Wendy Etheridge Smith, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

Homestead, Pennsylvania, United States

· Direct administration of over 20 programs, including Adult Basic Education, Alternative Education, Early Head Start, Family Literacy, Immigrant Services and Connections, PA-Funded Family Centers, Project ELECT, etc. and totaling an annual budget of over $41 million· Identify strategic initiatives for continuous quality improvement in educational services, including addressing child and family development along with professional development for over 350 staff· Work collaboratively as part of the Executive Leadership Team of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit to set and implement strategic direction for the organization

Pittsburgh, Pa

Design and support implementation of prevention efforts to enhance systems and improve services to contract agencies ultimately to strengthen outcomes for children and families.

Pittsburgh, Pa

Pittsburgh, Pa

High initiative, strategic, and entrepreneurial founder of Pittsburgh affiliate. Built enduring local partnerships with other community programs, public schools, corporations, and universities to advance organizational priorities and enhance community standing. Secured initial investments of $350,000 to open the affiliate and grew the annual fundraising to $900,000 annually. Recruited and supervised an effective team, growing from four to eleven full-time staff and over 15 part-time and/or seasonal staff. Led community efforts to improve afterschool quality and to increase access to college preparatory experiences in underserved communities. Inspirational and talented public speaker with a gift for convincingly conveying the goals of the organization.

Pittsburgh, Pa

Led strategic efforts for the "Motivating Kids to Succeed in School, " "Preventing Youth Violence," and "Helping Seniors Be Healthy And Safe at Home" Initiatives. Helped to raise $1.5 million annually to support the Initiatives, worked with a variety of nonprofits and private and corporate foundations to implement innovative collaborations and programs, and provided strategic oversight for efforts along with input into evaluation designs to assess program impact. Grew the department to include supervising three staff as expanded the role of initiatives as a method to increase fundraising opportunities and advance collective impact efforts under United Way's overall Impact strategy.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Area

Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. Completed legislative analyses to determine the effect of proposed bills. Led the development of Pennsylvania's first set of Infant and Toddler Standards by identifying and convening field experts from across the state, designing the method to gather input, and capably leading the group to reach consensus on the content of the learning standards. Completed and submitted the state's comprehensive Child Care and Information Services plan to the federal government. Designed and oversaw the first evaluation of the Keystone STARS Quality Improvement Initiative, which proved the Initiative led to increased quality. Represented the Department as a speaker during budget and program update presentations across the Commonwealth.

Greater Pittsburgh Area

Staffed collaborations to advocate for high quality early childhood services, including the Early Literacy Task Force. Served as evaluator on Governor Schweiker's Early Childhood Task Force. Compiled research to write reports on topics such as "Are We Leaving Them Behind?" that examined the availability of mental health supports in early childhood.

Ph.D., Developmental Psychology

Completed Master's in Child Clinical and Developmental Psychology.

A.B., Psychology, Cum Laude In Psychology

Activities and Societies: Harvard Cheerleaders, Kumba, Expressions Dance Company, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Lambda Upsilon Chapter.