Michael Garrison

Michael Garrison is an American lawyer and university president, serving as the 22nd president of West Virginia University before resigning amid a scandal. Early life Garrison is a graduate of the West Virginia University class of 1992 and earned a J.D. at West Virginia University College of Law in 1996. He attended St. Anne's College at Oxford University on a Rotary Scholarship from 1992-1993. Law career Garrison had been managing member of Spilman Thomas & Battle pllc in Morgantown, West Virginia. In 2003, Garrison was awarded a Toll Fellowship from the Council of State Governments following his tenure as Chief of Staff to West Virginia Governor Bob Wise from 2001-2003. He served as Cabinet Secretary in the West Virginia Department of Tax and Revenue until 2001. In 2009, Garrison returned to his former law firm, Spilman Thomas & Battle, Garrison's more recent work includes representing natural gas company Northeast Energy in its $42 million suit against the City of Morgantown, West Virginia. Northeast is seeking an injunction against the city, to prevent enforcement of its recent ban on horizontal hydraulic fracking. Morgantown passed its ban after Northeast sited a drill pad near the city's primary drinking-water intake, and the ban and the issue have received increasing press coverage, both locally and even nationally.