May, 2016 -- Bethesda Project's Board of Directors has named Tina Pagotto as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately.

As CEO, Pagotto will continue to develop and expand Bethesda Project’s relationships, lead and grow fundraising efforts, cultivate and implement strategic initiatives, and manage and oversee the organization’s human and physical assets. Most importantly, Pagotto is dedicated to increasing Bethesda Project’s brand awareness in the City of Philadelphia, believing “it’s essential for the community at large to hear about the excellent work of Bethesda Project, and to join us in improving the lives of our most vulnerable citizens.” Through her service on a number of city-wide committees, she has already significantly raised the organization’s profile in the city. Since 2009, Pagotto has been a member of the City of Philadelphia’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Advisory Board, and since 2014, she has served as Co-Chair of the Hall Mercer Community Mental Health Center Advisory Council.

Project Home’s Associate Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Joan McConnon, remarked that “we are proud to call Tina and her Bethesda Project team our valued colleagues in supporting Philadelphia’s homeless community.”

Pagotto graduated Summa Cum Laude from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. She taught elementary school in the Bronx as part of a two-year AmeriCorps placement with Teach for America. Pagotto subsequently returned to Temple University, where she successfully earned her Master of Social Work Degree with a concentration in Management and Planning and a specialization in Health and Mental Health. During her 10-year tenure at Bethesda Project, she carried out her academic field placements as a Case Manager and Programs & Social Services Administrator, and held full-time positions as Development Associate, Director of Housing, Associate Director of Administration, and Chief Operating Officer. Board member and former Executive Director, Angelo Sgro, says that “there’s no one better prepared to take on this important role at Bethesda Project than Tina!”

Bethesda Project serves 2,000 homeless and formerly homeless men and women each year at 13 sites throughout Philadelphia. Since 1979, the organization has partnered with other non-profits and local churches in support of its mission. From street outreach and shelters to permanent supportive and independent housing residences, its locations create a “continuum of care” for Philadelphia’s chronically homeless. Bethesda Project meets men and women where they are, providing case management to help them achieve their highest personal potential. Now, more than 35 years since its beginning, Bethesda Project remains committed to its initial calling — to find and care for the abandoned poor and to be family with those who have none.