CAEZ's Board of Directors includes elected Representatives and appointed County Commissioners. Representatives are elected by the residents of the census tracts and proportioned according to the poverty levels. Census tracts with higher poverty rates are assigned a greater number of representatives. Each county represented has one (1) elected County Commissioner serving on the Board of Directors.

Michael Martin was first elected to a CAEZ Board of Directors Seat in 1995 representing Census Tract 205 in Fayette County. In 2000 he was elected as CAEZ Board Chair and continues to serve in that capacity.

Elected Mayor of Mount Hope in 2000, Mr. Martin led a crack-down on crime, working with Trident Drug Task Force to make the streets of Mount Hope safer for residents. He was reelected in 2004 for a second term as Mayor.

"Complaining never solves a problem - Cooperation resolves them all!" is Linda Rhodes' personal motto. She was born in Leatherwood, the eighth of 10 children. She was educated through fifth grade in a one-room school, then attended Clay County High School during the time Widen High School was closed.

Mrs. Rhodes was elected in 2000. "It is a pleasure to work for common goals in our five-county region," she said. She is mother of two sons and a daughter, and shared her home with two additional children during their teenage years.

Russell Deering has Chaired the Gauley River Public Service District (PSD) since 1980. The PSD provides public water service to the communities of Belva, Dixie, Bentree, Mount Olive (including Mount Olive Prison), Beech Glen, Jodie, Swiss and Lockwood.

Mr. Deering was born and raised in Nicholas County. After graduation, he began working for Union Carbide in Alloy, WV. His work was interrupted by two years of Army service. Union Carbide was sold to Elkem Metals in 1980, but Mr. Deering continued working with them until his retirement in 1994.

Earl G. McCune worked for the Elk River Coal Company at the Widen mines, Carbon Fuel at Cabin Creek and the Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad at Dundon. When he retired, he was working for the Clay County Board of Education as Supervisor of Transportation.

Mr. McCune belongs to the Mason Lodge, the Scottish Rights 32nd Degree and the Eastern Stars.

David F. Boothe has worked for Traders Bank of Spencer for 44 years. Committed to community service, he has served as a Roane County Commissioner for two years and on the Roane County School Board for 26 years.

Birl O'Dell graduated from Richwood High School and was then employed by the Nicholas County Board of Education for 32 years. He served in the Army for two years. He was the Chairman and also a Board Member of the Peoples Bank in Richwood, WV until it was sold in the early 1990s.

Reelected for his third term, Mr. O'Dell has served as a Nicholas County Commissioner for twelve years. Some accomplishments as commissioner were making the courthouse accessible to persons with handicaps, balancing the budget, and getting fresh water to all Nicholas County people including rural areas of the county.

Mr. O'Dell ran his family’s grocery store, which was known as O’Dell's Grocery, for about 50 years. Now retired, Mr. O'Dell is a full-time county commissioner.

Ms. Boggs is a graduate of Clay County High School, Capital City Beauty College and West Virginia Junior College. She has an Associate Degree in Paralegal and Office Management.

A hairdresser for 13 years, Ms. Boggs is currently employed by the Clay County Board of Education as a Data Entry Specialist/Secretary.

Mike Pierson is a Clay County Commissioner. He taught Masonry at Clay County High School for 32 years and recently retired. Mr. Pierson said, "I have been blessed in my teaching career to see several young people go on and enter the building construction trades as masons, concrete finishers, carpenters, or laborers."

Born at Weston, Mr. Pierson married Karla Mullens Pierson in 1970. They have four children (Jody, Sissy, Jake, and Mika) and seven grandchildren.

The Piersons own the family farm on Blue Knob Rd. "The farm has been in our family since the late 1800's. We raise beef cattle and sell grassfed beef," said Mr. Pierson.

Mr. Silitch is a graduate of St. John's College in Annapolis, MD with a BS degree is Applied Physics and Philosophy. He has studied Contract Law at the University of Virginia and many technical subjects in post graduate settings. He holds patents in electronic communication.

A Korean War Veteran, Mr. Silitch's military experiences include design work in laser radar systems. He also served in various government programs in the Office of Economic Opportunity. Mr. Silitch is a founding manager of the Westinghouse Learning Corporation.

John Gibson graduated from Sutton High School and married Betty L. Pierson, also from Sutton, just a few years later. He served in the U. S. Army beginning in 1960.

Doyle Tawney has been a member of CAEZ since its inception. He was honored as Roane County Citizen of the Year in 1998 for his civic accomplishments by the Spencer Chamber of Commerce and the Roane County Commission. Some of his efforts have resulted in expanded ambulance service, a healthcare center and library in Left Hand, industrial land prepared for development, pre-school services, and organization of Clay-Roane Public Service District.

Joseph Hoffman has served as an Elected Representative of CAEZ since its inception.

Mr. Hoffman grew up in Clay County and graduated from Clay County High School in 1953. He attended Glenville State College and completed his undergraduate degree at Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston).

Having worked in a variety of jobs from coal miner to auto mechanic, Earl Elliott was called to work for the Lord in 1985. He has pastored churches in Nicholas, Braxton, Fayette and Clay Counties.

Mr. Elliott has diligently volunteered many hours to the improvement of the Lizemores area by helping to obtain the Lizemores Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Service. He heads the Adopt a Highway efforts for a three mile section of Independence Road.

Currently, Mr. Elliott is leading an effort to extend public water service further onto Independence Road.

Ms. Cantrell is a graduate of Clay County High School (Class of 1958). After working for Appalachian Power Company, she completed a 30-year career with Union Carbide in South Charleston. She is now retired.

While her grandson attended Valley Fork Elementary School, Ms. Cantrell was an active volunteer and participated in the PTO. She serves on the Clay County High School Reunion Committee which sponsors a reunion every five years. She participates in fundraisers to benefit the Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad Cooperative.

Mr. Hofstad is self-employed performing property titles and other land services work. His primary client is a gas exploration company based in northern West Virginia. Other clients are individual landowners, attorneys, and businesses in Roane County.

A past president and current member of the Roane County Historical Society, Mr. Hofstad spends time researching family surnames and property transfers at courthouses in the state. Other interests include football, genealogy, trees, land, traveling and animals.