Telena Spies was born near Martinsburg as Telena Helgerson, (Norwegian) and lived outside of Shepherdstown, West Virginia. High School grad 1964. Educated in Berkeley County Schools and Shepherd University, Telena taught in the Berkeley County school system from 1965 through 1968. Her husband was transferred then to New Jersey, next to Illinois, and then North Carolina. Moving back to West Virginia, she then secured her real estate license in 1975 and her broker's license in 1977. She opened her own office in 1979, and bought the Coldwell Banker Franchise in 1987. Selling the company in 1997, she continued to work for the new owner as Associate Broker.