2019 AWARDS
Melissa Settles Watkins
Member, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
Knowing I am making a difference in the life of a
person or a community organization is the most
rewarding part of what I do.”
Photo by Church Warner Photography.
BY ALICIA WILLARD. Melissa Settles Wat-
kins has lived her entire life in West Vir-
ginia. With her family’s roots tracing all
the way back to the earliest settlements
of the Mountain State, helping her home
and fellow West Virginians grow is her
top priority.
As a member at Steptoe & Johnson
PLLC, Watkins uses her expertise in tax-
ation, business and commercial planning
and nonprofits to provide legal guidance
and build bridges for West Virginia’s
charities and tax-exempt organizations.
Watkins found her passion for helping
others while growing up in West Milford,
WV, with her parents and younger sister.
Showing an early talent for assisting
classmates, she thought of becoming a
teacher and began coaching baton twirling
in junior high.
“Helping people learn has been a desire
I have always had,” she says. “Now, it has
morphed into helping people or organi-
zations with legal issues. Knowing I am
making a difference in the life of a person
or helping ensure the success of a commu-
nity organization is the most rewarding
part of what I do.”
Watkins graduated from Fairmont
State University in 1989 with a bachelor’s
degree in accounting, after which she
joined West Virginia University (WVU)
as a senior accountant. Graduating from
WVU College of Law in 1999, she earned
her degree while working part time as
an assistant controller at the university.
After graduation, Watkins joined
Steptoe & Johnson as an associate. As a
member today, she works with nonprofits
to help them create their organizations
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
and navigate governance and tax-exemp-
tion issues.
“Nonprofit organizations come in all
shapes and sizes,” says Watkins. “In some
cases, the client can be a well-established
organization that is facing a new chal-
lenge or entering a new endeavor. In other
cases, the client may be a new organiza-
tion with the passion and skills to tackle
a substantial community issue, but they
need to be set up appropriately. The goal
in both cases is to get the client to the
point where they can focus on their mis-
sion without worrying about administra-
tive problems.”
In addition to establishing these orga-
nizations and obtaining their tax-exempt
status from the IRS, Watkins helps them
create an organizational structure that
meets their needs and complies with the
applicable legal requirements. In most
instances, this means developing an
appropriate donor gift receiving process
as well as fundraising protocols.
Leading coordination of Steptoe &
Johnson’s pro bono efforts and providing
her own expertise for free to nonprofits
in need, Watkins continues serving West
Virginia outside of the office and is known
for her extensive community service. She
serves on the Committee on Pro Bono and
Lawyer Referral Services for the Washing-
ton County Bar Association and the Joint
Public Policy Committee for Philanthropy
West Virginia. She has also served as
secretary, board member and executive
committee member for the Bioscience
Association of West Virginia and on the
board of directors for the Fairmont State
Foundation.
“My role as pro bono director is to
ensure we devote our pro bono efforts to
situations that will provide a real benefit
to the community,” says Watkins. “People
and organizations at all economic levels
can help our community but may not have
the resources for quality legal services and
advice. For those who cannot afford to
pay, pro bono work provides an oppor-
tunity to ensure fairness.”
On top of her legal leadership roles,
Watkins volunteers as legal counsel to
Chestnut Mountain Ranch, The Living
Room and Holy Pursuit’s Dream Founda-
tion, Inc. She has also served on various
committees at Suncrest United Methodist
Church, including her current role on the
Peace with Justice Committee.
For Watkins, however, volunteering
with Court Appointed Special Advocates
for Children, or CASA, rises to the top
of her list of passions.
“Helping children and youth helps the
community and also gives me a feeling of
intense satisfaction,” she says. “I feel that
we all have a duty to help our communities
be better places to live. It helps others, but
we also receive a benefit ourselves since
we live in these communities.”