Success is easy when times are good. When business is booming and life seems rosy, it is easy to be at the front of the line, directing people where to go. But when times are tough, when things are scary, shaky and seemingly impossible, that's when real leadership emerges.
This week, The State Journal highlights its seventh class of Generation Next: 40 Under 40, an annual award designed to highlight the amazing things professionals younger than 40 are doing in West Virginia. This year's honorees show leadership every day. They have created their own companies, helped other companies grow and have assisted community organizations flourish and change lives. And they've done it through good times and bad.
The members of the class of 2012 have made a commitment to West Virginia and the communities they call home.
"This year's class of Generation Next embodies the essence of leadership. Each honoree has shown dedication to the state in both times of joy and hardship, and each is committed to helping West Virginia grow and prosper," said Beth Gorczyca Ryan, managing editor of The State Journal. "This class should be proud of their accomplishments, and we as a state should be proud of them."
This year's class is truly unique. It includes funeral directors, physicians, public servants, lawyers and accountants, as well as journalists, a distiller and a movie maker. Some members of the class work for large corporations while others work for family-owned businesses. But all show a common dedication to the state, its citizens and local communities.
As West Virginia takes on new challenges, the state will turn more and more to Generation Next — West Virginians who have demonstrated their commitment to building a better state.
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