Member, Bailey & Wyant, PLLC
By Mallory Carpenter
As a member at Bailey & Wyant, PLLC, Billie Jo Streyle has come a long way from bailing hay, which she began doing with her father in the summer months when she was 10. Today Billie Jo is not just a successful lawyer but also a successful community advocate. “When I began thinking about my career path, I felt that I could help people as an attorney, which is why I selected this profession,” she explains.
Before working in her current role, Billie Jo served the people of West Virginia when she was appointed by then Governor Joe Manchin as the director of personnel for the state. She muses, “There were and continues to be many times when I think, how did a girl who grew up on a farm in the country, who was the first in her family to go to college and who had no professional connections get chosen by the governor of West Virginia for this position? I believe West Virginia has provided me with great opportunities that I don’t believe I could have received in another state.”
In addition to the state, Billie Jo attributes her success to her personal approach to her job. She says, “I truly care about my clients, and I am driven to achieve the best result for every client I represent. When I represent a client, it is not just another case to me. My client’s situation becomes a part of me…I don’t simply perceive myself as their attorney. I perceive myself as their advocate and friend.”
Her life situations have further led her to help at-risk children around West Virginia, which she credits to her own background. “When I was in high school, I did not always believe in myself or my future potential,” she says. “My father died on my 19th birthday, and at that time I was concerned for my family’s future because my father was the breadwinner. If my family ever needed me, I wanted to be able to be there for them. This drove me in college to get good grades. Once I started getting those grades and believing in myself, I realized that I could achieve things that I never thought were possible before. I was led to help at-risk children who probably have little belief in their future. I wanted to teach them that the future is theirs if they only believe in themselves.” In her desire to help at-risk children, Billie Jo has found herself teaching in schools where the students had to walk through metal detectors and be patted down before entering the class. “I felt that if I could reach at least one child, it was worth taking the risk.”
When she has spare time, Billie Jo enjoys volunteering in her community. She reads to children at her daughter’s pre-school and she has raised money to provide gifts for the elderly residents of the Shanklin Center at Christmastime.
Despite all of her accomplishments, Billie Jo remains down to earth. She credits her mother for passing that trait to her. “She taught me that an individual can be loving, caring, compassionate and strong at the same time,” she explains. “Throughout her entire life, she has never asked for anything but has given everything. This is a quality that I admire and that I try to live each day.” She says that her greatest success is not only becoming the first female member at Bailey & Wyant but also raising her daughter, Alexandra Jolee. “My daughter keeps me motivated and is my driving force. Each day, I strive to be the best role model that I can be for her,” she says. “One day, I want my daughter to understand, through my example, that she can be a great mom and also a dedicated professional at the same time.”
