About

Who We Are

Ohio Valley Voices is an early intervention program located in Southwest Ohio that teaches children with hearing loss to listen and speak through the use of hearing aids and cochlear implants. We believe that every child has the right to communicate. By offering a data-driven curriculum in a nurturing, language-enriched setting, our team of specialists gives children the tools they need to talk and reach their full potential.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded according to the Moog oral education philosophy, Ohio Valley Voices is one of the best early intervention programs of its kind in the country. We serve children who are deaf or hard of hearing from birth to eight years old. Our campus draws families from throughout the Cincinnati and Dayton region, across the United States, and around the world. Simply put, OVV is more than a program—we are a family.

“Within the first few minutes of entering the building, you can feel the love that the OVV staff has for the children in their care. These people are passionate about leveling the playing field for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.” – Jack Wild, Board Member

History

Ohio Valley Voices was founded in 1999 when three Cincinnati families—the Burns, Gartners, and Murphys—came together over a common cause: all three had a child who was born deaf or hard of hearing and had received a cochlear implant. Hoping to start an oral education school where children like theirs could learn to listen and speak, they raised funds and sought the advice of experts. Their journey eventually led them to Maria Sentelik, a passionate advocate for deaf education then earning her PhD at the University of Cincinnati. The families asked Maria to be Executive Director and she eagerly accepted. With the help of a grant from the Oberkotter Foundation, the founding families and Maria began developing a program modeled on Jean Moog’s oral education philosophy that would teach children from birth to eight years old.

Since then, Ohio Valley Voices has served over 200 families, earning a reputation as one of the best programs of its kind in the country. Constantly innovating to meet the needs of our community, we added an onsite audiology clinic in 2003 and moved to our current Loveland campus in 2006. Throughout these changes, OVV’s core mission has remained the same: to create a supportive, language-enriched learning environment where all children can acquire the skills they need to listen, speak, and reach their full potential.

“When our child was diagnosed deaf, I thought we were going to have to move away from Cincinnati. We had never heard of OVV. It turns out that OVV is one of the best programs of its kind in the world, and it’s right here in Cincinnati. OVV is one of our area’s best-kept secrets.” – Jon Westerman, Parent and Board Member

Board Of Trustees

We are proud and grateful to have these esteemed community leaders, including relatives of past Ohio Valley Voices students, represented on our Board of Trustees.

Jon Westerman, Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc. – President

Nancy Creaghead, University of Cincinnati – Vice President

Sandra Mills, Union Institute and University – Treasurer

Dr. Thomas Fischer, Cincinnati Children's Hospital (Retired) – Secretary

Valerie Bogdan-Powers, Horan and Associates

Jody Johnson, Procter & Gamble

Dr. Robert Keith, University of Cincinnati

V. Ruth Klette, Elsa Sule Foundation

Kathleen Lutz, Integra Group

Lydia Ritze, Cassady Schiller CPA’s & Advisors

Jacqueline Sweeney, Philanthropist and Community Volunteer

John Wild, Hilltop Research (Retired)

Board Committees

Governance Committee

The Governance Committee steers the Board of Trustees in its development of a strategic plan while also evaluating the Board’s effectiveness. The Governance Committee searches for, interviews, votes on, and onboards new candidates for the Board.

Members: Kathleen Lutz (Chair), Nancy Creaghead, Colleen Swanson, and Valerie Bogdan-Powers.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee is responsible for reviewing the overall planning of all financial matters at Ohio Valley Voices including investments, capital expenditures, budgets, and appropriations, and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees with respect thereto.

Members: Sandra Mills (Chair), Jon Caulfield, and Michael Wolf.

Development Committee

The Development Committee assists staff in developing a strategic plan for fundraising and marketing for Ohio Valley Voices and updates the Board of Trustees on the progress of the strategic plan. It sets fundraising and marketing goals, establishes strategies for successfully raising funds, recruits and assigns volunteers needed in the process, monitors the success of fundraising activities throughout the year, and requests Board assistance as needed.

Members: V. Ruth Klette (Chair), Dr. Thomas Fischer, Jody Johnson, Dr. Robert Keith, Anjali Narayanan, Jacqueline Sweeney, Andrew Sweeny, and Jack Wild.

Marketing Committee

Working under the direction of the Development Committee, the Marketing Committee provides oversight and guidance for all promotion and marketing strategies with the goal of increasing awareness of Ohio Valley Voices and its mission.

Members: Laura Carr, Jody Johnson, and Anjali Narayanan.

Building and Grounds Committee

The Building and Grounds Committee is responsible for determining all maintenance and security needs for the interior and exterior of the school property and coordinating with the Finance Committee to ensure these projects are budgeted.

Members: Jack Wild (Chair)

Fashion Show Committee

The Fashion Show Committee secures sponsorships, acquires silent auction items, performs various marketing and public relations tasks, handles guest registrations and check-ins, schedules and coordinates volunteers, and works with the boutique fashion vendors that participate in the event.

To become a member of the Fashion Show Committee, contact Development Coordinator Anne Neuville at aneuville@ohiovalleyvoices.org.

Gala Committee

The Gala Committee secures sponsorships, acquires live and silent auction items, performs various marketing and public relations tasks, handles guest registrations and check-ins, schedules and coordinates volunteers, and decorates to create the perfect ambiance for the event.

To become a member of the Gala Committee, contact Development Coordinator Anne Neuville at aneuville@ohiovalleyvoices.org.