Kathleen Desmond, President

​Kathleen Desmond, President of PEC, is a child welfare and social work expert with 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector.  She has a Master’s of Social Work from Temple University, School of Social Administration. She previously worked at Best Nest, Inc. for 25 years and served as the CEO for 14 of those years. Kathleen brings to all of her work compassion, dedication, and a strategic vision for positive impact for the people and neighborhoods that PEC and its subsidiaries serve.
As a child welfare professional, Kathleen was instrumental in helping the Department of Public Welfare, Office of Medical Assistance develop the system by which they define and pay for medical foster care services in the state of Pennsylvania. She served on the Pennsylvania CAPTA (Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act) committee to promote the deinstitutionalization of children with special medical needs. In 1994, Kathleen was one of a small group of Child Welfare delegates chosen to represent the United States on a trip to Russia through the People to People Ambassador Program.
Kathleen has been an active member of the Philadelphia community, serving on boards and committees throughout the city. She is chair of the Access to Care Committees of both the Promise Zone and the Promise Neighborhood. Kathleen is also a member of the Economic and Workforce Development Committee of the Promise Zone. She was a member of the Board of Directors for Woman Organized Against Rape (WOAR) throughout the mid-1990’s. She has been a member of the Pennsylvania Council for Children Youth and Family Services Regional Board since 2005. Kathleen has been recognized for her child welfare work by local radio station KYW, and in March of 2007 by Temple School of Social Administration with their “Excellence in Leadership Award.” She serves on the Board of Directors of The Hope Factor in Pennsylvania and on the Roadmap to Homes Board of Directors.