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Athena Podcast Series: Athena Winner Angela Reynolds

Interview by Jonathan Kersting

In this episode of the UPMC Health Plan Athena Podcast we talk to Dr. Angela Reynolds, CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh YWCA.

Discover more about Angela:

Dr. Angela Reynolds is a leader who involves everyone in her success and whose community involvement has impacted countless lives.

She fosters space for those around her to flourish and builds systemic change to provide opportunities for women, especially women of color. Since becoming CEO of YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, Dr. Reynolds has cultivated a safe and supportive workplace culture within a predominantly female environment by allowing and encouraging employees to learn, problem-solve, take risks, build confidence and grow.

It was through Dr. Reynolds’ leadership that the YWCA was able to quickly adapt to COVID-19 and transition all programming to a virtual setting—ensuring operational business continuity and access to critical services for women and families in the Pittsburgh community. Her leadership at the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh during the pandemic ensured that vulnerable families had access to basic needs such as food, housing and utilities. Additionally, with YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women, she is active in advancing racial justice statewide through a coalition of YWCAs and led the formation of YW Wednesday Action Conversations—panel discussions that feature women of color with diverse professional backgrounds who provide education, resources and specific action steps that community members can take to impact change.

Throughout most of her career, Dr. Reynolds has been the only African American woman in leadership at her workplace. To rise to this challenge, Dr. Reynolds has intentionally coalesced advocates and allies who partner with her to strengthen internal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and service to the community. Prior to her work at YWCA, she served as Senior Director of United for Families and 2-1-1 at United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Dr. Reynolds was instrumental in shaping the United for Women initiative—an initiative to help women get back on their feet that served over 10,000 women during her seven-year tenure.

Throughout her adult life Dr. Reynolds has seized opportunities to mentor, encourage and support women and girls in their leadership development. A long-time volunteer of the 3 Cups of Coffee program at PA Women Work, Dr. Reynolds has mentored women job seekers. She has helped them build confidence and ambition to grow their careers as well as tangible interview and networking skills. Continuing in this mentoring vein, Dr. Reynolds’ legacy as a professor is carried through the 1,000+ students she taught during her tenure at the University of Pittsburgh. She also serves as the Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church in West Mifflin. In this role, she supervises many of the programmatic elements of the congregation, including the Praise & Worship Ministry and the Christian Education staff. Like her other leadership roles, Dr. Reynolds uses this position to encourage and mentor the church staff and volunteers, creating opportunities for them to step into their own leadership.

Dr. Reynolds is a proud mother of four and caregiver for her mother. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College, a Master’s Degree in Statistics from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis from the Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University.