The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) will welcome West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice as its keynote speaker during the school’s 41st annual commencement ceremony.

Gov. Justice will deliver the speech during the 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, May 26, on the WVSOM campus in Lewisburg.

Justice began his career in the family business in 1974, and started Justice Family Farms in 1977 due to his interest in nature and the outdoors. In the early 1990s, he became the president and CEO of Bluestone Industries and Bluestone Coal. During the following 15 years, he launched a massive expansion of multiple businesses. Gov. Justice became the owner of The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs in 2009.

For years, he has continued the Justice family’s tradition of being major supporters of youth programs. He has been president of the Beckley Little League since 1992 and has coached basketball teams of all ages for 36 years. He currently is the head girls basketball coach at Greenbrier East High School. Justice has been recognized throughout the years for his commitment to local communities, and has been the recipient of numerous community service awards being named a “Distinguished West Virginian” by Gov. (now Sen.) Joe Manchin and “West Virginian of the Year” three times by West Virginia newspapers.

Justice attended Raleigh County public schools, graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and attended Greenbrier Military Academy. He later earned his undergraduate degree at Marshall University with a master’s degree in business administration. Gov. Justice and his wife Cathy live in Lewisburg and have two children, James (Jay) C. Justice III and Dr. Jill Justice. They recently welcomed their first grandchild, Justice Charles Long.