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Ruth Heil cares about making things better.
She grew up playing in the wooded acres behind her rural Pennsylvania home. This quiet time spent in awe of an outdoor wonderland influenced her perspective and brought awareness to the natural order of things. She began to turn to nature for answers to every day problems; she became aware of the impact her life could make, whether it be positive or negative, always favoring the positive.
Hers was a Pennsylvania Dutch community, where the concept of “save and reuse” flourished. Her ancestors were Pennsylvania farmers, at the mercy of the land and weather and -- being isolated by a peculiar language -- survived with their own skills and self-taught trades. They were, and Ruth is, industrious, devout, self-sufficient, open to every shade of religious expression, and dedicated to wasting nothing and making full use of opportunity.
At age 18, she moved to Philadelphia where she began her administrative career in the world of advertising at Gallagher Knetzger. As Vice President in Charge of Production, she became the liaison between the client and the artist, making sure the final product satisfied everyone's needs, on deadline and on target. The genre was a good fit for Ruth because she could effectively combine her creative side with her orderly side. Mentors taught her the value of good design, copywriting, page layout, typesetting, and branding.
In 1999, Ruth created Streamline Organizational Services, acting on a hunch that her organizational talents would be of value to others who were drowning in details. Through this office management consulting service, Ruth assisted entrepreneurs in creating solid foundations on which successful businesses could be built. Streamline was set apart from other “organizers” by its strict focus on office management. The job required a current knowledge of the technological, physical, and intellectual needs of a 21st-century office. The extinction of the secretary has blurred the office manager’s role, and Ruth still acts as an advocate for the men and women who fill this often-thankless, but very important, position.
Ruth says that it is from her clients that she learned the most; their vision and entrepreneurial spirit inspired her. In return, she provided them with well-rounded, thought-provoking advice, always respecting the value of their creative traits.
In 2007, the Upper Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce presented the “Distinguished Service Award” to Ruth. She had served on the Chamber’s Program Development Committee for over five years, as chair for three of those years, working to plan, evaluate, and execute the Chamber's events. She also designed and implemented a custom Microsoft Access database tool for the Chamber to track its membership and sponsorship details.
“Ruth has the unique ability to quickly assess a situation, determine the magnitude and then offer a suggestion. Needless to say, her quiet and unassuming presence has a calming influence when things get hectic. She is the ideal example of ‘don’t sweat the small stuff.’ But don’t let that fool you, she has a keen eye for the small stuff and doesn’t gloss over details. Most recently, we engaged Ruth at the Chamber to review our internal procedures and make suggestions. She didn’t miss anything and we have ‘streamlined’ a number of tasks and are working on the same approach for our database,” said Luanne Stauffer, Executive Director.
In 2008, she followed the long-time advice of colleagues, friends, and loved ones by focusing her efforts solely on the craft of writing. She now shares her knowledge of a variety of administrative, environmental, and spiritual topics with readers in the business community. She has contributes monthly to the Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal (www.epbj.com) with articles of interest to business owners who care about the environment. She continues to inform past clients and colleagues of administrative issues through her Email newsletter: the “SOS Signal”, a publication written entirely by Ruth. She also creates business documents such as procedures manuals and trade journal articles to help her clients tell their story.
Ruth is comfortable addressing an audience. After joining a local Toastmasters public speaking club (www.Toastmasters.org), she achieved Competent Leader status. She has delivered seminars and talks on various subjects for local groups and organizations.
Loyal readers of Ruth's Back to Basics Blog strive to live a simple life. Entries are designed to provide this community with an avenue to converse and support each other in their attempts. Ruth also writes articles for magazines and other publications on such topics as outdoor music festivals, recreation, and the environment, always focusing on the simplest solutions and calling attention to the miracles surrounding all of us.
Ruth has played the piano for over 30 years. She volunteers in various economic development, community building and environmental capacities including serving on the Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s Annual Schuylkill Watershed Congress planning committee. She enjoys music, skiing, hiking, jigsaw puzzles, and more.
She strives to say what needs to be said while building a well-balanced, healthy, environment for both herself and those around her. She cares about making things better.
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