Continuing on as president of the large organization is Bill Raney, and Chris Hamilton and Jason Bostic will retain their seats as senior vice president and vice president, respectively.

Joining White as association officers with terms expiring in August 2102 are first vice chairman Kevin Crutchfield (Alpha Natural Resources); second vice chairman Jim Laurita (MEPCO); secretary John Snider (Arch Coal); treasurer Andrew Jordon (Pritchard Mining); assistant treasurer Chuck Ebetino (Patriot Coal); and associate division chairman Tim Zeli (Nelson Brothers).

Elected to the board with terms expiring in August 2014, all re-elected, were general members Jimmy Brock (Consol Energy); Jim Bunn (Blue Creek Processing); Warren Hylton (Patience Coal); Greg Jessee (Arcelor Mittal WV); Drexel Short (Gatling); Wayne Stanley (Stanley Industries); Ken Woodring (Essar); Ralph Hamilton (Rudd Equipment); and Danny Smith (Pocahontas Land).

Three new members were also elected to the WVCA board with terms expiring in 2014. They include Larry Evans (Western Mining Company-Atlantic Development), Bob Worley (Baylor Mining) and Wesley Burke (Rish Equipment).

Commenting on his re-appointment, White said that he was excited about the future.

“West Virginia’s coal industry is faced with a number of challenges today – from Washington, DC and from the struggling economy – but it also has in front of it the opportunity to truly become the fuel on which we rebuild our economy and our nation, free of our dependence on undependable foreign energy sources,” he said.

“We have to come together to remove the roadblocks that are holding us back [and] most of all, we have to restore reliability and predictability to the permitting process. We have to restore the balance between federal and state regulatory agencies – and Washington, DC has to let us mine coal.”

The West Virginia Coal Association represents more than 90% of the state's underground and surface coal mine production.