McAuley Ministries Announces Recipient of the 2022 Sister Susan Welsh Good Neighbor Award, Two New Appointments to its Board of Directors, and its 2023 Advisory Council Members
PITTSBURGH (February 15, 2023) – McAuley Ministries, Pittsburgh Mercy’s grant-making foundation, is pleased to announce Brenda Tate, of the Hill District, as the recipient of the 2022 Sister Susan Welsh Good Neighbor Award.
The Sister Susan Welsh Good Neighbor Award recognizes a resident of the Hill District, Uptown, or West Oakland who exemplifies the ideals of a “good neighbor” – a person who is compassionate, friendly, and helpful; a willing volunteer; an organizer of neighborhood events; and devotes time, talents, and resources to make their neighborhood a better place to live. The award is named in honor of Sister Susan Welsh, RSM, former president and CEO of Pittsburgh Mercy, a founding board member, and a current board member of the McAuley Ministries Foundation.
Brenda Tate exemplifies all of these traits and more. She has committed her life to serving as a faithful servant of God. Brenda Tate is the mother of two sons, James E. Tate Jr. and Demetrius J. Tate, and is a proud grandmother. She has spent many years as a community activist and is committed to organizing events that educate and raise social justice awareness in the Greater Pittsburgh area and surrounding communities. She has even performed missionary duties in Africa and Eastern and Western Europe. To put it succinctly, local resident Tonya Ford said, “Brenda Tate is the Hill District Community hero with a commitment to service.”
Brenda stated, “We here in the Hill District are extremely blessed to be the beneficiaries of McAuley Ministries benevolence, and I am extremely honored and humbled to have been chosen as the recipient of 2022 Sister Susan Welsh Good Neighbor Award. To be awarded such a prestigious award bearing the name of a trusted servant as Sister Susan Welsh, will leave an everlasting impression on my life. Thank you for the good work you continue to do in this community.”
In addition to the Sister Susan Welsh Good Neighbor Award, McAuley Ministries announces two new appointments to its board of directors: Sister Judith Stojhovic and Dr. Howard B. Slaughter Jr. Each will serve a three-year term.
Howard B. Slaughter Jr.
Dr. Howard B. Slaughter Jr. is president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh. Prior to joining Habitat, he was an entrepreneur and president and CEO of Christian Management Enterprises, LLC, a business management and real estate consulting firm. Dr. Slaughter is a recipient of the 2021 Fox Rothschild Outstanding Chief Executive Officer and Top Executive Award from The Pittsburgh Business Times. His banking career began at Equibank, where he was an assistant vice president. He then became vice president of Community Development at Dollar Bank, where he led the financial institution to its first ever Outstanding CRA rating from the Office of Thrift Supervision. Dr. Slaughter was senior vice president of Public Policy & Development at the Epilepsy Foundation of Western and Central Pennsylvania. He has served on Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority, Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania; chair, Howard Hanna Children’s Free Care Fund Foundation; the Mt. Ararat Community Activity Center; and the operational committee, Pennsylvania Community Development Bank boards. He is the recipient of the Carlow University 2017 Laureate Award for outstanding academic achievements and professional contributions by Carlow alumni.
Sister Judith Stojhovic, RSM
Sister Judith Stojhovic, RSM graduated from Mt. Mercy College (now Carlow University) with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and became certified in elementary and secondary education. She went on to earn a Master of Science degree in mathematics from Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, then Duquesne University in Pittsburgh where she obtained certification as a secondary school principal. She entered the Sisters of Mercy in September of 1960. She began teaching in Pittsburgh in 1964, when Catholic America was at its peak and has since retired from education, having served as principal in several schools in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. She served on the administrative council of the Pittsburgh Sisters of Mercy for four years and was the first Sister of Mercy to become president of the Carlow College Alumni Association. Sr Judith has served on the boards of directors of Holy Cross Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Carlow College; and the former Mercy Hospital Foundation. She will be a welcome addition to the board. She currently volunteers at UPMC Mercy hospital as a eucharistic minister.
In the fall, McAuley Ministries announced the launch of its Advisory Council. The goal of the Council is to provide key community input that will identify and shape new strategic initiatives. Members will represent and advocate change for children and youth, community programming, cultural enrichment and the arts, dimensions of wellness, economic development, education, gun and gang violence, hate crimes, housing, seniors, social justice, social supports, and women. The McAuley Ministries Advisory Council members are:
Tyian Battle
Executive Director, ACH Clear Pathways
Annette M. Fetchko, RN, MHA
Executive Director, Bethlehem Haven
LaJuana Fuller
Director, Womens Imaging Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
Carol Hardeman
Executive Director, Hill District Consensus Group
J. Joy Gero, PsyD
Director, Population Health & Improvement Program Manager, UPMC
Elaine B. Jenkins
Vice Chair, Pennsylvania Council on Aging
Mark Latterner
Executive Director, Jubilee Association
Dr. Brittany McDonald
Executive Director, Uptown Partners of Pittsburgh
Erica Roberts
Program Manager, Justice Scholars Institute
Marcia Scott, MSOL, BS
Trauma-Informed Community Development Program Manager, Neighborhood Resilience Project
Rev. Lee Walls
Executive Director, Amani CDC
About McAuley Ministries
Named in honor of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, McAuley Ministries is the grant-making foundation of Pittsburgh Mercy. McAuley Ministries serves as a catalyst for change, committing resources and working collaboratively to promote healthy, safe, and vibrant communities. Grant-making priorities include health and wellness, community and economic development, education, and capacity-building initiatives for nonprofit organizations which focus on the Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland, the three Pittsburgh communities historically served by the Sisters of Mercy.
McAuley Ministries also provides support to organizations that are sponsored by and/or affiliated with the Sisters. Since its founding by the Sisters of Mercy in 2008, McAuley Ministries has awarded 930 grants and community support totaling $52.6 million. It awards on average $3.5 million in grants annually, making it one of the largest philanthropic foundations in Southwestern Pennsylvania. To learn more about McAuley Ministries and the initiatives it supports, visit www.mcauleyministries.org.
About Pittsburgh Mercy
Pittsburgh Mercy, a member of Trinity Health, serving in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, is a person-centered, population-based, trauma-informed community health and wellness provider. Pittsburgh Mercy includes Bethlehem Haven, McAuley Ministries, Pittsburgh Mercy Behavioral Health, Pittsburgh Mercy Community Health, Pittsburgh Mercy Intellectual Disabilities Services, the Pittsburgh Mercy Parish Nurse & Health Ministry Program, Pittsburgh Mercy’s Operation Safety Net®, and Pittsburgh Mercy Family Health Center. It is the region’s only Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) and Integrated Care & Wellness Clinic (ICWC).
We reach out and offer help – and hope – to some of our community’s most vulnerable populations: people who have physical and behavioral health challenges; people with intellectual disabilities; and people who are experiencing addiction, homelessness, abuse, and other forms of trauma. Our mission is to be a compassionate and transforming, healing presence within its communities.
With annual operating revenue of $111.4 million, Pittsburgh Mercy is one of the largest health and human service nonprofit organizations and employers in Southwestern Pennsylvania. We serve more than 18,000 people annually in 60+ locations and employ more than 1,000 colleagues. For more information or to make a donation in support of its mission, visit www.pittsburghmercy.org.
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