The Domestic Violence Intervention of Lebanon County (DVI) Board of Directors has appointed LeAnne Burchik and Mike Ritter to the positions of Executive Director and Deputy Director, respectively.
The DVI is a nonprofit organization that provides free services to victims of domestic violence, including counseling, emergency shelter, and a 24-hour hotline. The organization also offers public education presentations and programs for schools.
Burchik will succeed eight-year Executive Director Jennifer Snyder in the position. Burchik holds a J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law and a B.A. in English from California University of Pennsylvania. She is admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar and is a member of the Lebanon County Bar Association.
Herself a survivor of domestic violence, Burchik stated in the release that “[d]omestic violence is like a cancer. When survivors seek out the shelter, it is at Stage Four. We need to catch it in the early stages.”
Burchik added that her goal in the position is to expand DVI’s services throughout the county and reach and help more victims. She has worked with the organization for three years as on its Board of Directors.
Her past experience includes 18 years of work as an insurance consultant and time as Regional Claims Counsel for Nationwide Insurance in Harrisburg. Outside of work, Birchik is a volunteer at the Mt. Gretna Playhouse and a member of the Hope Episcopal Church outreach committee. Following Hurricane Maria in 2017, she worked to create a program to relocate victims into Lebanon County.
Ritter graduated from Ohio University with a master’s degree in Public Administration and from Penn State with two bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology. He is certified as a trauma-competent professional by Lakeside Global Institute.
The position of Deputy Director is a new one, though Ritter has been working at DVI for 10 years as its public education coordinator. “While I will still very much be seen out and about in the community, I am excited to re-center some of my focus on how we are working with survivors locally,” said Ritter in the release.
Outside of his work with DVI, Ritter also acts as chair of Community Health Council task force Connected Together and co-chair of the Lebanon County Commission to End Homelessness. He is involved in local and regional theater, having performed and and directed at the Hershey Area Playhouse and acted as treasurer for both the Playhouse and the Lebanon Community Theater.
For more information on the DVI, visit its website or Facebook page.
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