Tricia Ball – President & CEO
Tricia Ball, a dynamic leader and community advocate, has experience in higher education, marketing, and economic development and a passion for supporting small businesses and driving regional growth.
In this role, Tricia oversees the organization’s overall strategy and direction, as well as all aspects of the Chamber’s operations, including membership recruitment and retention, community outreach, and advocacy on behalf of the region's businesses and industries. Since she was appointed by the Board of Directors in 2022, the Chamber has seen increased membership, revenue, and engagement. In her short tenure, she has also led the organization through a strategic planning process, rebranding, membership investment restructure, and the creation of a two-county leadership development program.
Prior to the Chamber, Tricia worked for Marshall University in multiple roles. She served as the Associate Director for the Lewis College of Business Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (iCenter). In her role at the center, Tricia worked to inspire innovation within the University and throughout the community by providing design thinking education and facilitation. As part of a coalition that partnered with the West Virginia Department of Education, Tricia led the iCenter’s efforts to infuse entrepreneurship into the state’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program through the development of a four-course pathway. During her time at the iCenter, Tricia helped to launch the Entrepreneur in Residence program and open a content creation and design thinking studio.
During her time at Marshall, Tricia also served as the Acting Director of the Marshall University Brad D. Smith Business Incubator. In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations, she assisted entrepreneurs in launching and scaling their businesses through one-on-one coaching, organizing educational programming and networking events, and coordinating the delivery of technical assistance services.
Tricia’s first role within Marshall University was as the Director of Marketing for the Appalachian Transportation Institute and the Center for Business and Economic Research. In addition to marketing, she worked on several economic development initiatives, including strategic planning, tourism, and broadband development.
Prior to Marshall, she worked in the field of corporate marketing, where she was an account manager who led an international team of 15 employees on the agency’s largest account while simultaneously serving as the lead on a new line of business. Her career started in an organizational advising and leadership development education role at the University of Florida.
Tricia is actively involved in the community, serving on several local boards, including Advantage Valley, Cabell County Schools Foundation, Huntington Area Development Council, Huntington Tri-State Airport, and West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Foundation. She also serves on committees such as the City of Huntington Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee and the Public Art Subcommittee on the Mayor’s Council on the Arts. She is also the third grade Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church of Kenova. Â
Tricia is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Leadership Institute. She has been certified by Intuit as a Design for Delight Innovator, by LEANSTACK in Continuous Innovation, by IDEO U in Business Innovation, and by Gallup as a Strengths Coach. Â
Tricia is a first-generation college student with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and business administration from West Virginia University. She went on to earn her master’s degree in student personnel in higher education from the University of Florida. Tricia is originally from southwestern Pennsylvania, where she learned the transformative impact of entrepreneurship from her parents who were small business owners. Tricia and her husband, Christopher, have two young sons, Aaden and Ethan.