2007 40 Under 40 Honoree: Janette Bleau

For Janette Bleau, the sometimes-intangible good she does as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Christian County was made real in a chance encounter.

“I was shopping in a store when a salesperson asked if I remembered her,” Bleau said. “She looked familiar, but I couldn’t place her face. She told me I had prosecuted her abuser and that he had been sent to jail. She told me she then got a job, moved to a new home and started college.”

Bleau calls the woman’s thanks one of her favorite accomplishments, but it’s certainly not her only one – in addition to being an attorney, she’s a nurse, a wife and a mother.

Married for 13 years to her husband, Tony, she said one of her biggest accomplishments was attending law school graduation two days after giving birth to the first of her three daughters, who are now 7, 5 and 3. The family shares its home with cats, horses and fish.

In November 2006, Bleau ran for Greene County Circuit Judge, Associate Division, and though she lost, she used the experience as a valuable lesson in her quest to raise her daughters to be strong, smart and compassionate.

“I lost by 1,400 votes,” Bleau said. “It gave my kids an up-close view to our political process and (showed them) that a woman can be a viable candidate for judge in Greene County.”

Bleau is a member of the Missouri and Springfield Metropolitan Bar associations. She’s also active in the PTA, Greene County Republican Women, South Haven Baptist Church and Burge School of Nursing Alumni Association.

Her charitable work hits close to her home and heart.

“I also participate in Relay for Life each year in the memory of my brother, Randy Worsham, and the (Muscular Dystrophy Association) lockup fund-raiser,” Bleau said.

Stats

Position: Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Christian County Prosecutor’s Office

Age: 38

Favorite professional sports team: Kansas City Chiefs

A quote to live by: “Live each day to the fullest.”[[In-content Ad]]