Ashley Hardesty Odell
Partner, Bowles Rice LLP
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 interning for the Governor’s Honors
Academy, Odell’s formative years were filled with interactions
that taught her about the importance of diversity and inclusion.
“My mother is a teacher and my father is a lawyer, and from
them I learned the value of commitment, hard work and service
to others,” says Odell. “Thanks to their example, I always
wanted to be a mother, a teacher and a lawyer, and I’m lucky
to be all three.”
During her first year of law school at West Virginia University
(WVU), Odell clerked with Bowles Rice, where today she
serves as the firm’s diversity partner. In this role, she focuses
on increasing awareness of issues that impact women and
other diverse lawyers in the development of their practice like
bias, wage gaps and equal opportunity. She is also an advocate
for diversity outside her office, volunteering as a mentor at
the WVU College of Law through the Leadership Council on
Legal Diversity, where she is a member of the 2019 fellows
class, and as co-chair of the Morgantown Area Partnership’s
diversity committee.
“I have always championed diversity and inclusion in my
personal life but mostly in an informal way,” she says of her
passion. “As my career has developed, I have seen how the
absence of diversity and inclusion impacts our communities. We
live in a big world of small groups and communities, and those
Odell inside the Cabell
County Explorer Academy
whose expeditionary
learning curriculum
makes it the first of its
kind in West Virginia.
groups are not always inclusive. I believe individuals should
feel free to be genuine and authentic without fear of exclusion.
If West Virginia is going to compete in the big world, we need
to embrace diversity and promote inclusion.”
Today, Odell focuses her practice on litigation and labor and
employment law, including counseling and advising employers
on workplace issues such as discrimination, harassment, wage
and hourly issues, workplace safety and employment agree-
ments. While she is committed to her work, her greatest successes
have not come from winning arguments or closing deals.
“Those are my clients’ successes, and I am honored to play a
part in those accomplishments, but my view of my own personal
success is more fluid,” she says. “I feel the most successful on
days when those closest to me are happy.”
Odell’s core values of encouraging and promoting others are
obvious in her commitment to making West Virginia a better
place. She currently serves as the president of United Way of
Monongalia and Preston Counties, where she is also a member of
the personnel and nominating committees; chair of the diversity
working group for the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce;
and a member of the visiting committee for WVU College of
Law. She is one of the founders of Generation Morgantown, the
idea of which grew from a desire to create an inclusive commu-
nity for young professionals with opportunities for mentorship
and growth. Over the years, she has served on the economic
development committee for Generation West Virginia and as
a member of the Power of 32 steering committee.
It is her family, especially her husband, Shawn, and two
children, Maggie and Wesley, that keeps her motivated.
“Having candor, patience and just enough sass has had a great
influence on my success, but, without question, I am where I
am now because of the support of my parents, my husband, a
handful of incredible mentors and my dearest friends,” she says.
Odell is proud that her amazing support system, her challenging
career and the opportunity to promote diversity can all be found
in her home state of West Virginia.
“West Virginia is and always will be home, and my family
will always be Mountaineers,” she says. “I love the moun-
tains because they make me feel sheltered and safe, I love the
people because they are genuine and hardworking, and I love
the opportunities we have as West Virginians to really facilitate
change and progress.”
SAMANTHA CART
TRACY A. TOLER PHOTOGRAPHY
W W W. W V E X E C U T I V E . C O M
FALL 2019
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