Pocahontas County Commissioner Takes On New Challenge

Marlinton, WV – Pocahontas County Commissioner Reta Griffith steps down from that job at the end of this year after serving for 12 years. She is already making plans for the transition and just recently accepted a job in the private business sector that will run concurrent with her position on the Commission.

Griffith will be the new General Manager for Frontier Communications in the Elkins area. She says this position is one of several created in anticipation of the big changes coming for the company in July.

“Frontier is going to be acquiring Verizon land line properties across the state of West Virginia and it’s going to cover over 90% of West Virginia land lines after July the 1st ” says Griffith.

She’ll be able to put her extensive experience working with people to good use as well.

“What they’re going to do is they have nine General Managers to work throughout the state, to work very closely with doing community relations work” she says “working with local governments, Mayors, County Commissions, Chambers of Commerce, that kind of thing – also helping to be involved with communities in and around Frontiers service area.”

Already a well seasoned traveler from her time on the Commission, Griffith says her new job will involve some travel too.

“The eight main counties I’m covering are Pocahontas and Randolph, Pendleton and Grant, Mineral, Hardy, Hampshire and Tucker. And then I have one little community a piece in Greenbrier County (Frankford), Morgan (Paw Paw), and a community [each] in Barbour and Preston counties.”

“I’m very excited to be a part of that, it’s going to involve some travel for me, but I’m also excited because it does let me stay here in Pocahontas County and support my family.”

Frontier’s takeover of Verizon’s land lines was approved by the West Virginia Public Service Commission in May. In June, Frontier announced that it will guarantee a $310 million dollar investment in the state over the next three years. The deal has also received union endorsement from the Communications Workers of America.

Griffith says because Frontier is already well established in Pocahontas, there won’t be any big changes right away. She says the first billing after the changeover will run about two weeks late, due to accommodating increased numbers of Verizon customers. The bills will be due at the same time, but she says there will be a grace period during which any late fees incurred due to the late billing will be waived.

Part of that 310 million will go into improvements in broadband accessibility. She says instead of the area being serviced by two different companies, it will now be covered by one. She says that should enable Frontier to cover variables more efficiently.

Griffiths position on the Commission is considered a plus by her new employer. She says she doesn’t see a problem with doing both jobs, but will recuse herself from any Commission decision involving Frontier Communications.

Story By

Heather Niday

Heather is our Program Director and Traffic Manager. She started with Allegheny Mountain Radio as a volunteer deejay. She then joined the AMR staff in February of 2007. Heather grew up in the Richmond, Virginia, area and now lives in Arbovale, West Virginia with her husband Chuck. Heather is a wonderful flute player, and choir director for Arbovale UMC. You can hear Heather along with Chuck on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8pm as they host two hours of jazz on Something Different.

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