West Virginia Executive Spring/Summer 2020 | Page 111

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 1975 Hired as the supervisor’s secretary at Buckeye Hills Career Center 1977 Enrolled at Rio Grande College 1982 Enrolled at West Virginia State College 1984 Married husband, Loren 1985 Obtained a residential real estate license 1986 Son, Zachary, was born 1987 Started career at Manpower 1988 Son, Adam, was born 1991 Daughter, Carly, was born 1996 Moved to Boston, MA, to run Manpower operations remotely during Loren’s cancer treatment 2011 Created The Strong- Treister Family Foundation 2014 Named a YWCA Women of Achievement Honoree 2017 Named a WVSU Black and Gold Honoree 2020 Opened Manpower Healthcare Staffing “I have a plaque in my house that say, ‘Home is not a place, it is a feeling,’ and the Mountain State has truly given me that.” Although Strong-Treister has achieved great success as a businesswoman, she is no stranger to hardship. Her father passed away when she was just 14 years old, and she watched her mom raise three children on her own. Years later, she received news that her husband, Loren, had a brain tumor. “After 22 months of fighting and multiple surgeries, he lost the battle,” she says. “Then I was the young mother raising three small children and running a business.” With her grit, high energy and mental toughness, Strong-Treister found the determination to not only overcome this difficult period in her life but to thrive during it. “I had to prove that a female with young children could do this,” she says. “I wanted to show that a young businesswoman could thrive while also raising children. I lost the love of my life, my business partner, my best friend, my husband and the father of my children, but I didn’t lose my love of life or my will to make it.” Strong-Treister saw her time of grief as an opportunity to teach her children the importance of community service. “I started The Strong-Treister Family Foundation, Inc. when my husband passed away so I could teach my children to give back to the communities that have touched our lives in one way or another,” she says. The foundation has supported a variety of organizations, causes and projects, including the Loren A. Treister Soccer Field at Cato Park; CAMC Cancer Center; Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern West Virginia; Kanawha County Public Library; YMCA of Kanawha Valley, Inc.; Fund for the Arts West Virginia; and Read Aloud West Virginia. Strong-Treister also dedicates her time to several other organizations. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Mountain State Young Presidents Organization Gold Chapter, Association of Manpower Franchise Owners, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s small business roundtable, Mount west Foundation, Boy Scouts of America Buckskin Council, City Holding Company, Charleston Area Alliance and WorkForce West Virginia. Giving back to the community is important to her, and she hopes to make a difference with her business understanding, leadership skills and life experiences. “When it comes to board positions, I need to know I can make a difference and that my voice matters,” she says. “As for giving, I want to make sure West Virginians have the support and resources we had when we were fighting my husband’s battle with cancer. For instance, in the family room at Hoops Family Children’s Hospital, I make sure the families have a place to do laundry, a microwave to fix soup and snacks to enjoy on Christmas Eve because of the lonely Christmases I spent at the hospital with Loren. It is a little thing, but it makes a huge difference.” To Strong-Treister, West Virginia is not only a great place to live, work and raise a family, it also offers the feeling of being home. “Even though West Virginia gets its fair share of negative publicity, I make it a point to travel a lot and brag on the beauty, low cost of living and people of this wonderful state,” she says. “I have a plaque in my house that says, ‘Home is not a place, it is a feeling,’ and the Mountain State has truly given me that.” • WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM SPRING/SUMMER 2020 109