Ted Kula has officially filed to run for Summers County Commissioner in the next election. He was appointed to the position in January 2021 when then-Commissioner Jack David Woodrum won a seat in the State Senate. After a full year in the position, he is ready to take on the challenge of a full term.
Mr. Kula grew up in Weirton, WV, son of a steelworker and raised in the Catholic faith. He graduated with honors from Bethany College in 1994 with a Bachelors’s in Computer Science and graduated from WVU in 1996 with a Masters’s in Computer Science. He is a lifelong member of the WVU Alumni Association. Mr. Kula began working for a major government contractor in 1996, eventually overseeing million-dollar contracts and requiring extensive travel in the United States and Europe.
In due course, these projects brought him to Hinton in 2001, where he met and married Cheryl Lowry Kula (originally from Hinton, WV). They are the proud parents of two daughters, Lieschen and Lillian. Deciding to make Summers County their permanent home, the Kula family resides in the Buck area of Summers County, which is in the Greenbrier District.
As part of his Summers County Commission duties, Mr. Kula serves on the Dilapidated Structures Committee, County Planning Commission, the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) board, the website committee, and the Monroe-Summers Solid Waste Authority, along with the other two commissioners.
While Mr. Kula has many goals for the county, his current top focus includes the following:
Broadband – All county residents need broadband to access the internet for home businesses, contact with relatives, video streaming, and other internet-based activities. Mr. Kula coordinates with the major providers on multiple projects to meet this initiative. Getting grants for Summers County – Mr. Kula is pursuing grants for Emergency Responders. Economic development for Summers County – Based on a great dialogue with the county and the city, there are opportunities for new projects, especially with the NRG National Park designation. Mr. Kula is working with multiple organizations on projects and securing funding for Summers County that focuses on infrastructure, including broadband and tourism.
Before being appointed to County Commissioner, Mr. Kula has been the County Planning Official since 2009, overseeing cell tower activities in Summers County. He participated in the Hinton Development Authority to help the city manage the Hinton Technology Center. Mr. Kula has also worked on the County Dilapidated Structures Committee, which aims to address unsafe structures in Summers County and helps to beautify our county to improve tourism.
Mr. Kula believes deeply in service to his community. He joined the Hinton Area Foundation Board of Directors in 2008, has held positions as President, Vice President, and currently holding the position as Finance Chair. He also joined the Hinton Rotary in 2013 and is the current president. He has been on the Summers County Public Library Board of Directors since 2019 and has helped to secure multiple grants. He has also been a long-time supporter of the Summers County Humane Society. Last fall, he joined the Board of Directors for Main Street Care.
Mr. Kula looks forward to working with the citizens and the other County Commissioners of Summers County to meet the needs and goals to improve this area that we all call home.
