Lisa Ruzicka

I've been working in development for 7 years, and I'm currently the Director of Development at Deaf Child Hope. My journey into this field started when I was living in a small town in Norton and Valley Hope, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, had an opening in their foundation. I applied and got the job the next day, which was my first step into the world of development and fundraising. I had never even realized this type of work existed before that. At Valley Hope, I learned about development and working with people to help them fulfill their goals in philanthropy. While I was there, I wrote a grant through the Opioid Settlement Fund and was able to secure a $580,000 grant to help fight opioid addiction, which I consider one of my most notable professional achievements. After gaining that experience, I decided I wanted to work with something more passionate to my heart. I know sign language and have an uncle who is deaf, so I reached out to JD King at Deaf Child Hope and sent my resume, and that's how I ended up in my current position. Before working in development, I worked in the construction industry as a door and millwork specialist, and I also worked in real estate. In my current role, I call all of our donors and personally thank them for their contributions, write grants, network, and keep up with what's happening in the field since we work internationally. I try to know the stories of the deaf children we help internationally so I can share those with people who care about the deaf and want to help.