Public servants, such as firefighters, police, judges and medics, commonly say it’s a calling. Several long-time public servants in Monongalia County retired in 2019, while others took their first steps into serving the public.
Judge retires with more than 20 years on bench
Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge Russell M. Clawges Jr. retired on Jan. 31. He was named a senior status judge — essentially a judicial substitute teacher — by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and remained in Monongalia County until his replacement, Debra Scudiere, could take the bench.
Clawges is a Monongalia County native and has lived here his entire life, except the four years he spent in Columbus, Ohio, as a JAG officer in the United States Air Force — a result of his membership in ROTC as an undergrad, he said.
Clawges grew up in Westover, went to Westover Elementary and graduated from Morgantown High School. He graduated from WVU’s College of Law in 1974 and returned to Morgantown after he left the Air Force in 1978.
“Once we were back here, there wasn’t any leaving,” Clawges said. “Never really thought about going anywhere else.”
After returning home to Morgantown, Clawges said he signed up for the court-appointed lawyer list, defending those who couldn’t afford a lawyer, at the request of Larry Starcher, then a circuit court judge and now former justice of West Virginia’s Supreme Court.
He also began working at Furbee, Amos, Webb & Critchfield, practicing mostly as a civil defense lawyer, until 1997, when Gov. Gaston Caperton appointed him to the Monongalia County Circuit Court. Clawges filled the vacancy left by Starcher who joined the Supreme Court.
A new judge
Judge Debra Scudiere fulfilled a dream when Gov. Jim Justice appointed her to replace Clawges on the Monongalia County Circuit Court.
“I’ve always tremendously admired good judges,” she said. “To me, that’s the epitome of community service.”
Scudiere took the bench in April.
The Greenbrier County native completed her undergraduate degree at WVU before teaching French and English at Union High School in Monroe County for a few years before coming to WVU College of Law and earning her law degree.
Scudiere said she’s only worked at two firms in her career; Furbee, Amos, Webb & Critchfield and Kay Casto and Chaney, where she spent the 20 years prior to her appointment.
Clawges’ term runs through 2024, however governor-appointed judges must run in the next election and Scudiere has launched her campaign for November 2020’s election.
New agency, new leader
Both of the area’s medical systems came together to establish Mon EMS, a merging of the ambulance services offered by WVU Medicine and Mon Health into a single community-focused entity.
Forest Weyen, who said the idea of two competitors coming together for the common good was too much to resist, took over as executive director in November.
“I think it’s huge that two competing health systems have come together and said this is a community service that is here at the service of the community,” Weyen said. “And I think it is a model that if we do it right, which I plan to do right, but if we do right, can be emulated across the U.S. in different situations.”
As its own entity, Mon EMS is not bound by the procedures or practices of either health system. Weyen said he will be able to implement the best practices from both and do whatever is best for the service’s patients.
Weyen is overseen by a board of directors that includes Albert Wright, CEO of WVU Health System and WVU Hospitals, and David Goldberg, president and CEO of Mon Health System — both of whom interviewed Weyen.
“I think he’s perfect for the job,” Wright said. “He’s really the perfect fit in terms of expertise and culture. Plus, I think he really bought into what David and I wanted to do, which is build a community service focused on transport and quality EMS care.”
Forest is originally from Greenbrier County and graduated from WVU with a master’s degree in business administration before holding a number of jobs, including a hospital administrator fellowship, being a member of Kentucky’s EMS Board and most recently, executive director of Bennington Rescue Squad in Vermont.
“It’s another great story of another proud West Virginian coming home,” Goldberg said.
Weyen said his ultimate vision for the service is that when Mon EMS shows up there is a sense of calm because the patient knows the emergency is over — whatever the situation is, it’s handled.
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