11/26/2005

Associated Press

Don L. Blankenship is president, chairman and CEO of Richmond, Va.-based Massey Energy Co. The company is the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia and the fourth-largest nationally.

_Born in Stopover, Ky., March 14, 1950.

_Bachelor's degree, accounting, Marshall University, 1972.

_Worked as an accountant for Keebler and Flowers Industries until 1982.

_Named head of Massey subsidiary Rawl Sales and Processing Co., 1982.

_First non-Massey family member appointed president of the company, 1990.

_Takes Massey public, 2000.

_Spends more than $3.5 million during state Supreme Court campaign, 2004.

_Pours more than $1 million into campaigns to defeat pension bond proposal and to eliminate food tax, 2005.