WVSOM president named a ‘Sharp Shooter’

West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., has been named a Class of 2022 Sharp Shooter by West Virginia Executive magazine.

The annual designation recognizes West Virginians who stand out in their respective fields, actively participate in community service, achieve philanthropic endeavors and make an effort to move the Mountain State forward.

Nemitz was among 10 professionals who were inducted as Sharp Shooters during a reception on May 31 in Charleston, W.Va. Each award recipient’s story can be found in the Spring 2022 edition of West Virginia Executive.

“President Nemitz embodies everything this award stands for,” said Kensie Hamilton Fauber, publisher of West Virginia Executive. “Not only does he lead a major medical school in West Virginia, but he also gives back to his community and our state in so many ways.”

“It’s an honor to receive this award on behalf of my work for WVSOM,” Nemitz said. “I’m humbled to have had the privilege of working with this institution for the past 35 years and to help lead it into the future. We’re celebrating our 50^th anniversary this year, and I couldn’t be happier about the progress we’ve made over the years.”

WVSOM is the largest medical school in the state, with 800-plus students and 300-plus employees. The school has a statewide presence with seven regional campus sites in Lewisburg, Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg, Bridgeport, Wheeling and Martinsburg. This combined activity throughout the state results in an economic impact of more than $130 million for West Virginia.

Nemitz has worked at WVSOM for three decades and became the school’s seventh president four years ago.

“We just celebrated our 45^th commencement and we graduated 197 students,” Nemitz said. “Our graduating students had a 99 percent match for their residencies, and 46 of them are staying in West Virginia to provide health care for our residents. The credit for this goes to our outstanding team at WVSOM, and I look forward to our continuing efforts to serve the state of West Virginia.”