Lynette grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. In 1970, after graduating from the University of Utah, she came to Pittsburgh to visit her brother. She subsequently found a job, apartment and a husband all within a few months, and she now considers herself a true Pittsburgher. While raising her 2 children, she was active in many volunteer opportunities including PTA, tutoring ESL children, Family House, Outreach South, Family Hospice, and Women’s Center and Shelter where she ended up working for 7 years. She currently volunteers 2 days a week at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center where she had spent many hours as a caregiver accompanying friends and family members. She serves on the Patient and Family Advisory Board at Hillman. Lynette enjoys yoga, theatre, reading, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family, especially her 3 year old grandson! For several years, Lynette was coordinator of Giving2Grow’s site visitor committee. After stepping down from that position, she is happy to continue her work with the G2G Board.

Betsy is a retired accountant whose passion lies in her volunteer work. Currently she works as an ESL tutor for two students from Afghanistan and a class of Latino beginners. She is proud to have helped 4 students study for their naturalization tests to become U.S. citizens. She also loves working with kids and volunteered for 10 years at SHIM’s afterschool program, assisting refugee children with their homework.  Through her church, Betsy was part of a ministry to build solar-powered water purification systems in Haiti and loved the chance to meet and learn from Haitian partners during her 5 trips.

In her free time, you will find either a tennis racquet or a book in Betsy’s hands.

Bridgit is a Pittsburgh native and bigtime advocate – one who started in the North, moved to the South and got her degree in the middle (at Pitt), resulting in a full appreciation of the rich benefits of the whole of Pittsburgh and surrounding counties – the disparate communities, the arts, the trails, and the parks.
Bridgit counts her years with La Leche League as the beginning of her community involvement. She was an active member of the choir for many years at Bower Hill Community Church, where she learned the real meaning of community watching her patient church friends try to herd her small children, who tended to crawl under the pews while their mother was in the choir loft. In the early 2000s, Bridgit joined many other concerned parents, educators, ministers and child advocates to form the Mt. Lebanon Children and Youth Consortium.
The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council benefited from a fun project Bridgit started when she worked at Huntington Insurance – the Election Day Brownie Bake-Off and Bake Sale, every May and November. And then there was the Used Purse Sale that benefited the company’s charity work. Bridgit taught her coworkers that giving can be fun. Bridgit is also on the Board for a private family foundation, and she recently signed on to be the Judge of Elections at Jefferson School.

Mary Beth is a licensed psychologist and professor emerita in the Graduate Psychology Programs at Chatham University where she served as Program Director and was involved in training counselors and psychologists. Prior to joining Chatham, she had an independent psychology practice in the south hills of Pittsburgh, working with children, adolescents, and families for over 20 years. Much of her teaching and community work is related to promoting sustainable health and well-being, particularly among under-served people. She sees Giving2Grow as a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the current and future health of the children of Western Pennsylvania.
Mary Beth loves to spend time with family, travel, read, do yoga, and ride her bike. She has two adult children and two grandchildren. Her partner, Larry Kale, is a chemist who has worked throughout the US and Canada and who is happy to now be settled in Mt. Lebanon.