Jeff Woofter – Candidate for Hancock County Board of Education
Born and raised in Hancock County, Jeff Woofter’s life has been defined by service, leadership, and resilience. A 1981 graduate of Oak Glen High School, Jeff earned a football scholarship to Penn State University, where he was a member of the 1982 National Championship team. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice and later earned a Master of Business Administration from Jacksonville University and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Salem International University.
Jeff’s professional journey reflects a career grounded in public service and education. After college, he worked in the security industry for five years before joining his father-in-law and brother-in-law in the creation and establishment of Six Recycling.
In 1996, Jeff was elected Sheriff and Treasurer of Hancock County and was re-elected in 2000. During his time in office, he served six years on the Drug Enforcement Committee of the National Sheriffs’ Association and six years on the Board of the West Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, including two years as President.
Following his years in law enforcement, Jeff transitioned into education. He authored a law enforcement and security curriculum that was adopted statewide by the West Virginia State Board of Education. He taught the program for four years at the John D. Rockefeller IV Career Center before returning to Oak Glen High School, where he served as assistant principal for five years.
He later served two years as principal of Hampshire High School, where the school improved its state ranking from 113th out of 114 schools prior to his arrival to 34th in two years under his leadership. He then became Superintendent of Barbour County Schools. At the time of his hiring, the county ranked last in the state (55th out of 55 counties). With the help of a student-centered Board, a professional district administrative team, and a wonderful core of teachers and service personnel, Barbour County’s district ranking had climbed to 24th in seven years. His leadership was marked by measurable academic improvement, fiscal discipline, and organizational stability, achieved without the benefit of excess levies.
Central to Jeff’s story is his partnership with his wife, Mary Anne Six Woofter, his high school classmate and lifelong companion. Together, they built a family rooted in service and education. Jeff and Mary Anne are members of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Lion’s Club, both in Chester.
In recent years, they have faced unexpected challenges. Jeff was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2018, and Mary Anne was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease in 2025. Rather than allowing these diagnoses to define them, they chose to respond with faith, resilience, and unwavering positivity. Their outlook and determination to encourage others facing similar journeys led to the creation of “Life with the Parkinheimers,” a platform dedicated to supporting families navigating chronic illness with hope, humor, and strength.
Jeff and Mary Anne are the proud parents of three children who graduated from Oak Glen High School, with their daughter-in-law graduating from Weir High School.
Their son, Brandon, serves as a Hancock County Deputy Sheriff and School Resource Officer at Allison Elementary, and his wife, Paige Dalrymple Woofter, is a behavioral health admissions counselor. They have two loving Pit Bulls, Lula and Loki, who share their home.
Their daughter Jamie is a strategy manager for a healthcare software company, and her husband, Jason LaRosa, is a tax attorney and CPA. They are the proud parents of Millie, Pappy and Grammy’s one-year-old pride and joy and two French Bulldogs, Wilma and Chuck.
Their youngest daughter, Katie, serves as the head principal of Buckhannon-Upshur High School. She was an elementary principal in Lewis County prior to joining BUHS. She has two dogs, a Labradoodle named Stella and a Golden Doodle named Wrigley.
With a lifetime of leadership and dedication across every community he has been part of, Jeff seeks the opportunity to continue giving back to Hancock County by serving on the Board of Education. He respectfully asks for your support in the upcoming election in May.
