PORTSMOUTH— While there are still missions to be accomplished and hurdles to leap in the greater Portsmouth area, there is massive progress being made all over by everyday people who are either providing a service, volunteering, serving in office, or donating to good causes. We frequently hear that we are in a renaissance, as new developments continue to pop up, new events are added to the calendar, and progress is made. But why? These things don’t manifest themselves.

In a weekly column, for one year, I plan on writing about a different member of the community who strives to make this renaissance go. I’ll be highlighting business owners, volunteers, faith-based leaders, professionals, and more.

I am column six into this journey, after highlighting four individuals, one couple, and a set of volunteer dogs. This time, I’m pivoting to another facet of my life and sourcing someone from my daytime job at Community Action Organization of Scioto County.

I’m only doing this because it is an appropriate time to do so, with Labor Day being last week. This person has worked tirelessly over hours unknown to anyone but herself, she has stood next to dislocated workers and helped them find work and training opportunities during some major layoffs in the area, she has served the union, she has helped underemployed locals find training, she has chased funding beyond anyone else in the county with a fervor that is admirable.

This column is on Luanne Valentine.

When I took my job as Business and Community Development Manager 17 months ago, which has since changed, I was warned by several people that Luanne could be a bit intense to work for. I was absolutely, 100 percent up for the challenge to learn and grow under her leadership. I wasn’t sure I knew what I was getting myself into.

Even she warned me once that my last boss, Sue Burke, was like a work mom to me and she was absolutely not that. However, now that I’ve had a chance to work with her, see her work with others, and work with an impressive surgical precision, I must say I have learned a lot and she may not be a work mom, but she is an excellent wicked work step-mom.

Luanne has a 31 year tenure at CAO. She began her journey as a fiscal clerk before transitioning into Workforce Development, where she has made a major difference.

She fell in love with workforce development early on, especially becoming attached to the work during major area layoffs, when dislocated workers lined up and depended on her for their future success. She was such a force to be reckoned with, she easily became adult program coordinator and then program director in 2011.

When she took over the department, its primary focus, obviously, was on workforce programming, as well as a youth nutritional program. Many things have changed since. Under her leadership, the department was changed to Workforce Solutions and Community Development, due to her inability to let potential grants go without Scioto County representation. She now boasts a department that works on workforce, nutrition, community health, parenting, park development, housing, tobacco cessation, is in the process of integrating WIC into the department, and massively extended the nutrition program. Her efforts typically bring in over $10 million dollars of opportunities for residents a year.

“Once the department reached $10 million in revenue, I didn’t believe there was much more to accomplish,” Valentine explained. “However, we’ve now expanded the department to include some health-related services, community development such as supportive housing and the modernization of parks, an older adult home modification program, family programming, and even greatly expanded our youth nutrition activities.”

Not only is Luanne dedicated to her employer, but she has been involved in a plethora of non-profits, boards and committees over the years.

“I was the first female Chamber of Commerce president, I’ve been the president of the Portsmouth Kiwanis, the president of the Portsmouth/Scioto County League of Women Voters,” Valentine said. “I serve on a number of boards and committees, recently becoming a board member of the Corporation for Ohio’s Appalachian Development and I’ve been asked to serve on the committee for the social work program at SSU.”

This list continues down a resume of involvement going back 30 years.

One of the people who has worked closely with Luanne over the years has been Executive director of ADAHMS Board of Adams, Lawrence, Scioto Counties Susan Shultz.

“I have worked with Luanne for many years on various projects while collaborating with other community partners. She is very passionate about the community and is very creative in developing projects that benefit our community,” Shultz said. “She is very hard working and has shown a highly respectful work ethic. It has been a pleasure to work alongside her for all these years.”

Despite her involvement in so many areas, there are some things that make her passionate unlike anything else.

“I’ve always had a passion for the workforce development department. Having the ability support someone as they upgrade their skills and move into new or better-paying employment is just an awesome feeling,” Valentine explained. “I’m always thinking at some point I’m going to work myself out of a job, happily.”

Over the years, Luanne has had many instances where she was reminded that her work is important. She has many success stories coming together to quilt a pattern highlighting her role in the community.

“I had one individual I was working with who had lost his 20-year job at Dayton Walther,” Valentine said. “We had in-depth discussions about what he planned to do next, even though he really wasn’t looking for a life change. He decided to sacrifice a lot in order to become a teacher, which was something he always wanted to do but life had taken down a different path. Once he earned his degree, he went on to become a very successful teacher, touching many lives along the way and even wrote a couple books. He was truly a blessing to work with and credited me with being his inspiration. He’s someone I’ll never forget.”

Many of the trainings Luanne has played a role in have come back to show major investment in the community. Since I’ve been involved, one instance stands out among the many.

Luanne had us working on a swift water rescue training for local EMS officials that she told me she was very passionate about seeing happen. We spent six weeks planning the funding, not only paying for the training but also the equipment for the new team. This was a partnership with the County. Because she persisted on us being involved and helping make this happen, the group saved its first life in only a month after the training was complete.

Of course, some people may say, outside of board, committee, and volunteer efforts, Valentine is simply doing a job she is paid for and doesn’t need write-ups about her achievements. I disagree with that type of opinion. Valentine is exactly the kind of community leader deserving of recognition. I say this because she isn’t the kind of worker who clocks in, does what is required, and clocks out.

Luanne takes every goal and doubles it for herself. She chases new funding and programming, because she knows if nobody else applies, it leaves Scioto County in the dark for this supportive service created by those dollars. She doesn’t stand in front of every picture, and she doesn’t demand to be a household name. She simply sees a need and works to accomplish it for people within the community. I get emails in the evenings, on the weekends, and way before 8 a.m. in some instances. She puts her community first and doesn’t demand to be thanked for it. She simply wants to see people improving their lives.

Sure, she can be a challenge to work with, as any employer or supervisor can be. What you get with that, however, is someone who doesn’t ask more than she is willing to do herself, someone who sets goals to challenge you, and someone who gives you a task because she believes in your abilities which leads to your own personal growth as well.

One of the people to know this just as well as I do is CAO’s Barb Gibson, who is the deputy of our department.

“I have worked with Luanne for many years at Community Action, but you really don’t know someone until you work for them,” Gibson said. “Luanne’s dedication to the people of Scioto County goes a very long way. She spends many, many hours writing grants and communicating with local and state business leaders to help people in need. Luanne’s vision has helped adults and youth acquire jobs, fed thousands of at-risk children, and helped develop community entities for the betterment of all.”

To Luanne, she is simply doing her job.

“When I started at Community Action, I simply needed a job,” Valentine recalled. “30 years later, it has become a way of life for me. I’m always looking for ways to make the community a better place and make life better for all those less fortunate, one individual at a time. Of course, that wouldn’t be possible if I didn’t have an incredible team working alongside me.”