27-02-2025
Amanda Weiss-McComas boosted domestic violence resources in West Virginia
Amanda Weiss-McComas is one of USA TODAY's Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. Meet this year's honorees at
Amanda Weiss-McComas was newly engaged to her husband Josh McComas with plans to start a family when she started working at Branches Domestic Violence Shelter in 2010.
She had recently left her position as marketing director for the Big Sandy Superstore Arena, renamed Marshall Health Network Arena, where she had been working more than 50 hours a week.
Weiss-McComas was in search of a job that would allow her to "slow down." Instead, she found a role that pushes her to work harder and more tirelessly for a cause that impacts roughly one in four women and one in nine men.
"When this opportunity came up, I knew it was a job that I wanted to apply for and something that I really felt passionately about and wanted to get involved with," Weiss-McComas said. "Turns out I wasn't really slowing down, but, that's just because I ended up going harder, I guess."
Weiss-McComas started as a fund developer and case manager at Branches, which opened in 1980 as a nonprofit agency working to "empower the increasing number of domestic violence victims and their families to break the cycle," per its website.
She eventually worked her way up to executive director by 2014.
Over the past 15 years, the Huntington native and mother of three has aided in the growth and expansion the domestic violence shelter, while overseeing staff and initiatives across five counties: Cabell, Mason, Putnam, Wayne and Lincoln.
Through her work with Branches, Weiss-McComas aims to provide "life-saving" services to one of the Mountain State's most vulnerable populations.
To address the growing needs of the community, Branches, under Weiss-McComas' leadership, became the first and only domestic violence shelter in West Virginia to open a second emergency location in Putnam County in 2019.
"A lot of counties in West Virginia have seen a lot of decrease in population, but that particular county is still continuously growing. There's a lot of folks there that can use our help, because, unfortunately, when you see population growth, there's lots of other things happening, like additional need for domestic violence services," she explained.
Although the additional shelter is smaller than the first facility, the Putnam County location still serves more than 300 folks a year. The entire organization serves approximately 2,000 people annually through its counseling, legal advocacy, and generalized case management services, which are designed to "meet people where they are" and equip them with resources that fit their specific needs.
During her tenure, Branches has also introduced new housing advocacy programs, such as the Rapid Re-Housing program, which helps survivors find safe and stable permanent living arrangements.
"We've doubled the number of staff we have, therefore we've doubled the amount of people we can help, the amount of good we can do in the world," she said. "That's huge. It's something that we don't take lightly."
Due to her work in domestic violence advocacy, Weiss-McComas was appointed to the state's Family Protection Services Board in 2021 by former Governor Jim Justice. The board oversees licensure for the 14 domestic violence programs in West Virginia.
Her term ended in 2024 but her days still consist of "putting out fires." From managing crises at the shelters to dealing with policy shifts on the federal and state levels, there's always adversity to overcome in her field.
But Weiss-McComas says she feels fortunate to be able to fill a need and serve others in her community.
"We get a lot of great feedback. I think it really is saving lives."
Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
All of the women who have been leaders of the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Starting such a phenomenal organization in the '80s, in a state like West Virginia. It was a really incredible grassroots movement that helped all the different domestic violence programs in our state get started. It definitely paved the way for me. They are still the women today, that when I have a crazy question, I'll still call them for advice.
The time that we opened our second emergency shelter. It took a lot of hard work and dedication. It was a three-year process.
It was something that had absolutely never been done in our state. It hasn't been done since.
Crazy enough, we started that emergency shelter in the fall of 2019. So, we had been open for less than six months when the pandemic started. There were a lot of ups and downs with taking on that crazy endeavor. But we're still, to this day, the only domestic violence advocacy agency in the state that has two emergency shelters.
Being scared and doing it anyway. Just embracing that vulnerability. Doing what needs to be done, even when it's difficult, and always standing up for what's right.
Don't just wish for it, work for it. It reminds me that change comes through hard work and effort.
My mom. She passed away last fall and I had always looked up to her my whole life. She was a single mom. She's one of the strongest, smartest people that I've ever met.
In the process of losing her, it helped me realize even more how much she meant to me. Maybe I took her for granted when I had her. But the incredible hard work that single moms do in this world, in this country. She always showed me that hard work was the answer. She made me believe that I could do anything.
I try to always listen to my gut. I try to sit with things. I try to not move too fast, slow down, ask questions and then just do the next right thing. There's a ton of adversity that we're facing constantly in this field. It's all across the board, so [we] just gotta get through it and move through it.
One thing that I have learned over time is that, it does not get easier, you just get better. I would tell myself to always follow my gut. It took me a very long time to realize that. I wish I would've learned that sooner.
There is that little voice inside you that does usually have the answer. Also, just focus on what you can control. You can usually control your actions, your reactions, your attitude, your perspective. But outside of that, it's really hard to control anything else.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: USA TODAY Women of the Year: West Virginia's Amanda Weiss-McComas
