Michelle R. Storage

Michelle Storage has always known what she wanted and that the road to success would be challenging.

“I wanted to be a college graduate, I wanted to move away from home, and I wanted to have a career where I could learn and grow,” she says.

With grit, Storage was able to face frustrations and keep going—which is what helped her become the successful professional she is today as the associate general counsel for the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office.

A native of Matewan, WV, she is the daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin and niece of coal miners. A first-generation college student and graduate of Marshall University and West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law, she holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and government and a Juris Doctor degree.

Storage considers being the first person in her family to go to college the biggest challenge she has faced, as everything was new to her and her family. As challenging as it may have been, she rolled with the punches and kept going.

“I got a lot of things wrong. I made tons of mistakes, but I tend to get tunnel vision. Once I’ve set my mind on something, it’s very hard to knock me off course,” she says.

She also learned during that pivotal time that she was not alone. Storage says that while it’s easy to feel isolated when you’re in unfamiliar territory, if you just keep going, you’ll come out on the other side.

“I had to humble myself and accept that I can’t always control what happens, but I can control how I react,” she says.

Storage has spent most of her career working in private practice and says working for state government as an in-house attorney is a whole new experience. Before stepping into her role as associate general counsel, she was an associate attorney at Pullin, Fowler, Flanagan, Brown & Poe from 2011 to 2016— which was her first job as a professional— and at MacCorkle Lavender from 2016 to 2020.

It was during that first job that she realized how much opportunity is out there for professional growth, especially working in litigation in West Virginia. She also learned how to take depositions, write motions and argue motions in court, all opportunities that her friends working in big law firms out of state didn’t get to experience until much later in their careers.

In her current role, Storage has had the chance to help manage existing programs and work on creating new ones.

Storage’s children, Vivian and Stetson, keep her motivated. She wants them to see her working hard at her job while also supporting causes she is passionate about.

“I can’t imagine having the amazing life I’ve been blessed with and failing to help others,” she says.

Storage looks to give back in areas that enrich the community. As the minority lawyers committee chair for the West Virginia State Bar, she works on programming to mentor law students, provide education in the form of continuing legal education courses and promotes fellowship through receptions aimed at fostering camaraderie and professional development.

She is also a new member of the WVU College of Law Visiting Committee and says she is excited to work with the school to make sure the program continues to be welcoming and accommodating to students like her in the future.

Additionally, she is the current board president of WV Free and a board member for Covenant House, the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Library Foundation of Kanawha County.

“I appreciate that West Virginia is full of opportunities for young professionals. I also love being surrounded by West Virginia’s beauty and the kind nature of the people here,” she says