Fred Dedrick Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board

"The Academies' ability to connect kids to careers is what makes it unique. I am happy to be associated with an organization that exposes thousands of students every year to careers and successful futures."

An energetic supporter of the Philadelphia Academies, Inc. is Fred Dedrick, who in recent years has served as Director of Workforce Development for The Reinvestment Fund in Philadelphia, a community development financial institution. In this capacity, he has directed the Workforce Partnership, an organization committed to developing a more highly skilled workforce for the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

As of August 2003, Mr. Dedrick took on a new role as Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board - a body that the Rendell administration has charged with generating improved performance by the state's workforce system.

Mr. Dedrick first became involved with the Philadelphia Academies, Inc. in 1998, when he served as a sounding board during the establishment of the Information Technology Academy. He joined the Board of Directors in 2001.
Membership on the Board is a natural fit for Mr. Dedrick; he is committed to fulfilling the organization's mission of connecting youth to careers.

One of the factors that attracted him to the Academies, Inc. was the organization's ability to follow the success of Academy graduates. He feels strongly that non-profit organizations must be able to give supporters evidence of the impact of their investments. With its record of 90% of graduates working or pursuing higher education, the Philadelphia Academies, Inc. is a sound investment in Dedrick's assessment - especially as the program costs just $260 per student annually.

Mr. Dedrick has also become a strong advocate for the Academies, Inc. staff. He is impressed that a staff of only 20 individuals is able to secure connections for thousands of inner-city youth with literally hundreds of adult role models and mentors - individuals who show our young people what is possible and give them the tools they need to succeed in life.