Where Experience Meets New Beginnings: The People Powering BCSE

Australian business coach Jana Kingsford once said, “Balance is not something you find; it’s something you create.” After several years of focused hiring and retention efforts, the WV Department of Human Services’ (DoHS) Bureau for Child Support Enforcement (BCSE) appears to be doing just that, creating a balance.

A recent review of employee tenure shows that about 25% of the BCSE workforce has 20 or more years of experience with the State, while another 25% have joined within the last three years. This mix of seasoned veterans and fresh perspectives reflects a deeper kind of balance, one rooted in dedication, growth, and shared purpose.

Ellen Stickley, a paralegal in Hampshire County, joined BCSE in 1989 but began her state career in September 1978. She’s seen the Bureau through decades of change and continues to focus on the positive. “I enjoy helping clients, attorneys, and paralegals around the state,” she said, adding that her supervisor is “a gift.”

Similarly, Billie Sutherland, a Child Support Specialist III in Putnam County, came to BCSE in 1991 after working nine years with what was then DHHR, now DoHS, in Charleston. She made the move when her daughter started kindergarten. Billie acknowledges that there have been both good and challenging changes over the years but shares, “I’ve always tried to treat people the way I’d want to be treated. I’d like to think I’ve helped a few along the way.”

On the newer end of the spectrum, LaEuna Hall joined BCSE just a year ago as a Child Support Specialist Trainee in Logan County after a 30-year career in finance. She was looking for stability and a close-knit team, and she found it. “The work environment and welcoming atmosphere here is refreshing,” she said. “Knowing we make a difference during some of the hardest times in people’s lives is incredibly rewarding.”

Another recent addition, Mary Laprade, started last year as an Accounting Technician IV and has since transitioned to a Child Support Specialist I at the State Office. She was drawn to the Bureau because it aligns with her belief that “every child deserves a strong support system.” Mary says BCSE is a place where she can grow long-term, surrounded by people who care deeply about the mission.

At BCSE, balance isn’t just about tenure; it’s about creating a workplace where passion, purpose, and people all come together. Here’s to continuing to build that balance and growing stronger together.

The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) provides a wide range of necessary and life-saving services to many West Virginia residents. DoHS includes the Bureau for Social Services, Bureau for Medical Services, Bureau for Child Support Enforcement, Bureau for Family Assistance, Bureau for Behavioral Health, Office of Drug Control Policy, Commission to Study Residential Placement of Children, Family Protection Services Board, Catastrophic Illness Commission, and the WV Women's Commission.

For more information, visit humanservices.wv.gov.