Longtime West Virginia Auditor Glen Gainer will be the next president and CEO of the National White Collar Crime Center in Richmond, Virginia.
Gainer, who served as the group's board chairman for 18 years, will oversee day-to-day operations at the center - also known as NW3C. His new job starts May 15.
The organization, which provides training to law enforcement officers across the nation, has a satellite office in Fairmont, where Gainer will spend much of his time.
"I really believe in the value of training, and me going to an organization that's focused on state and local law enforcement is something that really is my passion," Gainer said. "It's just a great organization."
NW3C sent a news release late Tuesday announcing that Christopher Cotta, a resident of Little Compton, Rhode Island, was selected as the new chairman of the board at its recent meeting, replacing Gainer in the role.
Earlier this month, Gainer announced he would leave the auditor's post May 11 and take a job at a Virginia-based nonprofit, but he didn't name the white-collar crime center as his future employer.
The organization plans to make a formal announcement about Gainer's hiring May 6. Gainer stepped down as board chairman - an unpaid position - before accepting the president and CEO post.
NW3C began in 1979 as a project that targeted organized crime in the coal industry. In addition to offering training programs, the nonprofit assists officers with financial and computer-related crime cases.
NW3C has partnered with the FBI to operate the Internet Crime Complaint Center, the largest repository of its kind in the nation.
Gainer will replace NWC3 CEO Donald Brackmon, who was paid more than $200,000 in 2014, according to the group's most recently available tax form. Four other executives at the nonprofit made more than $100,000 that year.
Gainer had announced in December that he would not seek a seventh term, but he said at the time that he would serve out the rest of his term. He changed those plans earlier this month.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin plans to name a replacement by May 14.
Gainer has been state auditor since 1993.
Candidates running to replace Gainer are Republican Delegate J.B. McCuskey, R-Kanawha, and Democrats Jason Pizatella, Robin Righter and Mary Ann Claytor.
Reach Eric Eyre at ericeyre@wvgazettemail.com,
304-348-4869 or follow
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