Fairmont State’s new president, Dr. Mirta Maria Martin, has a psychology degree from Duke University and a doctorate in leadership and management from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Ah, but how is she at fundraising, a major requirement for any university president?

Well, she has a master in business administration at the University of Richmond and spent 10 years in banking as senior vice president of First Union National Bank of Virginia.

In 2009 she became the first female Hispanic Dean of the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2009 as the Dean and Professor of Management for the Reginald F. Lewis College of Business at Virginia State University. In 2012, the program was named the Best Business Program in the Nation among 108 Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In 2014, she became the first female president in Fort Hays State University's history and the first Hispanic president in the Kansas Regents system.

That’s where she faced racism and sexism that preceded her resignation. Qualities that are admired in a man were used against her. One of her “sins”: “Her husband does not live with her.” They met at Duke. He has a degree in civil and environmental engineering. He’s coming to Fairmont with her.

Dr. Martin has survived worse. She was born in Havana. Fidel Castro’s Communist regime stripped her family of everything but its education and faith. She was 6 when her family fled to Spain, but not till the Cuban powers put the children in a room where their parents had to sit outside the glass walls and watch. It’s a form of torture that Castro’s cadre are very good at. She didn’t see her father till 33 years after she left Cuba and only once every couple of years because of the relationship between Cuba and the United States.

The Hays Daily News called it “a star chamber’s verdict” despite her “record enrollments, record-breaking fundraising, incredible work ethic.”

The newspaper concluded: “Dr. Martin can drive away from Fort Hays State University with her head held high. The same cannot be said for some of those she leaves behind.”

Dr. Martin has more quality than a cigar from her native Cuba. Some people can’t stand that when it comes from a woman because she is not a powerful, confident, productive white man.

Fairmont State got an exceptional president. You can take that to the bank, where Dr. Martin will meet you to accept your donation to Fairmont State.

My 43 years as a newspaper editor tells me she's a keeper. Go, Falcons!

WVU president G. Gordon Gee may have met his match.