Ruth E. Siegfried

Breakout Topic: Social/Non-Profit Entrepreneurship

RUTH E. SIEGFRIED
FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
SHARPVISIONS, INC

Ruth E. Siegfried (Class of 1975) attended Graceland for two years before moving to Colorado for the culmination of her bachelor’s degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. While at Graceland, she participated in many sports coached by Betty Welch and others and worked in the office of Dr. Tom Nowlin. She completed her degree at Colorado State University, moved to Pennsylvania and completed courses toward a master’s degree in administration while working in human                                     service management positions.

Ruth considers herself to have become an entrepreneur by age 17 when she took her first job as a lifeguard over the summer. The pool management gave her free reign to conduct swimming lessons at the pool, so she got her water safety instructor certificate and set up a schedule. In each of the following summers, she made more money teaching lessons than she did working full-time as a lifeguard (and used all of it supporting herself through college).

In subsequent years, she set up a horse boarding operation during her college days in Colorado, in addition to teaching swimming to thousands of people of all ages and abilities. Always “game” for new endeavors, she has worked in some unusual organizations and learned the value and fun of taking good ideas and making them into fascinating and rewarding experiences.

Ruth founded SharpVisions 15 years ago to support people with the most challenging disabilities, often coupled with very difficult circumstances. What initially was a small enterprise supporting three people has grown to include 500 people supported by a staff of approximately 350, covering most of Pennsylvania. Through SharpVisions, individuals who may have been turned away from other programs because of the significant nature of their challenges find support to build real lives. Ruth serves as the corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, while also founding several other disability-related organizations.

Ruth has served as a board member for ten nonprofit corporations, and is currently an officer of six different boards active in political and advocacy work on behalf of people with disabilities. During recent years, Ruth has become intrigued by our global community, specifically through establishing partnerships with nonprofit organizations in South Africa and accepting a nomination to the board of FICE-USA, an international organization working to promote the care and well-being of children throughout the world.

In Ruth’s “spare” time, she still enjoys sports, competing in track and field, basketball and volleyball, and riding and competing in dressage with her horse, Rhetorical. She also sings in a community choir, and spends time with her family, particularly at the barn or on the golf course!

Ruth is proud to say that she is one of five Siegfried girls, all of whom attended Graceland, as have her all her nieces and nephews. In fact, one of those nephews is a current student and one of those sisters works in Graceland’s marketing department and is a local Lamoni entrepreneur herself – Marjie Foster, owner of the Linden Street Coffee House.