Vice President and Senior Diversity Officer,WVU Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion By Lori Kersey As Meshea Poore looks back over her life, she finds she’s always cared about people having equal access to information, innovation and opportunity. She believes this access gives people hope. “While this may seem insignificant to some, it matters to…
CEO, Contractors Association of West Virginia By Arianna Whitehair Even as a child, Jason Pizatella knew he wanted to make a difference. “I was pretty sure I was going to go to law school early in life, perhaps as early as middle school,” says Pizatella, CEO for the Contractors Association of West Virginia (CAWV). “I…
Partner, Bowles Rice LLP By Emily Pellham Ellen Maxwell-Hoffman, partner at Bowles Rice LLP, is a sixth-consecutive generation lawyer and the fourth-consecutive generation to practice and live in West Virginia. Growing up in Elkins, WV, Maxwell-Hoffman carries wonderful memories of spending time in nature, browsing her local library for books and periodicals and enjoying a…
Founding Member, Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC By Arianna Whitehair Raised as one of four children in a hardworking family on Wheeling Island in Wheeling, WV, Thomas Flaherty always knew he wanted to attend college and give back to his community, just as he saw his parents do for others growing up. “My father was a…
Associate Professor, WVU College of Law By Cathy Bonnstetter A case of bad directions to a library launched West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law associate law professor Cody Corliss’s career. In 2005, when Corliss was studying in the Netherlands as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, he needed a book from the Peace Palace Library in…
Deputy General Counsel, Equitrans Midstream Corporation By Hinaa Noor Jessica Brisendine, deputy general counsel for Equitrans Midstream Corporation, grew up wanting to include writing in her career, but she did not settle on what shape that writing career might take until later. Growing up in Campbells Creek, WV, Brisendine attributes her love for English and…