Fairmont State alumnus and Board of Governors member, Rusty Hutson, Jr., has been named as a finalist in EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 Southeast Awards Program. Entrepreneur of The Year is a distinguished competitive business award for leaders of high-growth companies and visionary entrepreneurs who deliver innovation, growth, and prosperity that transform the world. 

 

“On behalf of the entire board, I congratulate Rusty for being named Entrepreneur of the Year,” said David Goldberg, Chair of Fairmont State University’s Board of Governors. “This is a testament to the caliber of professionals on our board, the excellence homegrown here in West Virginia, as well as the excellent foundation that students receive at Fairmont State to build the type of award-winning business that Rusty has built.”

 

Finalists for this award are evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity, financial performance, societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company, innovation, and talent management. 

 

Born and raised in Harrison County in West Virginia and a graduate of Lincoln High School, Mr. Hutson, Jr. graduated from Fairmont State College with a degree in accounting and earned his CPA License. After college, he spent 13 years steadily progressing into multiple leadership roles at well-known banking institutions such as Bank One and Compass Bank. His final years in the banking industry were spent as CFO of Compass Financial Services. In addition to the many successful initiatives Mr. Hutson Jr. is part of, he also remains the Chief Executive Officer of Diversified Gas & Oil and is the fourth generation in his family to work in the oil and gas industry. 

 

With a rapidly growing portfolio, Mr. Hutson, Jr. continues to lead by example and provide opportunities to current and future falcons in the state of West Virginia. 

 

“While I am thrilled that Rusty has been recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year, I am not surprised,” Mirta M. Martin, president of Fairmont State University, said. “As a graduate of Fairmont State, Rusty embraces our shared commitment to combining societal impact and values-based leadership with responsible business and institutional governance. Those are the traits that make him such an invaluable member of our Board.”

 

 

In 2019, Mr. Hutson, Jr and Kimberly Hutson, both Fairmont State University alumni and Harrison County West Virginia natives, gifted $400,000 to establish the Rusty & Kimberly Hutson Family Endowed Scholarship for the benefit of School of Business students. That same year, Mr. Hutson, Jr committed $30,000 in scholarships over three years to Fairmont State students.