President, SLS Land & Energy Development By Samantha Cart Growing up outside of Glenville, WV, Sarah Smith cultivated a passion for politics at an early age. While serving as a page for the West Virginia Legislature in the early 1990s, she was bitten by the political bug and dreamed of becoming the first female governor…
Owner and Broker, Real Estate Central, LLC By Samantha Cart Not many people find their passion in life during their formative years, but Joshua McGrath, owner of Real Estate Central, LLC, started selling real estate at age 18 and has been doing it ever since. A native of Hurricane, WV, McGrath always knew he wanted…
Director of Communications and External Affairs, American Water Mid-Atlantic Division By Maggie Hatfield From an early age, Laura Martin, director of communications and external affairs for American Water’s Mid-Atlantic Division, had the poise, composure and professionalism needed to excel in a public relations career. Growing up, Martin didn’t have a concrete idea of what career…
Partner, Bowles Rice LLP By Samantha Cart Growing up in Ripley, WV, Ashley Hardesty Odell’s earliest jobs put her in contact with a variety of people from all walks of life, inspiring in her a desire to learn more about diverse perspectives. From babysitting to teaching piano lessons to working as a bank teller to…
General Manager, West Virginia Black Bears By Samantha Cart “Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on this earth.” This quote by professional baseball player Roberto Clemente is a mantra for Matthew Drayer, general manager for the West Virginia Black…
Assistant Dean, Outreach & Engagement; Director, Bureau of Business & Economic Research; and Associate Professor, WVU By Jennifer Jett Prezkop A child of the ‘80S, John Deskins remembers listening to Quiet Riot and imagining what it would be like to be a rock star. Though not quite how he envisioned, his dream of becoming an…