Following the election of three representatives to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) Board of Governors in July, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has appointed two additional members to the board that oversees the school’s operation: Dewayne Duncan and Norman Wood Jr., D.O.
The new members, whose terms began Aug. 26, replaced departing board members Thomas Cole and Todd Smith, D.O., both of whom served from 2021 to 2025.
The WVSOM Board of Governors consists of nine lay members appointed by West Virginia’s governor and three elected, nonvoting advisory representatives — one each from the school’s faculty, staff and student body.
Duncan, of Charleston, W.Va., is an educator and real estate developer. A lifelong West Virginian, he has a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine/athletic training from the University of Charleston and a master’s degree in special education from Marshall University, in addition to an administrative certification in public school administration.
Prior to transitioning in 2015 to operating a residential and commercial real estate development company, Duncan spent more than 20 years in the public education system as a teacher and principal. He then worked for nearly eight years at the West Virginia Department of Education as executive director of the Office of Middle School and Secondary Education.
Duncan was a governor-appointed member of the West Virginia Public Charter School Board from June 2018 through August 2025. He is immediate past president of the WVSOM Foundation, the school’s nonprofit office responsible for charitable and philanthropic efforts.
Wood, of Cameron, W.Va., graduated from the West Virginia State Police Academy as outstanding cadet in 1978 before serving as a West Virginia State Trooper. He graduated from Fairmont State College in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice/psychology and was recruited into federal law enforcement, where he taught students for the CIA, the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals Service.
After serving as a special agent with the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force in San Francisco, Calif., Wood completed undergraduate premedical requirements at Fairmont State College and graduated with honors from WVSOM in 1997. He owned and operated four urgent care clinics in Maryland and West Virginia, was a physician director for the Veterans Administration, and helped operate numerous clinics in the Seattle, Wash., area.
Wood’s experience as an ironworker in West Virginia led him to the invention and patent of the Rescue One Survivor Harness, a controlled emergency descent system. He also has authored historical novels.
James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s president, expressed his appreciation for the outgoing board members’ service and said he is eager to work with the new members.
“Thomas Cole and Dr. Todd Smith continued the longstanding tradition of excellent stewardship for our institution,” Nemitz said. “During their time on our Board of Governors, each of them helped uphold WVSOM’s mission, vison and values, and played significant roles in the school’s advancement as a leader in high-quality osteopathic medical education. I look forward to working with our newly appointed and elected board members.”