About Me

Dave Rastoka is a 1983 graduate of Lake Catholic High School in Mentor Ohio and he is a 1990 graduate of John Carroll University. While at John Carroll Dave earned an undergraduate degree in Sociology and a concentration in Psychology. Dave played football throughout his life and was a 1st Team All-State selection at Lake Catholic and was inducted into the Lake Catholic Hall of Fame in 2010. At John Carroll Dave was a 3 time All-American and he left John Carroll University as the school’s leading tackler in a game, season and career. Dave was inducted into the John Carroll Hall of Fame in 1990 with many other John Carroll greats such as, Don Shula, former NFL Head Coach and London Fletcher currently playing for Washington Redskins.

At the age of 16, Dave began working with people with disabilities as a life guard and as a teacher’s aid. It was that experience which inspired him to devote his life to helping people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. During his 30 year career he held a variety of positions and is currently an Executive Director for ResCare, the nation’s largest provider for people with special needs. Dave was in a Regional position before moving to the Executive Director’s position in 2010 and through supervising nearly 2,000 employees and managing a 42 million dollar budget, he has learned so many valuable skills that have made him the great leader and motivator that he is today. He has won numerous award during his years with ResCare – the highest being the Polaris Award given to the best operation in the Northern Region.

In 2005 Dave created HeartFelt Stories. HeartFelt Stories is a series of children’s books geared towards teaching kids about life lessons and core values. The purpose of this collection is to educate, inspire and entertain young children to become better people and to develop a positive self image. There are currently 9 books in the series and 5 books have been published.

Dave began conducting motivational speaking engagements in 2001 while with ResCare. He strongly promotes living life to the fullest with a session entitled “You’re Walking, Talking and Breathing But Are You Really Alive?” His session focuses on 10 Rules to a Happy Life. He presented his 10 Rules to his 50 managers in 2001 and he received a standing ovation. He is now committed to sharing his 10 Rules to a Happy Life across America and beyond!