MILWAUKEE, WI – July 2023 – The Board of Directors of PEARLS for Teen Girls, a leadership development non-profit serving girls in 5th through 12th grade, today announced Tiffany Tardy as the organization’s next President and CEO. Tardy brings deep experience in the education and non-profit sectors and a deep passion for serving young people, specifically girls, in the greater Milwaukee area.
“We are thrilled Tiffany will be joining PEARLS for Teen Girls where her background in education and cultivating relationships with community partners will help us create new opportunities and build for the future,” said Jennifer Dirks, PEARLS for Teen Girls’ Board Chair. “Having led strategic initiatives and fund development strategies, she understands the power of meaningful connections and how these strengths will empower the next generation of young girls in Milwaukee. Working with PEARLS’s talented and passionate team members, Tiffany will continue to increase the positive impact PEARLS has in our Milwaukee community – and beyond.”
Tardy most recently served as the Executive Director of the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation. She had overall strategic and operational responsibility for the foundation’s staff, programs, and execution of its mission to provide equitable opportunities for all MPS students and staff. She is a firm believer in the transformative power of education, passionate about issues of equity and access in education, and works diligently to support students on their educational journeys.
“I have always been a huge proponent of the mission and work of PEARLS and so inspired by the 30-year track record and the incredible impact this organization has had in the Milwaukee community,” said Tardy. “I feel like all my experience, passion, and commitment to developing and supporting young women, and providing equitable access to education and careers in our city are all aligned with PEARLS. While I do believe impact transcends place, I truly do believe PEARLS is the place at which I can create the greatest impact in Milwaukee.”
Prior to the MPS Foundation, Tiffany served as the Managing Director of Program for All-In Milwaukee, a college completion program, as well as the Director of the Grace Scholars Program at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, WI. Tiffany received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Education at Alverno College. Tardy succeeds Gerry Howze, who passionately served the PEARLS organization in various roles for more than 25 years.
PEARLS is in a strong financial position, and under Tiffany’s leadership, PEARLS aims to realize the strategic growth plan that was put in place before the pandemic. Tiffany will begin her new role August 1.
