William H. McCartney

Since graduating from WVU in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, William McCartney has achieved great success in the dynamic energy trading sector. McCartney began his career as a system planning engineer with CNG Transmission, and later began trading natural gas at CNG Energy Services. He later moved to Houston, Texas, where he has worked with some of the leading companies in energy trading, managing significant natural gas asset portfolios. While at El Paso Merchant Energy, he managed one of the largest storage and transportation trading books, worth more than $1 billion. During his nine years at Vitol, Inc., he led the acquisition of natural gas assets and negotiated its sale for more than $250 million. He also managed the fuel oil portfolio for North and South America, transporting and blending crude oil barrels around the globe.

McCartney recently retired from Vitol to pursue philanthropic interests in education, the arts and medicine. He remains deeply involved in the development of natural resources in the Appalachia region to maximize the benefits for his home state of West Virginia.

McCartney was elected in August 2010 to serve on the WVU Foundation Board of Directors. He is also on the governing board of directors of the Houston Symphony, and he and his wife, Christine, served as co-presidents of the WVU Alumni Lone Star Chapter of Houston, focusing the group on volunteering and capital contributions during their tenure.

He and his wife reside in Houston, Texas, with their three children, Katie Reese, Kinley and Kellen.