On November 1, 2016, Dr. Bill Bissett was named the President & CEO of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce, which is located in his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia. The Huntington Regional Chamber represents more than 550 businesses that operate in the Cabell and Wayne County area.
Bissett was previously employed as the President of the Kentucky Coal Association (KCA) in Lexington, Kentucky. Prior to his employment at KCA, Bissett served as the Chief of Staff & Senior Vice President for Communications of Marshall University. Before working for his Alma Mater, Bissett served as Vice President of Public Relations for Charles Ryan Associates (CRA), an integrated marketing firm in Charleston, WV. In addition to his role leading the Huntington Regional Chamber, Bissett also maintains a small communications consultancy, Bill Bissett Consulting, and teaches Advertising & Public Relations – Principles & Ethics for Marshall University, which he has done since 2006.
A native of West Virginia, Bissett earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Marshall University, in addition to receiving his commission in the United States Army. He also is a member of the Class of 2018 of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership WV program. In 2020, he was inducted into Marshall University’s W. Page Pitt School of Journalism & Mass Communications Hall of Fame.
His current volunteer work includes serving as Co-Chair of the Board of Teach for America Appalachia, the Society of Yeager Scholars Board at Marshall University, the Cabell County Educational Foundation, the Advisory Board of the WV Autism Training Center, the WV Broadband Enhancement Council, and the WV Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission.