Our Leadership

Jill Pereira’s professional background includes working in communities across the Lehigh Valley serving in the fields of mental health, juvenile justice, children and youth, public housing and public education. Jill’s drive to disrupt and change systems to more equitably serve all people brought her to United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. Since 2009, Jill has held many positions, becoming the Director of Community Schools in 2011, the first Vice President of Education in early 2018 and entering her role of Vice President, Education & Impact later that same year. Jill is currently responsible for overseeing how United Way invests its resources into community to drive large scale social change in Education, Healthy Aging and Community Stability, a more than $20M annual endeavor.

Jill is passionate about working with underserved communities, advancing social justice, building capacity and creating opportunities for change and growth. In addition to her own personal story of resilience, Jill completed a life enhancing study abroad program in Quito, Ecuador while earning her BSW degree. She continued intentional work with the Hispanic community in the Lehigh Valley upon returning to complete her master’s degree in social work from Marywood University in 2004.

Jill has presented at numerous local, state and national conferences on the Community School model and the role a United Way can play in large-scale social change efforts, including how to advance a regional 3rd grade literacy campaign such as Lehigh Valley Reads. She was named one of the Lehigh Valley Business Forty Under Forty recipients in 2015 for her work at United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and in 2018, was honored with the National Coalition for Community Schools “Community School Initiative Leader” award for her work in growing a regional footprint with UWGLV’s Community School model. Jill lives in Palmerton, Pennsylvania with her three beautiful children.