Chief Executive Officer of the Children's Institute of Pittsburgh
Wendy Pardee found her passion in the nonprofit sector and has over 20 years of experience in human services. She served as the chief financial officer of the Community Guidance Center, an Indiana, Pennsylvania, based nonprofit behavioral health and addiction counseling service agency, where she developed a passion for offering a robust spectrum of services and moving beyond silos of care.
Her first chief executive officer role was with Skills of Central Pennsylvania, a $50-million intellectual disability and behavioral healthcare provider located throughout Central Pennsylvania, serving over 1,100 individuals. Wendy then became the chief executive officer of Hattie Larlham, an Ohio-based nonprofit that provides medical, residential, recreational, and work training services to 1,800 children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. However, she recognized that Pennsylvania is her true home and returned to Pittsburgh to lead the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She has advanced the organization’s mission to provide high-quality therapeutic, educational, and social services to children and families in Western Pennsylvania.
Throughout her career, she has demonstrated an interest in building partnerships and developing innovative programs that focus on holistic approaches to care for underserved populations.
Wendy has served on community health councils, local YMCA boards, community daycare boards, the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association board, the Center Area Transportation Authority Board, and the American Association of University Women.
Wendy Pardee earned her undergraduate degrees in accounting as well as management information systems. She completed her MBA and later earned her PhD in administration and leadership studies. Her dissertation focused on financial and operational performance variances among traditional nonprofits versus those engaged in earned income activities. She has an interest in high-performing nonprofits and achieving operational efficiencies. Wendy is proud to have earned each of her degrees from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.