Jack Wild needs no introduction. To OVV’s wide circle of staff, supporters, and families, he is quite simply a cornerstone of their community.
Jack was born in Cincinnati in 1935 and earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Xavier University. Following graduation, he joined Hill Top Research Inc. of Miamiville, Ohio, where he would remain for over fifty years and serve in a variety of positions including Technician, Site Manager, and Vice President/General Manager.
Since his retirement in 2012, Jack has stayed active as an independent consultant and volunteer. He was first introduced to Ohio Valley Voices by Barbara Fitch, who asked him to join OVV’s all-volunteer Garden Group. According to Jack, he couldn’t have had a better, more delightful introduction to the organization.
“It was fun to work on the outside areas and with the Boy Scout troops on their various projects,” he recalls. “We would see the OVV children enjoying all the outside areas. It was great to see them running and playing and talking and doing all the things kids do. The noise they created was great to hear.”
Before long, OVV Executive Director Maria Sentelik invited Jack to become a member of the newly formed Building and Grounds Committee. With Jack’s invaluable input, the committee embarked on an ambitious project—conducting a survey of OVV’s Loveland facility and its equipment. He explains:
“The Building and Grounds Committee did a survey in order to create a long-term forecast so that Maria could plan her yearly budget without too many surprises. Maria could then have a better picture to give to the Board of Trustees for approval.”
When the committee’s then-acting chairman stepped down, Jack enthusiastically filled the position—one he has held ever since. In this new role, Jack helped oversee countless projects, including most significantly the construction of the Audiology Clinic. Along the way, he grew closer to OVV’s teachers and staff and gained a deeper appreciation for the transformative work they do on a daily basis.
“As B&G chairman, I was able to become more familiar with Maria and the staff,” he explains. “I was able to see firsthand the commitment and dedication of all those involved with the school. Maria and I spent many meetings talking about the school and how to bring this life-changing service to more kids.”
Jack’s role on the B&G committee soon blossomed into volunteer positions on the Development Committee, the Building Expansion Committee, and the Campaign Committee, as well as on the Loveland School District Safety Group. And in 2017, he cemented his passion for OVV by joining the Board of Trustees.
Now, with over a decade of volunteering under his belt, Jack is a welcome fixture at OVV and one of its most dedicated supporters. He says he continues contributing his time and talents to the program because it yields measurable outcomes for its students. The proof, in other words, is in the pudding.
“The Ohio Valley Voices mission of teaching children who are deaf and hearing impaired to listen and speak is special in my view because when our children leave OVV they have a pathway forward in their lives to be whatever they want to be,” he says.
But as Jack is quick to point out, the ability to speak isn’t the only tangible good provided by OVV. There’s a second, equally valuable skill that children in the program acquire.
“Not only do we give the children the potential to speak but we have also introduced them to the skills of listening and learning and what can be achieved with those skills.” Jack observes. “I think the most successful people are great listeners and learners. Those skills in themselves help them grow and mature. These children learn early on what great results can happen by listening and learning.”
Reflecting on his long-standing involvement with OVV, Jack is particularly grateful for the sense of purpose and community it has given him in his later year. “OVV has granted me an opportunity to be a part of something very meaningful,” he reflects. “It has provided me with happiness and the friendships of so many people in my retired life.”
Nevertheless, Jack says these benefits pale in comparison to the joy of giving back. Improving the lives of kids is his real motivation, and he sees himself as just one minor participant in that larger effort.
And yet, despite Jack’s characteristic humility, it is clear that he has had an enormous impact on OVV. Throughout the organization, he is beloved for his warmth and unassuming generosity—qualities that make him an obvious choice for the “Raise Your Voice” Award, which he will receive at the 12th Annual OVV Gala in February.
Though he’s touched to be honored, Jack insists he isn’t driven by a desire for recognition.
“I never thought about winning an award,” he says. “I volunteer at OVV because I love doing what I do. Just being there and seeing what goes on, seeing the children and how they connect with their teachers, watching the ‘magic’ that takes place—those are my rewards.”
This attitude seems to encapsulate the Jack Wild ethos—selfless regard for others above all else. When asked to summarize his service-oriented worldview, Jack offers these simple words of wisdom:
“You make a living by what you earn. You make a life by what you give.”
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating Jack’s extraordinary life and legacy at the 12th Annual OVV Gala on February 12th. To find out more and buy tickets, click here to visit the gala event page.