EXPERIENCED EXECUTIVE, DR. PAMELA MARALDO, PAVES THE WAY TO FUTURE GROWTH FOR GIRLS INCORPORATED OF NEW YORK CITY

New York, NY – September 8, 2005 – The Board of Directors of Girls Incorporated of New York City is pleased to announce the hiring of its new Executive Director, Pamela J. Maraldo, PhD, an executive with expertise in working with the challenges facing not-for-profits, as well as experience in addressing the complexities of a world in which girls and young women are not always encouraged to grow up to be all that they can be.

Dr. Pamela Maraldo has led revitalizations of two large national not-for- profits: Planned Parenthood Federation of America and The National League for Nursing.  In addition, Dr. Maraldo has expertise in areas vital to the health and welfare of girls in New York City: teen pregnancy, violence and sexual harassment in the schools, substance abuse and depression, as well as a deep and abiding understanding of the world as seen through a gender-based lens.

No newcomer to the world of not-for-profits, Dr. Maraldo has 15 years of experience as a Chief Executive Officer. According to Dr. Maraldo, “I feel like I found a diamond in the rough! Girls Incorporated of New York City has incredible potential. It has fabulous programs and a wonderful dedicated group of people involved, at the Board as well as staff levels.  Girls Incorporated of New York City profoundly affects the lives of hundreds of girls every day,  It is well positioned to become the authoritative voice for girls in New York City. It has a story to tell, and I’m going to help get the word out, so it can touch the lives of thousands of girls all over the city”.

 “Pam has exactly the blend of experiences that will be very helpful to us at this juncture”, remarked Bente Frantz, Chairman of the Board. “Her leadership experience and her background in health and social issues affecting women and girls make her well suited to assist us to enter a new phase of growth. In addition, in the current environment, where presidents of major universities feel free to make disparaging remarks about the aptitude of girls in math and science, we wanted to bring someone on board who has experience dealing in the world of advocacy, the world that makes decisions about the lives of girls and women.”

Indeed, some of the ‘signature’ programs of Girls Incorporated of New York City are programs that teach girls math, science and technology (Operation Smart®), and understanding money and finances (Economic Literacy ®). The Economic Literacy® program has been so successful that the mothers of many of the girls in the program have asked Girls Incorporated of New York City if it would do another version for the mothers themselves. Girls Incorporated of New York City doesn’t shy away from controversial topics that address health concerns and sexuality when they are important to the lives of girls it serves, who often have no one to talk to at home on the subject of sexuality. 

Dr. Maraldo will work with Girls Incorporated of New York City for one year. During that time, her focus will be on expanding these unique programs as well as working with the Board and staff to initiate new ones, to raise the profile of the organization and expand its funding base.  

She succeeds the Reverend Lorena Parrish, who established the Girls Incorporated of New York City Institute for Social Change, developed a partnership with city government and assisted the Board in restructuring the organization prior to her decision to complete her doctoral work at Union Theological Seminary. 

Dr. Maraldo serves on several Boards and served on the New York City Board of Health for eight years. She serves as an adjunct faculty member of New York University’s College of Nursing. Dr. Maraldo is a frequent speaker and lecturer on leadership, public policy, women and health issues. She is the author of Women’s Health for Dummies, numerous articles and book chapters, and has received several honors and awards.

Girls Incorporated of New York City has a unique approach to program delivery – forming strategic partners with leading members of the community to bring dynamic programs – from teaching advocacy and media literacy to self-esteem and teen pregnancy prevention – to girls where they are – in their schools, their social settings, and in their places of worship. Its focus: empowering girls based on developing their inner and outer beauty, and helping them to learn---at an early age---that they can be and do anything they choose to. Girls Incorporated of New York City’s Strategic Partners include: The YWCA of Brooklyn and the YWCA of the City of New York, New Settlement Apartments, The East Harlem Tutorial Program and North Shore/Long Island Jewish Health Centers.
 
The mission of Girl’s Incorporated of New York City is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold^.sm

For information:
Contact: Jennifer Weidenbaum
Phone: 212.269.3658