Caroline Pence named Postpartum Education and Support executive director
Media Contact: Caroline Pence, executive director of Postpartum Education and Support, 919-889-3221 or cpence@pesnc.org. For high-res image, please contact: Suzanne Stanard, sjstanard@gmail.com
Caroline Pence, clinical social worker and seasoned nonprofit leader, recently was named executive director of Postpartum Education and Support (PES), a Raleigh-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the emotional wellness of mothers.
With more than 15 years of professional nonprofit experience, Pence has held a number of positions with the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County, most recently as president of the board of directors. In 2011 she founded a local support group for parents of children with special needs.
"We are very excited to have Caroline join PES as our new executive director,” said Anne Wimer, PES founder and former executive director. “Her nonprofit leadership experience, creativity and commitment to women’s and families’ health issues make her a great fit to lead our organization. Working together with the board of directors and all of our wonderful volunteers, I believe Caroline will take PES to a new level of providing services for struggling new mothers and their families."
Prior to her work with the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County, Pence was a case manager at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass. She also has served two Georgia-area nonprofits, as community outreach advocate for Project Safe: Services for Battered Women in Athens, and as house manager for Project Renewal in Conyers.
"I am thrilled to be joining Postpartum Education and Support,” Pence said. “I am thoroughly impressed with the commitment of the volunteers and board members who have worked to establish PES as the primary nonprofit serving Raleigh-area women suffering from postpartum mood disorders. As executive director, I look forward to leading the organization and partnering with families, health care providers, community members and mothers who have experienced postpartum mood disorders."
Pence earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wellesley College in 1995 and a master’s degree in social work from Smith College in 2000.
She is optimistic about her work with Postpartum Education and Support, saying, "Together we will increase awareness about postpartum mood disorders and continue PES's commitment to a future where no mother suffers in silence and no family goes through the recovery process alone."
Postpartum Education and Support is a 501 c(3) nonprofit organization that offers support for mothers and their families, provides resources for healthcare providers and works to raise public awareness about postpartum mood disorders. Moms Supporting Moms, the peer-led support group that has served women and families for more than 10 years, is a signature PES program. For more information about PES, visit www.pesnc.org.