Marshall County Democrats Honor Mike Ferro
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Former Marshall County Commissioner and West Virginia House of Delegates member Mike Ferro was honored by Marshall County Democrats for his service to the citizens of Marshall County and the state during a reception held Wednesday evening.
The first floor of the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library was filled with friends, family and former colleagues of Ferro as they celebrated his 10 years spent as a legislator and four years as a commissioner.
Marshall County Democratic Women's Club President Barbara Scott opened the event by noting Ferro's long history of public service, including being a teacher and coach for 35 and 40 years, respectively. She added that as a legislator he touched the lives of "not only Marshall County residents but people across the state" and as a commissioner he made the county richer "financially and fiscally."
"Mike represented the interests of all citizens of West Virginia, and he took that responsibility very seriously, and we're grateful for that," Scott said. "As a commissioner, he certainly served the people of the Northern Panhandle and tried to protect our property rights and our taxes on our mineral rights so we could fund our schools, services and water projects."
Scott presented Ferro with the gift of an engraved ornamental lantern courtesy of the Marshall County Democratic Executive Committee of West Virginia to show their gratitude for his service.
Following Scott's introduction, friends and former colleagues of Ferro took to the podium to recall time spent in the halls of the state capitol or behind the desk of the Marshall County Commissioners.
Marshall County Commission President Scott Varner recalled their time spent serving in the legislature together, noting they made a "great team down there." He added that they also worked well as commissioners alongside Marshall County Commissioner John Gruzinskas, who was also at the reception.
"Mike was focused and dedicated as a legislator. He made sure he was more than committed to the city, to our state and to our county," Varner said. "When he came to the county commission, because of our prior work together in Charleston and our work with John, I think we had a tremendous commission that was very like-minded and focused on so many things."
Marshall County Prosecuting Attorney Joe Canestraro also reminisced on the time he served in the Legislature alongside Ferro. He recalled when he was first elected to the House in 2016, Ferro "stepped up and helped" Canestraro become familiar with organizations and contacts he would need.
"He took me to the DMV to meet his contacts there, so that I knew who to contact if someone came to me with a complaint about a road problem," Canestraro said. "He took me to meet people in the Veterans Affairs Office so that I had contacts there, and then he let me be who I was going to be as a delegate."
Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library Board President Jim Stultz presented Ferro with a gift courtesy of the library board to thank him for his service as a board member and the support he provided the library through his work as a legislator and commissioner. He jokingly informed Ferro's wife Roseann that he also achieved "never having an overdue library book in his life."
"Mike, in his role of commissioner, gave us incredible support, and that's true of all the employees in the courthouse who have worked in some way with us," Stultz said. "In addition to that, his work in the legislature has been outstanding, and we were so fortunate that we had insight and viewpoints of what was going on down there and how much of it affects us from Mike."
Other speakers at the reception included former state delegate Dave Pethtel and Marshall, Wetzel, Tyler Central Labor Council President Art Oakland.
Ferro closed out the reception by thanking those in attendance and reflecting on his time spent in the legislature and as a commissioner. He also shared his thoughts on the current state of the West Virginia Democratic Party, noting it was "very, very difficult in terms of the electorate right now."
"I had a good run and I've met a lot of wonderful people around the state," Ferro said. "I think all of these guys who have served in the government find it to be a passion and something that we all enjoyed doing for the betterment of our communities and the people in them."