WHEELING, W.VA. — Meet Liz Paulhus! Liz has served as the Director of Development and Donor Services at the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley (CFOV) since September 2023. In this role, she works closely with prospective donors to establish funds that align with their charitable goals and provides personalized support to current fundholders.
Her academic and professional journey is both rich and diverse. A Linsly graduate, Liz earned a degree in theology from Boston College before spending a year in Germany as a Fulbright Scholar. She went on to work at a research institute in Cambridge, England, before completing a master’s degree in public policy at Brandeis University. After a brief career in public policy, she transitioned to nonprofit leadership, where she spent more than a decade designing and strengthening programs aimed at reducing poverty, expanding opportunities, and helping individuals thrive and reach their full potential.
Liz brings a rare blend of analytical rigor, operational expertise, strategic thought, creativity, and contagious energy to everything that she does. A thoughtful collaborator, she’s known for turning bold ideas into implementable plans and rarely accepts the status quo as the best option. This hunger for continuous improvement drives her both personally and professionally.
Since moving back to West Virginia three years ago, Liz has renewed her commitment to community involvement by actively participating in several committees and boards. She currently serves on the WVU Cancer Institute’s statewide Community Advisory Board, Philanthropy Ohio’s Finance and Membership Committees, and Belomar Regional Council’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee. She was also invited – ten years after first serving in this capacity – to sit once again on the City of Wheeling’s Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, which completed its work in late 2024.
Outside of work, Liz shares a home with two active, senior cats who graciously let her live with them. She can be found most often with her hands in the soil, experimenting with fence-free landscaping that attracts pollinators but repels deer and rabbits (hot tip: mullein, hyssop, red hot pokers, coppertips, astilbe, and hellebores have all held their ground so far). When she’s not in the garden, she enjoys curling up with a good book – especially science fiction – with some Gustav Mahler on repeat in the background.
