Jill Pereira to serve as first-ever Vice President, Education of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley

Allentown, PA – United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley (UWGLV) announced today that Jill Pereira will serve as the first Vice President, Education in the organization’s 100-year history. In this newly created role, Pereira will strengthen United Way’s community partnerships as the organization strives to ensure that all students in the Greater Lehigh Valley area achieve grade-level reading success and graduate from high school ready for college and career.
 
“Jill Pereira’s talent for building partnerships and continuously improving our work in education has enhanced the lives of thousands of Lehigh Valley children and families,” said David Lewis, President of UWGLV. “Under her leadership, United Way Community Schools have grown into a network spanning 24 schools serving 17,000 students across four school districts.”
 
Since 2009, Pereira has held various leadership roles within the UWGLV Education team, most recently as Senior Director, Education. Pereira will continue to oversee UWGLV’s $5.5 million annual investment in education as well as create and execute the strategies needed to advance successful outcomes for youth across the region.
 
“United Way is committed to moving education forward in the Greater Lehigh Valley,” said Pereira. “We are recognized as a leader for education transformation and a national example of how a United Way can impact education outcomes.”
 
Pereira’s professional background includes working in high-need communities in the Lehigh Valley serving diverse populations spanning the fields of mental health, juvenile justice, children and youth, public housing, and public education.  As co-founder of the Pennsylvania Community Schools State Coalition, Jill worked to ensure that Pennsylvania's Every Student Succeeds Act recognized the Community Schools model as a strategy. Jill has presented at numerous local, state, and national conferences on the Community School archetype and the role United Way can play in large-scale social change efforts.  She was named one of the Lehigh Valley Business’ Forty Under 40 in 2015 for her work at United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. 
 
Jill completed a study abroad program in Quito, Ecuador while earning her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Elizabethtown College and continued intentional work with the Hispanic community in the Lehigh Valley upon returning and completing her Master’s degree in Social Work from Marywood University in 2004. Jill lives in Palmerton, Pennsylvania with her husband and three children.