CEO, Rainelle Medical Center, Inc.; Vice President, Fayette Awning & Glass, Inc. and Member, Fit for a Queen, LLC
Twitter – @KristiAR
Facebook – Kristi Atha-Rader
Linked In – Kristi Atha-Rader
Kristi Atha-Rader has quite the bag of tricks. As a businesswoman, she is multi-talented and well-rounded, gifts that helped her not only rise to success as the CEO of Rainelle Medical Center in Greenbrier County, WV but also take home the title of Mrs. West Virginia twice.
Determination and support are among the reasons why this Oak Hill native has become a force in the business community. Growing up in Fayette County, Atha-Rader’s family played a crucial role in the development of her business savvy and ingenuity. Her father was part of his family’s business, Fayette Awning & Glass, LLC, and her mother was an accountant for Atha-Rader’s grandfather.
When she was 8, Atha-Rader’s father became disabled from rheumatoid arthritis. Though he could no longer work as much, he didn’t let it stop him. “He taught us to never give up,” she says. “Many times when he physically couldn’t do a task, he would rig something up to accomplish it. My brother and I also learned to do a lot of things that most people don’t do growing up. It has been helpful that we had a father who taught us so much.”
At the age of 15, Atha-Rader started doing her own taxes. “My mom handed me my income tax forms and went over how to do them. It wasn’t anything I thought about at the time as a daughter and granddaughter of accountants.”
Even though she had planned to become a teacher or lawyer, when it was time to choose a career path, Atha-Rader’s grandfather urged her to consider accounting. “He talked about the different things you could do and how it is something people will always need,” she says. “After knowing the options, I was sold on becoming an accountant.”
Her first job out of school was at an accounting firm in Charleston working as an auditor, a position that gave her insight into health care accounting, grants, nonprofits and other aspects of business that were crucial to her being hired in 2005 as chief financial officer (CFO) at Rainelle Medical Center. In 2008, Atha-Rader was able to leverage her success as CFO into acquiring the title of CEO.
“When I became CEO, there were several major issues going on,” she says. “Many people feared the company might not survive. After six years and a lot of hard work, the company is stronger than ever and continues to improve.” This fall, the medical center will break ground for a new dental facility, continuing its growth in locations, services and its staff of excellent medical professionals.
In addition to excelling as a CEO, Atha-Rader is co-owner of Fit for a Queen, LLC, a formal wear store in Beckley. She has also passed the exam for a general contractor’s license, teaches water safety and lifeguarding during the summer and strives to be an active and positive representative for her state and community.
“On a hike through the New River Gorge when I was young, my grandfather was picking up trash and told us we should leave the earth a better place than we found it,” she says. That has stuck with her as a life lesson, and now, she volunteers with several organizations: the Fayette-Nicholas American Red Cross, General Federation of Women’s Clubs’ Fayetteville Junior Women’s Club, the Oak Leaf Festival, Bridge Day and the Miss America Organization are just a few.
Through all of her ventures, family remains the most important aspect of Atha-Rader’s life. Her family has always been close and supportive, and with a family of her own, she and her husband are striving to do the same with her daughter and son, Madison and Brock. “My children will only be little once, and there is more to life than working 10 hours a day and bringing more work home with you. I am a much better and happier person—and CEO—since I realized that.”
What is your favorite…?
Color – Purple
Food – My mom’s pepper steak
Cartoon Character – Sleeping Beauty
Ice Cream – Chocolate
Animal – Dog
Book – The Bible
App – Facebook
Midnight Snack – Apples
TV Show – “When Calls the Heart”
Movie – “October Sky”
Smell – Pumpkin pie
Sport Team – Oak Hill High School Red Devils
Car – Chevy Suburban
Pet – Dog
Place – New River Gorge
Written by Amy Arnett
Photography by Tracy Toler on location at I-79 Technology Park
