West Virginia Executive Spring 2018 | Page 95

1990 1995 1990 Accepted an internship with Attorney General Mario Palumbo 1991 Graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law 1993 Hired as chief counsel for the WV Development Office 1994 Worked as associate general counsel in the office of Gov. Gaston Caperton 1996 Promoted to general counsel and deputy chief of staff to Gov. Gaston Caperton 1997 Joined Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC as an associate 2000 2005 2010 2004 Elected managing member of Spilman Thomas & Battle 2004 Helped found the Charleston Area Alliance 2006 Joined the WV Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors and executive committee 2008 Began participating in the Young Presidents Organization 2009 Joined the Discover the Real WV Foundation, Inc.’s board of directors 2012 Elected chair of the Interregional Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors 2015 2015 Joined the High Technology Foundation’s board of directors “My goal as both mentor and parent is to be a solid role model. Sometimes I live up to a self-imposed high bar, and sometimes I fall short. The goal is to try one’s absolute best in a sustained manner.” officers and working as a special prose- cutor on political corruption cases. “Arguing before our Supreme Court of Appeals shortly after being sworn in as a practitioner is the most adventurous thing I’ve ever done,” he says. “That is the beauty of public service—early and often sink-or-swim opportunities. It was an incredibly fulfilling start.” It was during this time that Basile first encountered the concept of servant lead- ership, a lesson that has stuck with him throughout his life. One mentor, Attor- ney General Mario Palumbo, not only taught him a great deal about the prac- tice of law but also about what it means to be an inspirational leader. “General Palumbo was a man of great grace and dignity,” says Basile. “He chose to contribute to our corner of society through his commitment to the public sector. His service was about giving back, not taking. He was the antithesis of ego driven—a true gentleman and a great servant leader.” Today, Basile uses his role as manag- ing member of Spilman to pay this type of mentorship forward. “My goal as both mentor and parent is to be a solid role model,” he says. “Some- times I live up to a self-imposed high bar, and sometimes I fall short. The goal is to try one’s absolute best in a sustained manner.” Basile not only seeks to make his firm a better place to work but to make West Virginia a better place to live. This deter- mination and dedication to the Mountain State drives him to contribute his time, talent and resources to a variety of or- ganizations. He serves on the board of directors for the High Technology Foun- dation, Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation, Inc. and the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, where he is also a member of the executive committee. He is a founding member and past co-chair and board member for Vision Shared, and he has also served as a founding board member, executive committee member and chair of the Charleston Area Alli- ance; chair and member of the board of directors for the Interregional Chamber of Commerce; and member of the Young Presidents Organization. While he has accomplished a great deal in both his career and community, Basile believes there is still much more left for him