Cathy Leigh Justice (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Comer; born January 28, 1953) is an American

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

who served as the first lady of

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

from 2017 to 2025, and as a member of the West Virginia State Board of Education since 2024. Her husband, former state Governor

Jim Justice James Conley Justice II (born April 27, 1951) is an American politician and businessman serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from West Virginia. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2017 to 2025 as the 36th gover ...

, is now a

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

from West Virginia.

Early life

Cathy Leigh Comer, daughter and only child of Thomas Leigh and Virginia Ruth Comer, was born in

Beckley, West Virginia Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 17,286 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in West Virginia, ninth-most populous city in th ...

, and grew up in Prosperity, West Virginia. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1970, where she met her future husband,

. She graduated from

Marshall University Marshall University is a public university, public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1837 and is named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States, chief justice of the Uni ...

with a degree in secondary education.

Career

Justice served as president of Comer Electric, Inc., a business started by her family, and she was a member of the board of directors for First National Bank in

Ronceverte Ronceverte is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States, on the Greenbrier River. The population was 1,572 at the 2020 census. Culture and history Ronceverte might have been named "Edgar", for the high number of Edgars who lived ...

for five years. Justice also spent time substitute teaching in Raleigh County Schools, and she is involved in a local reading program for elementary school students. She became involved in elementary school programs affiliated with her local church, continuing her dedication to supporting young learners. Justice became the first lady of West Virginia when her husband, Governor

, was sworn in on January 16, 2017. She celebrated

Women's History Month Women's History Month is an annual observance to highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. Celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, corresponding with Internationa ...

with a televised speech on March 8, 2017. In her speech, Justice recognized a number of West Virginia women who have made a difference in the state, like novelist Pearl S. Buck, actress

Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Company ...

, and basketball player

Vicky Bullett Victoria Andrea Bullett (born October 4, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player and current women's basketball head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College. She played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the W ...

. In 2018, Justice launched the

Communities In Schools Communities In Schools (CIS) is an American non-profit organization that works within State school, public and charter schools with the aim of helping at-risk students stay in school. CIS works with schools in 25 states and the Washington, D.C., D ...

(CIS) program across the state. This dropout prevention program was designed to support at-risk students and grew rapidly under her leadership, expanding to 285 schools in all 55 West Virginia counties. This achievement made West Virginia the only state with a CIS program in every county. Justice initiated the Friends With Paws program, which placed certified therapy dogs in schools throughout West Virginia. Over 40 therapy dogs were deployed to provide emotional support and companionship to students, enhancing school environments and helping children manage stress. In November 2024, Justice was appointed to a nine-year term on the West Virginia State Board of Education by her husband, governor Jim Justice. This appointment, which followed his victory in a U.S. Senate race, filled the board seat previously held by Daniel Snavely. Governor Justice highlighted her extensive experience and dedication to youth programs, asserting that her qualifications made her an ideal candidate for the role.

Personal life

Justice and her husband Jim reside in

Lewisburg, West Virginia Lewisburg is a city in and the county seat of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,930 at the 2020 census. History Lewisburg is named after Andrew Lewis (American general), Andrew Lewis. In 1751 Lewis, as a youn ...

. The family chose not to reside in the

West Virginia Governor's Mansion The West Virginia Governor's Mansion (or West Virginia Executive Mansion) is a historic residence located next to the Kanawha River in Charleston, West Virginia, Charleston, West Virginia and is the official residence of the governor of West Virgi ...

. The couple have two children.

Legal

In July 2021, Carter Bank & Trust, a banking company, went after Jim and Cathy Justice for a $58 million loan default based on guarantees they signed. The company filed claims over the millions of dollars based on defaults of The Greenbrier Sporting Club and Oakhurst Club.

References

External links

Cathy Justice
at

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Justice, Cathy 1953 births Living people First ladies and gentlemen of West Virginia Women in West Virginia politics People from Beckley, West Virginia American educators Woodrow Wilson High School (Beckley, West Virginia) alumni Marshall University alumni American corporate directors Businesspeople from West Virginia Schoolteachers from West Virginia People from Lewisburg, West Virginia