Gale Given was named by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin as the Chief Technology Officer for the state of West Virginia on June 4, 2012. She leads the state’s Office of Technology which is charged with providing secure and cost effective oversight, leadership and direction for activities related to information technology to agencies across state government and enabling those agencies to better serve the citizens, businesses and other interested parties in West Virginia.
Gale previously held the position of president of Verizon Pennsylvania where she was responsible for corporate interests in the state of Pennsylvania. Her responsibilities included government affairs, regulatory affairs, economic development and community relations. Previously she held similar positions in Verizon’s Great Lake Region, and in the state of West Virginia.
A native of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, Gale began her career in 1979 at C&P Telephone of West Virginia in the central office engineering organization.
In 1987, she began working for the research division of the regional Bell operating companies, where she assisted the telecommunications industry in resolving national issues related to carrier interconnection. Gale then returned to C&P Telephone in the West Virginia regulatory organization in 1990 as executive director. She was named state President in 2000.
Gale has earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's degree in business administration from Marshall University.
She has served on numerous boards in several states including the Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation and the West Virginia State Chamber of Commerce. She currently sits on the advisory council for the Marshall University School of Business.
She has three children, and she and her husband reside in Teays Valley.