PITTSBURGH, PA – Susanne Cole, MA, LSW, formerly of Bridgeport, West Virginia, has been named senior vice president of programs for Pressley Ridge. In this position, Cole, who recently relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will be responsible for the development of all programs, as well as the organization’s marketing and communications efforts.

“We are delighted to have Susanne take on this role,” said B. Scott Finnell, Ph.D., LCSW, president and CEO of Pressley Ridge. “She possesses a vast knowledge of our organization, having started here more than 18 years ago as a teacher/counselor. She is well-equipped to help lead Pressley Ridge’s efforts to expand the programs and services we provide to children and families locally, nationally and internationally.”

Previously, Cole served as vice president of residential and educational services, where she oversaw the residential and educational service lines operated by Pressley Ridge. Before that, she was the executive director of Pressley Ridge’s operations in West Virginia (WV).

In 1990, Cole joined Pressley Ridge as a teacher/counselor at the Grant Gardens residential program in WV and later served as the program’s director for seven years. She became deputy state director for southern WV in 2001, managing a number of residential, foster care and community-based programs. In August 2002, her responsibilities expanded to include northern WV.

Cole is active in many projects benefitting children and families. She was the president of the Board of Directors for the WV Alliance for Children; is a director-at-large for the American Association of Children’s Residential Centers; provides training and consultation to local educational systems on how to work with troubled youth in a classroom setting; and presents at national and local conferences on issues concerning troubled children and youth.

She earned her masters degree in Special Education and bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Marshall University in Huntington, WV. Additionally, she is a licensed social worker.