Jeff C. Woods was born in Lewisburg, WV on March 28, 1954. He graduated from West Virginia State College with a degree in Sociology, Magna Cum Laude, in 1975. He was designated a “Distinguished Military Student and Graduate,” and commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. He studied Counseling and Guidance at West Virginia College of Graduate Studies. He received a Juris Doctorate, Magna Cum Laude, from Howard University Law School in 1979. He was Case Notes Editor of the Howard Law Journal.
Mr. Woods served as a clerk with the WV Supreme Court of Appeals and Acting Director of the WV Magistrate Court System. He is in the U. S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps as a prosecutor and “Senior Trial Counsel” with the Fifth Infantry Division at Ft. Polk, Louisiana. He graduated from the Advanced Officers’ Graduate Course, Judge Advocate General’s School and was promoted to the rank of Major. Following his release from the military, he joined Jackson Kelly. He retired from that firm after twenty-five years of successful litigation practice. He currently maintains a private law practice.
Upon his return to West Virginia, Mr. Woods dedicated himself to serving his beloved Alma Mater. In addition to teaching and being a member of the Board of Advisors and the University Foundation, he served on various selection and planning committees. His dedication to State is demonstrated by the fact he was an adjunct faculty member for fifteen years and donated his salary to the university. In addition to raising funds for various sports teams, he was a football game commentator for seven seasons. During his first year as head coach, Earl Monroe designated Jeff, who is the Pastor of the Church of Christian Faith in Charleston, as the Chaplin for the football team. His service to the team and his motivational pre-game chapel messages has earned him the respect of the players who respectfully call him “Rev.” The number of players who attend chapel is impressive. Jeff’s sense of humor and ability to keep programs on schedule makes him a popular choice as a Master of Ceremonies. For the last ten years, he has actually served as the Master of Ceremonies for the WVSU Sports Hall of Fame.
Jeff is the extremely proud father of two children Christi and Jennifer Woods, a physician and teacher, respectively. He is married to Pattie Woods.
He has served on various committees of the State Bar as a lecturer at legal seminars and a Military Analyst for CBS National Radio. His awards include inductions into Greenbrier East High School and West Virginia State University ROTC Halls of Fame. Jeff firmly believes God has challenged him to leave this world a little better than it was before he was born. His life of service shows he places God above all things.
