Stephen G. Young

Stephen G. Young graduated from West Virginia University College of Law in 1964 after three years of active duty in the United States Navy. Young served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Charles F. Paul in Wheeling, West Virginia, and then practiced law in Buckhannon and Charleston. In 1967, he clerked for the West Virginia State Senate drafting legislation and ultimately serving as aide to the Majority Leader. Later that year, Young was appointed vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association. He later became the president. Young moved to Pittsburgh joining Consolidation Coal Company as Director of State Government Relations in July 1974, following six years running the West Virginia Coal Association. He was elected vice president of government affairs the following year. He served on several boards including: Boards of Directors of the Illinois Coal Association, Indiana Coal Council, Kentucky Coal Association, Montana Coal Council, National Coal Association, Ohio Coal Association, Pennsylvania Coal Association, Virginia Coal Association and West Virginia Coal Association, West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, West Virginia High Tech Consortium Foundation and West Virginia Research League. Young was named Ohio's Coal Man of the Year in 1987. He introduced the "Black Lung Benefits Revenue Act of 1981" law, which corrected a great abuse of the original Black Lung Law meant to provide benefits to miners for disabilities caused by coal dust exposure. Young is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts. He is a member of the Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group for the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. He retired as a Naval Special Operations (SEAL) Captain of the U.S. Navy Reserve with 32 active and reserve years' service.