Maria D. Anderson
Justin,TX
Summary
Strategic Operations Leader with over 20 years of experience enhancing enterprise operations across nonprofit, healthcare, education, economic development, and corporate sectors. Led initiatives to optimize systems, strengthen financial and human resource functions, and implement transformational change. Focused on aligning operations with mission-driven objectives to drive efficiency, growth, and stakeholder engagement.
Overview
33
33
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Operations
Women for a Healthy Environment
Pittsburgh, PA
09.2024 - 08.2026
- Worked with leadership on strategic planning and operational priorities.
- Managed budgets, invoices, and vendor relationships to support smooth daily operations.
- Supported executive operations by partnering with executive director and board of directors on finance, human resources, compliance, IT, and program administration.
- Developed workplace policies that improved operations and streamlined workflow processes.
- Created policies for workplace processes, resource use, and team coordination.
- Coordinated grant administration, reporting, and documentation to meet foundation and donor requirements.
- Maintained office systems, records, and administrative procedures to support program compliance.
Operational Lead & Business Development Rep.
Pittsburgh Minority Business Accelerator
Pittsburgh, PA
05.2022 - 08.2024
- Supported $2.5M operating budget and kept spending aligned with strategic priorities.
- Helped shape organizational strategy, improved operational performance, and maintained strong stakeholder relationships.
- Created key performance indicators and tracked progress to strengthen effectiveness and accountability.
- Coordinated cross-functional projects and delivered work on time and within budget.
- Built partnerships with 50+ client and community organizations.
- Supported daily operations for regional economic development initiative serving diverse businesses and anchor institutions.
- Provided operations support for eight-member team and assisted with board governance activities.
- Used software and tools to streamline processes and improve performance.
Executive Project Assistant
CalWest Educators Placement
Pittsburgh, PA
06.2021 - 08.2024
- Supported senior executives across more than 200 private schools nationwide with hiring initiatives and organizational projects.
- Reviewed and screened over 10000 candidate resumes to identify top talent for recruitment needs.
- Improved communication and hiring workflows to support client engagement and operational efficiency.
- Supported leadership with recruitment timelines, priorities, and daily administrative requests.
- Shared interview updates and next steps with candidates, clients, and internal teams.
- Coordinated marketing campaigns to engage over 500 stakeholders and expand outreach efforts.
- Organized confidential records, contracts, and correspondence for executive review.
Front Office Administrator & Executive Admin
Imani Christian Academy
Pittsburgh, PA
09.2019 - 04.2022
- Supported executive leadership on strategic initiatives serving pre-K through 12th-grade students.
- Assisted with records management, staff development coordination, and operational systems.
- Trained front desk staff on school policies and service standards, improving service delivery and customer satisfaction.
- Assisted with admissions processing and streamlined enrollment forms for incoming students, improving operational efficiency.
- Maintained attendance logs, student files, and confidential office records to support accurate documentation and compliance.
- Followed visitor access procedures and school safety protocols to support school safety.
- Built community partnerships supporting student enrichment, career readiness, and volunteer engagement.
- Responded to parent concerns regarding student matters and routed requests to appropriate academy departments.
Director of Community Programs
Highmark Health
Pittsburgh, PA
02.2017 - 01.2019
- Developed community health plans focused on prevention, wellness, and social determinants of health.
- Supported large-scale community health and engagement efforts across 49 counties, aligning programs with enterprise goals and population health priorities.
- Encouraged participation from over 40,000 employees in community service initiatives to strengthen social responsibility.
- Built strong partnerships with healthcare systems, nonprofits, and community stakeholders.
- Helped cross-functional teams and enterprise projects stay on track and aligned with community goals.
- Coordinated workshops, conferences, and seminars that advanced program objectives and increased stakeholder engagement.
- Created strategies that improved collaboration among organizations and expanded resources for programming activities.
- Reviewed survey and focus group data to identify actionable insights for program improvements.
- Offered guidance during strategic planning sessions with board members.
Vice President of Operations
National Center for Arts & Technology
Pittsburgh, PA
02.2013 - 02.2017
- Supported national growth initiatives and operational strategy for workforce development and education organization.
- Developed five-year growth and sustainability plan in collaboration with Deloitte Consulting.
- Managed workforce development programs by evaluating, interpreting, and applying human resource policies and regulations, and by developing industry training programs and conferences.
- Established national onboarding and professional development programs to enhance employee integration and skill development.
- Expanded affiliated centers nationwide by over 15%.
- Coordinated staff schedules, training, and performance reviews to optimize operations team performance.
- Improved communication between operations staff and program leadership.
- Worked with leadership on strategic planning and organizational priorities.
- Set up meetings with senior management to review operational strategies and objectives.
- Supported development and rollout of policies and procedures for operational activities.
- Built business process flows to find opportunities for improvement.
- Hired and supervised employees to improve productivity while training staff on best practices and protocol.
- Conducted operational evaluations, budget planning, and performance reporting.
- Built positive working relationships with employees, executives, and other stakeholders.
- Reviewed financial statements for accuracy and compliance before submission for accuracy and completeness before submission for approval by executive leadership team members.
Assistant VP, Senior Specialist & Program Manager
BNY Mellon
Pittsburgh, PA
02.1994 - 01.2013
- Managed multimillion-dollar operating budgets and global sponsorship portfolios.
- Led high-profile corporate partnerships, sponsorships, philanthropic and community engagement programs.
- Supported strategic planning and philanthropic fund allocation initiatives to align with corporate goals.
- Administered $11.2 million global employee giving campaign, supporting more than 7000 charitable organizations worldwide.
- Supported progressive leadership roles across corporate affairs, CSR, philanthropy, and strategic communications.
- Strengthened process documentation for BNY Mellon operational and control activities.
- Ensured compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements to mitigate risks.
- Prepared reports tracking project progress, budgets, and staffing needs.
- Worked with upper management to develop long-term business plans.
- Partnered with relationship managers to resolve client requests and service escalations.
- Researched new technologies that could improve company operations.
- Coordinated with leadership teams to advance initiatives and ensured effective communication in weekly policy change meetings.
- Facilitated communication among internal stakeholders regarding project updates and changes.
- Acted as liaison between organization and external partners and vendors to enhance collaboration on key projects.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration And Management
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA05-1988
Skills
- Budget management
- KPI development
- Strategic planning
- Operational leadership
- Process improvement
- Policy development
- Vendor and contract management
- Human resources management
- Change management
- Organizational development
- Cross-functional leadership
- Stakeholder engagement
- Community development
- Fundraising strategy
- Portfolio management
- Executive support
Timeline
Director of Operations
Women for a Healthy Environment
09.2024 - 08.2026
Operational Lead & Business Development Rep.
Pittsburgh Minority Business Accelerator
05.2022 - 08.2024
Executive Project Assistant
CalWest Educators Placement
06.2021 - 08.2024
Front Office Administrator & Executive Admin
Imani Christian Academy
09.2019 - 04.2022
Director of Community Programs
Highmark Health
02.2017 - 01.2019
Vice President of Operations
National Center for Arts & Technology
02.2013 - 02.2017
Assistant VP, Senior Specialist & Program Manager
BNY Mellon
02.1994 - 01.2013
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration And Management
Duquesne University