Michelle P. Wimes

HEADQUARTERS: Greenville, South Carolina
WEBSITE: www.ogletreedeakins.com
BUSINESS: Law firm
EMPLOYEES: 1,700
TITLE: Director of Professional Development and Inclusion
EDUCATION: BA, University of Missouri-Kansas City; JD, Tulane University
WHAT I’M READING: Law and Reorder, by Deborah Epstein Henry
INTERESTS: International travel and cuisine, coaching and playing volleyball

What are you proudest of in your life?

I am proudest of my three daughters, Sydney, Gabrielle, and Saige, who are strong, confident, fearless girls who will no doubt make their own impact in this world. I am also proud of my husband, Brian Wimes, for his recent appointment to the federal bench by President Barack Obama.

How do you give back to the African American community?

I personally mentor young, up and coming African American females. I am currently mentoring a recent college graduate who has her sights set on law school after completing a year with Teach for America. I am also mentoring a second-year law student and a third-year associate at a local law firm. Moreover, in my work as my firm’s first director of Professional Development and Inclusion, I develop programs, initiatives, policies, and practices to recruit, retain, and promote minority lawyers, including African American lawyers. My work necessarily involves developing and strengthening ties to the local, regional, and national communities where my firm maintains its forty-two offices.