bring invaluable contributions to both our academic community and our vibrant city. “As a city committed to progress, innovation, and educational excellence, we eagerly anticipate the insights and ideas he will bring to enrich our shared future,” Miller said. “Our city councilors, officials, and staff across all departments look forward to working closely with President Benson and West Virginia University to develop initiatives that will positively impact not only the university community but the entire City of Morgantown.”
As president of the Monongalia County Commission, Jeff Arnett has a vested interest in the future of WVU as the major economic and social driver in Monongalia County.
But his interest goes deeper than that.
Arnett received both his undergraduate and law degree from WVU. His father spent more than four decades as an educator there.
“We’re pretty much WVU people for life,” he said.
He said the city, county and WVU are intertwined — the struggles and/or successes of one are felt by the others.
“I think we have a kind of symbiotic relationship. If WVU was struggling, it would certainly affect the population in town, business, tax revenues and everything else. If the county or the city was really struggling, that would certainly have an effect on WVU and its ability to recruit and do different things,” Arnett said.
Asked if he had a message for Benson, Arnett said, “I would just say ‘Welcome, and we look forward to working with you.’ Our hope is [President Benson] comes in and brings a little boost of energy to WVU and gets the enrollment up and just really starts pushing us forward.”
Beyond the halls of government, the local business community is also rooting for Benson.
Russ Rogerson devotes his efforts to the economic vitality and marketability of the greater Morgantown area as the president and CEO of the Morgantown Area Partnership.
He said The Partnership is excited to welcome Benson to Morgantown and ready to build upon the relationship fostered under Gee.
“The university has been our economic engine for many years here in this community, and because of the university we now have WVU Medicine, which is quickly becoming a very strong economic engine as well,” Rogerson said. “A healthy university makes for a healthy community. The opportunities and the attraction that a university brings, from a workforce standpoint as well as a quality of life component and in many, many other ways is a very large factor. It has been and will always continue to be a huge factor in the success of our community.”
