About David

A proud father of four children and six grandchildren, David McKinley is a seventh generation resident of Wheeling and West Virginia. He is passionate about the people of our state and has dedicated his life to creating jobs and opportunities, right here in his local community.

Born in Wheeling in 1947, McKinley attended public schools and worked his way through college graduating from Purdue University with a degree in Civil Engineering.  After college he spent the next 12 years in the construction industry and taught night classes in local technical colleges.

Successful businessman and entrepreneur

He then established McKinley and Associates – an architectural and engineering company that has grown to include offices in Wheeling and Charleston, WV and Washington, PA. Other business ventures have been in real estate with the development of numerous historic properties, production of collectible glass and components of military aircraft. McKinley has the unique ability to see the potential in almost any property and then make it come to life.

For over ten years, McKinley has recognized one of his company employees for outstanding achievement by providing the employee and his or her spouse with an all expense paid, weeklong trip to London, England. Winners have included clerical staff, drafters, computer technicians, as well as architects and engineers.

In his career as a Professional Engineer, McKinley has been on the Board of Directors of the state engineering society and on the Board of the National Society of Professional Engineers representing the interests of West Virginia.

Active community leader

McKinley and his firm have been recognized for various honors and awards for their design work, humanitarian and historic preservation efforts, and engineering leadership in West Virginia. He has been active with numerous civic, charitable and non-profit organizations, hospital boards and foundations in West Virginia. In his youth he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and later served on the local scouting council.

Responsive public servant

From 1981 through 1994, he represented the Third Delegate District in the West Virginia Legislature, serving primarily on the Finance Committee as well as the Banking and Insurance and Roads and Transportation Committees among others. His voting record reflects the interests of his constituents. In 1990 McKinley was elected as Chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party Execu tive Committee and was one of three representing West Virginia on the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C. In 1996 McKinley lost to Cecil Underwood in the Republican primary gubernatorial race.

As a Legislator and as State Chairman of the Party, McKinley advocated conservative principles of smaller, less intrusive government and lower taxes. In 1994 he was recognized by the Charleston Gazette for working cooperatively with Democrats in the legislature and achieving the highest percentage of bills passed into law: demonstrating effective leadership and an ability to gain crucial bipartisan support on issues. During his tenure in the WV Legislature he was also recognized by the Business and Industry Council for having one of the most conservative, pro employment voting records. In his various elections, he was consistently endorsed by the NRA, West Virginians for Life, newspapers across the state, and other conservative groups.

McKinley has pursued common sense, market driven reforms to help government operate more efficiently. He also recognizes that the coal industry is the backbone of the state’s economy and the attacks on coal from Washington must be stopped. As a successful small businessman, McKinley has created hundreds of jobs and understands the vital role of small businesses in creating private sector jobs and strengthening the economy. He has been recognized twice by West Virginia Executive Magazine as one of the 50 most influential people in West Virginia.

Dedicated family man

As an individual with significant hearing impairment and a grandfather to a child with special needs, David McKinley is no stranger to overcoming the obstacles of disabilities. He also helped to direct the care for his 89 year old mother who suffered from dementia and recognizes the challenges of long term home care for our elderly. McKinley authored the WV law which prohibited insurance companies from cancelling insurance to individuals diagnosed with HIV.

McKinley is married to the former Mary Gerkin from New Martinsville, WV. Mary is a Registered Nurse practicing in a community hospital and is a nationally recognized nursing consultant. They regularly attend St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Wheeling where he has been a life-long member and has served the congregation as Treasurer and a member of both the Vestry and the church’s Finance Committee.

While working in his business and spending time with his family is a central focus, David also is a master at Sudoku but a less than average golfer. His investigative work in genealogy traces family roots for his own family as well as others and helps to bring history to life. McKinley and his wife share an enthusiastic love of cooking, eating, wine making, biking and are both avid WVU football fans, attending home games for over 25 years as season ticket holders.