Betty Ireland
[2] On December 30, 2010, Ireland announced she would run in the 2011 West Virginia gubernatorial special election, where she came in second place in the Republican primary.[3] Early in her career, Ireland spent several years teaching in the West Virginia public school system.Eventually, she entered the business sector, when Ireland took a job as an administrative assistant with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance.[5] For nearly six years (from 1977 to 1983), she was the owner of Retirement Systems & Services, a pension administration and consulting firm in Charleston, West Virginia.[citation needed] On December 30, 2010, Ireland announced her intention to run for governor in the special election that was to be held on October 4, 2011.