A Face of Retail
What makes our community special? It’s the people. People whose passion for their roles at work, in their volunteer lives, and in their homes stands out. They make up the unique color and character of life in Morgantown. Here we share a few stories behind the faces of people who make our community a better place.
From a young age, Morgantown native Michele Petitte-Krucoff set her sights on a career in fashion.
She left after high school to chase those dreams, earning a degree in fashion design and art history before accepting a role at Saks Fifth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida. Her career was exciting, she says. “It was the height of the ’80s. Everyone had money to spend, and the luxury retail market was a really big deal. It was a thrilling time to be part of that world.”
Her couture-filled career took her from Florida to New York City, then Washington, D.C., working for department stores and brands like Bloomingdale’s, Gucci, and Ralph Lauren, until she finally found her way home again in 2011.
She was tired of the fast lane, she says, and wanted to reconnect with her roots. All of that retail experience served her well, though, when she reconnected with a local family she’d known for more than 40 years.
“I was here for a football game in 2009 and looked over the hill and said ‘Oh my, what’s going on there?’” Krucoff says of the construction zone that was to become Suncrest Towne Centre. “Someone told me it was a shopping center and that the Biaforas were behind it. I was ready to make a move, and I was ready to come home again. So I approached Rick and David and told them I could do it. They gave me a shot, and I’ve been here ever since.”
Her role as manager of Suncrest Towne Center has allowed Krucoff to leverage her extensive retail experience and reinvent herself. The STC has flourished in large part because of the strong relationships she’s built with tenants, and her role has evolved to include marketing and communications, not only for STC but also for additional commercial developments throughout West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Now 64, Krucoff says she’s here to stay. “I really want to continue contributing to this town’s evolution and enjoying the happiness and contentment that I feel here—the place where my story began.”
READ ABOUT OTHER FACES OF MORGANTOWN
READ MORE STORIES FROM THE MORGANTOWN FALL 2024 ISSUE
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