Career
She was also the first Republican elected to that position since 1972. On December 30, 2010, Ireland announced she would run for Governor during the 2011 special election. However she was unsuccessful in this pursuit.
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. She subsequently became a certified pension consultant.
Foreign 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. From 1983 to 1989, she was vice president and head of the pension division in the Trust Department of the Charleston National Bank of Commerce.
Ireland moved to Jackson Kelly Professional Limited Liability Company. Ireland became executive director of the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board in August 1998.
She returned to Jackson Kelly in 2002 to head its ancillary business endeavors as president of Jackson Kelly Solutions. In 2004, Ireland defeated longtime political figure Ken Hechler, 52% to 48%, in a general election race, as Hechler attempted to return the Secretary of State position he previously held for sixteen years. On December 30, 2010, Ireland announced her intention to run for governor in the special election that will be held on October 4, 2011.
She lost the primary election to political newcomer Bill Maloney.
