2024 Annual Report

Staff Spotlight Deborah Duerk Operations Director

Deborah Duerk has always done meaningful work. She spent a large chunk of her early career – two decades to be exact – as camp director for Easter Seals Virginia, leading camping and recreation programs for kids and adults with disabilities. One day, by chance, she saw a news story about Saint Francis Service Dogs. She made a call and made a connection. They created “Saint Francis Days” at camp, where our puppies in training would come out and interact with their campers. “I was so impressed with how kind the puppy raisers and Saint Francis staff were, and how lovely they were in their interactions with our camp friends. I always had a little thought in the back of my mind that if I ever was ready to look for yet another dream job (because camp is a dream job), Saint Francis would be about as good as it could get,” Deb says. That opportunity arose in 2006, and Deb took it. She has worn many hats since then, all leading to her current position of Operations Director.

It’s a big role. Deb has her hand in just about every piece and process it takes to make our programs run smoothly and cooperatively. On any given day, she could be overseeing our ADI re-accreditation process, helping whelp our newest litter of puppies, or managing our veterinary extern program. And, when anyone yells out “Deb!” (usually the moment the Wi-Fi goes out), she is always there to help. “I love knowing that the things that I do behind the scenes to support and back up and sometimes guide the very talented folks who touch all of the operational pieces of our organization all lead to that glorious day when a partner and their very own perfect dog head out into the big wide world. It’s pretty great,” says Deb. Being a part of the Saint Francis collective is important to Deb, and it is a feeling she fosters amongst all our staff. She has the amazing ability to encounter a situation or problem, see the whole picture, and determine what got us there and what it will take to find the answer – together.

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