The board of directors of Vita Education Services announced that its executive director Mercedes Padrino Anderson is retiring in June after many years leading the nonprofit organization, which is the largest provider of adult education services in Bucks County.
Ellen Happ, board president, said, “Mercedes cares deeply about Vita’s mission, the staff and the students. She has put her heart and soul into this organization and she will be missed.”
Anderson has been with the organization for 14 years, first as a teacher coordinator, then as a program director. In 2018, she stepped into her current leadership role. Over the course of her tenure, Vita has grown to include more youth, refugees and returning citizens, and currently serves more than 1,000 people. Vita has expanded its mission to offer in-person, online and hybrid classes in the community and in correctional facilities.
“Every student Vita serves has a story of struggle, whether inmates in jail, refugees from a war zone or native-born Americans who had to drop out of school to get a job,” said Anderson. “Vita gives them a second chance at a productive, family-sustaining life. Our students are always very thankful for their teachers and counselors, but the truth is that the students are the ones who enrich our lives and inspire us with their courage and resilience.”
The board of directors is now conducting a search for a new executive director. Foundations Community Partnership has provided a grant, allowing Vita to engage the Catalyst Center for Nonprofit Management in support of this executive search.
Visit vitaeducation.org for more information.
