About the Chairman

Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-West Virginia)

Senator Joe Manchin is West Virginia’s senior senator and has served on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee since joining the Senate in 2010. Prior to serving in the U.S. Senate, Senator Manchin served as West Virginia’s Governor, Secretary of State, and in the West Virginia legislature.

As Chairman, Senator Manchin is strongly committed to developing a balanced national energy plan that utilizes all of our resources. He believes that a balanced, commonsense approach that considers the needs of our environment and the demands of our economy can and must be developed if we are to achieve energy independence and address the challenges of our changing climate. Every state must do its part to use its resources – whether it’s clean coal and natural gas or wind and solar – to make energy independence a reality. Senator Manchin has always stood up for energy policies that are good for West Virginia jobs, America’s security and our way of life.

Senator Manchin takes great pride in the outdoor recreation opportunities available in his wild and wonderful West Virginia. Access to the Monongahela National Forest, Harpers Ferry, and the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve are all made possible as a result of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In West Virginia, hunting, fishing and outdoor activities are deep and lasting traditions. Senator Manchin will continue to champion LWCF and fight to preserve West Virginia’s heritage for generations to come, while ensuring access to public lands for all Americans to enjoy.

Senator Manchin was born and raised in the small coal mining town of Farmington, West Virginia and became a successful businessman after attending West Virginia University on a football scholarship. More than anything, it is Senator Manchin’s family and the values he learned growing up among the hardworking men and women of West Virginia that define who Senator Manchin is and the public servant he strives to be.

Senator Manchin is an avid pilot, outdoorsman, hunter, angler and motorcyclist. He has been married to the former Gayle Conelly of Beckley for more than five decades. They have three children: Heather, Joseph IV and Brooke. They are the proud grandparents of Joseph V., Sophie, Kelsey, Madeline, Chloe, Jack, Carly, Vivian, Beaux and Knox.

To visit Chairman Manchin's personal office website, click here.