King new Urban Youth Action executive director

Created on Wednesday, 23 December 2009 13:10 Last Updated on Monday, 03 December 2012 19:20 Published on Thursday, 24 December 2009 01:16 Written by Courier Newsroom Hits: 2705

Urban Youth Action, Inc. welcomes Ruthie D. King as its new executive director. With an impressive background in business and community leadership, King brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Pittsburgh’s oldest youth workforce development organization.

RUTHIE D. KING

With a successful track record of youth workforce development, educational partnerships and community engagement, King is positioned to help UYA continue its mission to prepare youths to be “work ready, life prepared and community minded.”

Before joining UYA, King served as director for Educational Partnerships with UPMC where she developed strategies to create and expand pipeline workforce joint ventures with school districts, vocational and technical schools.  Prior to that, she worked as the director of Culture Diversity Initiatives for UPMC and as an economic development and marketing representative for Equitable Resources (now EQT). She also served as one of the founding directors of FAME or the Fund for the Advancement of Minorities in Education. Taking on the challenge of leading UYA into the next phase of its mission to impact our region’s youths is something that King’s experience makes her well suited to undertake. As she notes, “Urban Youth Action is a dynamic, thriving youth and community organization, and I look forward to helping UYA guide even more students to achieve success in the region and beyond.”

King holds a master’s degree in public administration and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s of science in health care administration from Tennessee State University.  She has served on a number of boards within our region including Leadership Pittsburgh, Inc.;  CORO Center for Civic Leadership; Carnegie Library; Shadyside Academy; Pittsburgh Ballet Theater as well as the advisory boards for Bidwell Training Center and WQED.

King is married and the mother of two children. Both children are actively pursuing post-secondary degrees.