East End Cooperative Ministry Names Diona Jones Next President & CEO
Experienced, Forward-Focused Nonprofit Leader Will Guide EECM’s Restructuring, Enhanced Community Presence, & Expanded Donor Relationships
January 23, 2025, PITTSBURGH – The Board of Directors of East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM), a mainstay of Pittsburgh’s human services safety net for more than half a century, today announced Diona Jones as its new president and chief executive officer. Jones was formerly the Executive Director of Focus on Renewal (FOR) in McKees Rocks Borough.
“We are fortunate Diona Jones was available at this time and interested in tackling an expansion of the reputation, community connections, and donor relationships of East End Cooperative Ministry,” said David J. McAllister, EECM’s Board Chair. “Diona has every qualification the Board was seeking in a leader for the organization’s purposeful growth and change, including strong educational credentials, broad proficiency in human services administration, and recent, successful experience as a nonprofit chief executive familiar with the most pressing issues of this region and the Commonwealth. The Board could not be more pleased to welcome Diona as our new leader.”
Jones was selected for EECM’s top role following an extensive regional and national search conducted by the organization’s Board in collaboration with Nonprofit Talent, a Pittsburgh executive search boutique serving nonprofits and businesses in the mid-Atlantic states. The position had been vacant since Rev. Darnell Leonard, former CEO resumed full-time leadership of EECM’s Children and Youth Services Programs.
“It is an honor to join EECM at this pivotal point in its history,” Jones said. “The organization has accomplished a great deal in its illustrious history, but the need to help local individuals and families facing the impacts of poverty has unfortunately never been greater. Safe, affordable housing, for example, is a problem that increasingly demands creative solutions and more and better integrated community resources; food insecurity continues to rise with devastating lifelong consequences; and too many East End children and youth are not yet on a path to achieve academic or occupational success. With so much to be done and so little time to do it, I am eager to develop new community partnerships and resources, and promote the attainment of permanent, sustainable, and positive changes in Pittsburgh’s East End.”
Jones became Focus on Renewal’s Executive Director in November 2023, after serving as its Deputy Director for more than two years, and as its Director of Community Services for two years before that. During her tenure at FOR, she was responsible for advances in several key areas, including the implementation of successful violence prevention programs promoting community safety and well-being; the expansion of FOR’s community housing program, providing more residential opportunities for individuals and families in need; and the promotion of art and culture in fostering community engagement through a popular after-school initiative. Jones was known for an exceptional dedication to community development, coupled with outstanding strategic vision, and the ability to raise and manage the financial resources needed to fuel FOR’s growth and sustain its forward momentum.
Jones’ educational credentials include an earned doctorate in Community Engagement and Leadership Development from Point Park University; a Master of Science in Professional Counseling from Carlow College; and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from University of Phoenix.
Jones will work with three Vice Presidents at EECM: Reverend Leonard as Vice President of Children and Youth Services/Congregational Liaison/ and Special Projects; Nicole Harrington, Ed.D., as Vice President of Community Programs; and Jerry Parfitt as Vice President of Finance and Administration, including Human Resources.
About East End Cooperative Ministry
Founded 55 years ago with a mission of changing the lives of residents of Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhoods facing the impacts of poverty, East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) has provided opportunity, transformation, and hope to those experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, educational challenges, and barriers to employment in the decades since. Today, the organization provides Housing & Employment Services, Community Food Services, and Children & Youth Services to meet these needs.
Support for EECM’s programming is provided by federal, state, and local government grants and contracts; foundation and corporate grants; individual donations; and in-kind services and supports. On a daily basis, the organization engages a small army of volunteers to ensure local residents obtain the resources they need. For more information about EECM’s services or to donate or volunteer, visit www.eecm.org.