WHEELING, W.Va. — Meet one of the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley’s Program Directors, Debbie Stanton. With 11 years under her belt here, she’s the kind of person who knows where every grant has been and where it’s going, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Debbie’s work touches every stage of CFOV’s grantmaking process. From the moment an application comes in to the final reporting after an award is made, she’s managing the details, working alongside fund advisors, committees, and applicants to make sure charitable dollars land where they’re needed most.

What keeps her going after more than a decade? Partly the mission, and partly the process itself. “I really enjoy making processes and procedures more efficient for all involved in our grantmaking tasks,” she says. CFOV uses a grant portal to manage workflow, and Debbie is the one fine-tuning it behind the scenes, finding ways to make things smoother, simpler, and less burdensome for everyone who uses it.

But she’s equally clear-eyed about what the work means beyond the logistics. “Being part of something positive by way of philanthropy is a pretty cool gig,” she says. “It’s not easy to distribute charitable resources, but it’s rewarding. The memorable grants are not always the big dollar ones. Sometimes it’s a $1,000 grant to a teacher who can use it in practical and creative ways to enhance their lesson plans.” Those are the ones that stick with her.

Before CFOV, Debbie’s career took some interesting turns. She got her start at age 15 working at Hardee’s and stayed there for several years before eventually moving into Worker’s Compensation and Vocational Rehabilitation. It’s a varied background, but the throughline is clear: she’s always been drawn to work that requires careful attention to process and genuine care for the people involved.

Her connections extend well beyond the Foundation’s walls. Debbie is a member of PEAK Grantmaking, a national organization for philanthropy professionals, and she regularly volunteers at nonprofit fundraising events in the area including 5Ks, galas, and bingo nights, wherever the cause needs her.

Ask Debbie how she stays productive and she’ll tell you: lists. She’s a task list person through and through, and there’s real satisfaction in drawing a line through something once it’s done. The professional wisdom she leans on is simple but enduring: stay curious, keep learning, and never assume you’ve figured it all out.

When she’s not at work, you might find her in the garden, which she tends with care both indoors and out. She’s almost always in the middle of several books at once, has been cooking more lately and enjoying it, and loves a long walk, particularly one that happens to wind through the Rocky Mountains or somewhere along the Northern California coast. One more thing worth knowing about Debbie: she can usually feel a storm rolling in before it arrives. Make of that what you will.

Her dream trip would take her to Ireland, where her family’s roots trace back to Galway. It’s a journey that’s been on her list for a while, and one that feels more like a homecoming than a vacation.

As for what’s next, Debbie’s outlook is steady and sensible: stay healthy, stay active, and keep chasing that balance between work and everything else that matters. After 11 years, she’s still curious, still improving things, and still finding the work meaningful, and that’s exactly the kind of person CFOV is lucky to have.