Cathy Justice

Cathy Leigh Justice (née Comer; born January 28, 1953) is an American educator who served as the first lady of West Virginia from 2017 to 2025, and as a member of the West Virginia State Board of Education since 2024. Her husband, former state Governor Jim Justice, is now a U.S. Senator from West Virginia.

Early life Cathy Leigh Comer, daughter and only child of Thomas Leigh and Virginia Ruth Comer, was born in Beckley, West Virginia, and grew up in Prosperity, West Virginia.

She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1970, where she met her future husband, Jim Justice. She graduated from Marshall University with a degree in secondary education.

Career Jim and Cathy Justice meeting Vice President Mike Pence in March 2017.

Justice served as president of Comer Electric, Inc., a business started by her family, and she was a member of the board of directors for First National Bank in Ronceverte for five years.

Justice also spent time substitute teaching in Raleigh County Schools, and she is involved in a local reading program for elementary school students. She celebrated Women's History Month with a televised speech on March 8, 2017. In her speech, Justice recognized a number of West Virginia women who have made a difference in the state, like novelist Pearl S. Buck, actress Jennifer Garner, and basketball player Vicky Bullett.

In 2018, Justice launched the Communities In Schools (CIS) program across the state. The company filed claims over the millions of dollars based on defaults of The Greenbrier Sporting Club and Oakhurst Club.