Jamie Summerlin, a U. S. Marine Corps veteran and long-distance runner who ran almost 3,500 miles coast-to-coast, will be the motivational speaker for the Annual Chamber Banquet of the Barbour County Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, May 9th, at Alderson Broaddus University.
Special guests will include Fr. Patsy Iaquinta, Rev. Bob Wilkins, veteran Mike Holliday, and Poet Laureate Dr. Kenneth Yount. Rick Kennedy will provide dinner music and the Ruf Family will sing the National Anthem. Community service awards will be presented and the Directors Class of 2026 will be elected. The Future Business Leaders of America Club at Philip Barbour High School will assist with door prizes.
Summerlin is the author of the book, “Freedom Run”, the story of his 100-day run using10 pairs of running shoes from Oregon to Delaware to honor U. S. Military veterans and to raise money for his West Virginia-based Operation Welcome Home, a veterans facility he helped to found. He is a resident of Morgantown who provides motivational messages at Chambers of Commerce, conventions, military ceremonies, schools and colleges about team building and goal-setting, dreaming big and partnerships with a purpose, ways to provide support and understanding of the veteran community. He is the CEO of Guidon Creative, an events-management and promotion company. He and his Marine wife, Tiffany, have two children.