Judge Poling was appointed to the circuit court bench in Raleigh County in 2019. He was elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024.

He is a lifelong resident of Beckley. He is a 1980 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, where he was the Senior Class President. He graduated from West Virginia University in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and, in 1988, he graduated from West Virginia University College of Law, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board.

Judge Poling began his legal career in Beckley with the law firm of Abrams, Byron, Henderson & Richmond. He served as a Public Defender for the Public Defender Corporation for Raleigh County before forming the law firm of Canterbury, Poling & Roop in 1990. For 23 years prior to his appointment to the bench, he operated Poling Law Offices in Beckley.

He also served as City Councilman for the City of Beckley from 1991 until 1995, when he was appointed Municipal Court Judge for the City of Beckley, a position he held until his appointment to the circuit court bench.

Judge Poling has been active in numerous civic organizations. He is a board member of Hospice of Southern West Virginia and past President of Beckley Babe Ruth Baseball. He was a longtime coach in local sports, having coached basketball and baseball. Judge Poling also served as a high school baseball umpire through the West Virginia Secondary Schools Athletic Commission for eight years and was selected to umpire the West Virginia State Baseball Tournament in 2017.

He is married to his high school sweetheart, Cindy Orren Poling, who retired from teaching in Raleigh County Schools after working there for more than 30 years. They have one son.