Lea Ridenhour

Photo by Erin Yaeger Photography

By Kristen Uppercue

Lea Ridenhour, chief advancement officer at The Linsly School, is passionate about working with young people. A native of Hanover, PA, Ridenhour spent her college summers working as a camp counselor at Camp Nawakwa, a residential camp in Adams County, PA.

“I’m pretty sure that chief advancement officer wasn’t in my lexicon when I was a kid, but education was certainly on my radar as a career option,” Ridenhour says. “I have always been drawn to working with young people.”

After completing law school at the University of Richmond, Ridenhour moved to Wheeling to serve as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. Ridenhour considers Stamp a mentor.

“He brought patience, grace, dignity, humility and thoughtfulness to the practice of law and to the courtroom. There is no one else whom I would rather emulate professionally or personally,” notes Ridenhour.

In 1998, Ridenhour entered private practice before beginning a career in wealth management with WesBanco Trust & Investment Services in 2002. In her current role at The Linsly School, an independent boarding and day school in Wheeling, Ridenhour oversees fundraising and alumni engagement.

“My career progression has been fairly organic,” Ridenhour says. “I have always enjoyed my work with various nonprofit organizations throughout Wheeling and the region, both as a volunteer and during my time at WesBanco. I was ready for my next chapter, and working in the nonprofit sector was really appealing. Working for a nonprofit, and Linsly specifically, has given me the opportunity to combine 20-plus years of experience in law, financial services and nonprofit management into one position.”

In this role, Ridenhour has had the opportunity to fulfill her passion of working with young people through the school’s advisor program, which pairs every faculty member with a handful of students.

“I see my nine advisees for 40 minutes every day, and while there is no set curriculum, I like to think that by the time they’ve left me, they’ve learned a little something,” she says. “Sometimes they just hang out and relax, but we also have some really dynamic conversations about anything from relationships to college admissions to group projects. If you asked them, I hope they would tell you they felt appreciated and understood, though I get far more from them than I could ever give them in return.”

She also supports the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and organizations that support women and girls. In addition to serving as a life director of the Wheeling Symphony, Ridenhour has served on the boards of the Black Diamond Girl Scout Council, King’s Daughters Child Care Center, and Crittenton Services and she is a founding member of the Women’s Giving Circle.

Ridenhour is passionate about giving back to her community.

“I remember very vividly a conversation my father had with my oldest daughter in which he told her that if you have the means to do it, whether financially or by giving of your time or expertise, you have an obligation to give back. I’ve tried to do that,” she says.

Ridenhour’s personal motto is to leave it better than you found it, which she believes can be applied to a multitude of situations.

“When I consider my relationship with my academic advisees and my work at Linsly, what is always top of mind for me is, ‘Did I add value? Did I make this student’s experience better because I was here? Did I improve Linsly for the better during my time here?’”

In her free time, Ridenhour enjoys the outdoors. She explored her love of hiking in the Mountain State during the summer of 2020 when she traveled, hiked and rafted throughout the state with her daughters to expose them to West Virginia. She is happy to live, work and play in such a beautiful place.

“I’ve worked hard but have been rewarded for it,” Ridenhour says. “West Virginians are incredible in their work ethic, sense of community and resilience. It’s a beautiful state, and if you like to play outside, there’s no place better.”