Michele Rejonis: Telling the Tale of Her Favorite Little Town
HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
Any and all topics connected to Michele Rejonis’s shoe closet are off-limits!!
Apparently. Gosh. Sorry!! It was an easy, harmless question. No? Well, that was the intention … anyway.
But.
Geez.
Kidding?
Yes, kidding.
Kinda, that is.
OK?
OK.
Rejonis sure does like her shoes, there’s no doubt about it, and she’ll even make fun of her sprawling collection – if she likes you – because, truth told, she gets a kick out of a sweet pair of big-city high heels in Little Town, USA.
But that doesn’t mean she’s looking to go anywhere.
Rejonis is a hometown girl who’s a cop’s wife and a very respected veteran in the marketing world here in the Upper Ohio Valley. These days, after working in higher education, public relations, and advertising over the past two decades, she’s found her favorite position. Since 2018, Rejonis has been the marketing and community relations specialist for the City of Wheeling.
And that means she gets to tell her favorite town’s tale.
In her role with the City of Wheeling, Rejonis has top work with everyone from local residents to federal officials.
How did your love for cool cars begin?
My family has always been into motorsports – from go-kart and stock car racing at regional dirt tracks to NASCAR – so it was the environment in which I was raised that spurred my love of cars.
My grandparents always had “toys” in the garage. The early 1970s red Thunderbird probably stands out the most simply because of what a gem that car would be today. There was a Jaguar kit car my grandfather built, along with a Mercedes and eventually a Corvette.
My love of Corvettes came along when I was about 8 years old and was before my grandfather owned his, so I was very excited when a member of the family purchased my favorite sports car. I got my first Corvette in 2003 around the same time Chevrolet was celebrating Corvette’s 50th anniversary.
My second Corvette came in 2007 and I still have it today. With the love of cars comes the love of going fast. I’ve been to Corvette racing school and had the opportunity to do a Richard Petty Driving Experience.
What a rush and no speeding ticket!
How many pairs of shoes do you own, and how many of them have you worn so far this year?
Without a doubt, I’m a shoe girl and I always have been. A cool pair of shoes can absolutely turn jeans and a tee into an outfit. I honestly have no idea how many pairs of shoes I have. It’s safe to say the number is in the hundreds, though, keeping in mind that a pair of shoes may be worn with only one outfit.
I have no way of knowing how many different pairs of shoes I’ve worn this year. Let’s just say quite a few.
Michelle Rejonis isn't afraid to do the fun stuff while serving as the marketing and community relations specialist for the City of Wheeling.
If you could perform the same job in a different city, what city would it be?
I love my job with the City of Wheeling and if I were looking for a similar role in another city, I would seek a municipality very similar to The Friendly City in a geographical location where it doesn’t snow.
Wheeling is a small city steeped in history, yet we have so many big-city amenities. We have robust arts, entertainment and sports communities. What’s not to love?
While I enjoy a visit to a large city, it’s always good to come home. I am a small-town girl, for sure.
What are the worst parts – and the best parts – about being married to a member of the area’s law enforcement community?
The best part of being married to a retired law enforcement officer is knowing that he made a difference in the lives of others – sometimes in matters of life and death.
The worst part about being married to a retired law enforcement officer is the lack of respect that sometimes exists in our society for the men and women in blue. Our officers run into situations from which others are attempting to escape and literally put their lives on the line daily. They’ve chosen a life of service and it’s disappointing to me when the disrespect surfaces.
The Corvette caught Michelle's eye when she was young, and now she owns a beauty.
Do you prefer dining out rather than eating your husband’s cooking? Why or why not?
While I do enjoy eating out, there’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal prepared by a good cook. I’ve been a Type 1 diabetic for 35 years, so eating clean is much easier when you know first-hand what has gone into the meal.
I love a good steak and Randy definitely knows his way around the grill.
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