“Working at OVV is the best job I’ve ever had,” says Wendy Pace. “I don’t hate Mondays or coming back from vacation.”
Wendy has been Ohio Valley Voices’ (OVV’s) fearless Business Director for over six years. She’s responsible for all things accounting i.e. tuition billing, school and parent contracts, paying the bills, and producing budgets. She also collaborates with the Finance Committee and Board of Trustees on reporting, planning, and forecasting the financial information of the organization.
Wendy first learned about Ohio Valley Voices in August 2015, when her previous employer was invited to bid on contract accounting work for OVV. The more she learned about the organization, the more she loved it. Executive Director Maria Sentelik then asked Wendy if she would consider working for OVV full-time. Before she knew it, Wendy became OVV’s Business Director and has been doing tremendous work ever since.
When asked to name her favorite OVV memory, Wendy says, without hesitation, Special Friends Day. Held annually, this unique event gives OVV parents, grandparents, friends, and relatives a chance to visit the school and witness their child’s lessons up-close. Wendy says that being part of it is an absolute joy.
However, with great memories come great challenges. “The most challenging aspect is working within a tight budget as a nonprofit and always looking to reduce costs,” Wendy says. That doesn’t take away from the immense impact she has had on the organization as a whole. “The most rewarding part is working with the children and families and watching them grow and succeed in learning how to listen and talk,” she continues. “Seeing their growth and strength has been the best part of my job.“
Wendy is originally from Hamilton, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University with a B.S. in Business in 1994, then went on to receive her CPA license in 1996. Outside of work, Wendy enjoys spending time with her husband of twenty-one years, Brian, as well as their two kids—thirteen-year-old Lauren and eighteen-year-old Conner. She also loves to read, attend concerts, vacation at the beach, and watch her kids participate in extracurricular activities.
Wendy can’t imagine working anywhere other than OVV, and she is so thankful to be surrounded by a supportive team. “The community of teachers and staff at OVV make me feel like I belong to something bigger than myself, and that is incredibly rewarding.”