Team Pennsylvania Appoints Abby L. Smith President & CEO
Harrisburg, PA – Abby Smith, Team Pennsylvania’s Vice President of Policy & Programs, has been named President & CEO by the Foundation’s Executive Committee, co-chaired by Governor Tom Wolf and Anthony S. Bartolomeo.
Smith has served as Senior Advisor to the Foundation and Vice President of Policy & Programs since her predecessor, Ryan Unger, ended his tenure with Team Pennsylvania in June 2021.
Anthony S. Bartolomeo, Senior Consultant with Pennoni and the board’s Private Sector Co-Chair, said Smith’s knowledge of the organization and her background in state-level policy laid the groundwork for her to become the Foundation’s next President & CEO.
“From the relationships that Abby has cultivated in both the public and private sectors, to her skills and experience, we are very confident in her ability to lead Team Pennsylvania,” said Bartolomeo. “We look forward to working with Abby as the Foundation’s President & CEO.”
Smith is fueled by the belief that through collaboration and innovation, we can drive economic growth to create a better, more equitable Pennsylvania for generations to come.
“As a member of the Team Pennsylvania staff for the past eight years, I look forward to leading in this new and expanded capacity,” Smith said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve our staff, our Board, and our Commonwealth, advancing both economic growth for Pennsylvania and economic opportunity for all Pennsylvanians.”
Smith has almost 20 years of experience working to improve education and workforce development systems to drive economic growth and opportunity. Prior to joining Team Pennsylvania in 2013, she worked as a policy specialist at the PA Department of Education; for Teach For America as a recruitment director; and as a 7th grade social studies teacher. Smith attended Yale University and has masters degrees in teaching from The Johns Hopkins University and in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University. Smith lives in Harrisburg, PA with her husband and twin sons, and she serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg.
TEAM PENNSYLVANIA is a non-partisan, charitable, non-profit created in 1997 to bring government and private sector leaders together for the betterment of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Team Pennsylvania’s support results in innovation that drives entrepreneurial spirit, improves and strengthens the state’s work force and contributes to a growing and vibrant Pennsylvania economy for all of its citizens.