Making an impact every day

A student jumps out of line to give Heritage Community Initiatives President & CEO Paula G. McWilliams a hug. McWilliams leads the Braddock-based community organization which offers early education, meals and transportation to those in need. Photo: John Schisler

Paula McWilliams faces a 40-minute drive from her Cedarhurst neighborhood to Braddock, where she works as president and CEO of Heritage Community Initiatives. The commute would be a dealbreaker for some people, but going to a job she treasures makes the drive feel insignificant.

What is significant is the work McWilliams and her team do at Heritage, where they provide transportation, education, and nutrition to individuals from more than 80 communities in Allegheny County. The nonprofit has been serving the region for 42 years.

Each year, the organization drives more than $33.3 million into the region’s economy. Offering fixed-route public transportation to 16 communities helps riders commute to work, shopping, and health care. Seventy-eight percent of Heritage’s riders do not have access to a vehicle and 80 percent of Heritage students are eligible for free or reduced meals.

“The delightful thing about Heritage is everything we do is pragmatic,” McWilliams said. “We ensure getting people to work, giving children the best start in education, and that they’re going to have outstanding meals during the day so that if for any reason you can’t afford to feed them at night, you can rest assured knowing they’ve been well fed.”

McWilliams, who has been with the organization since 2013, is one of five administrative staff members who keeps Heritage running, along with heads of programs and teachers, among others. Everyone is a jack of all trades, according to McWilliams, taking on various tasks in a constantly changing environment.

The demand for services at Heritage has grown and as with many nonprofits, the organization has faced challenges, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and budget impasses. Hiring qualified teachers, raising funds, and increasing awareness about the organization are also concerns. McWilliams’ motivation comes from seeing the positive impact that happens at Heritage every day, as well as working with a dedicated and talented team.

McWilliams’ role at Heritage follows her previous position as an executive with AT&T, where she spent a large part of her career. With degrees from Lehigh University and Columbia University, McWilliams worked in marketing, communications, and government relations for the company when it was known as Cellular One, and then after it was sold to AT&T. She then moved into other areas, including business and project management. Her years with the company were memorable, particularly at a time when the mobile industry was progressing every year.

“I was highly motivated in the for-profit world because it was exciting and new,” McWilliams said. “I learned every single day and that’s a big deal for me.”

The transition from the corporate world to a nonprofit proved to be a minimal change in terms of how she approached the work. McWilliams applies everything she learned in the for-profit setting to the nonprofit world, where she runs Heritage like a business: efficiently and effectively, and with strategies in her pocket.

“I translated all of that against a different sector,” McWilliams said. “If one did not treat a nonprofit as a business, they would be dramatically suffering right now. And the difference is it’s not shareholder value that goes down, it’s that people will be without the services they rely on.”

Coming onboard at Heritage came at the right time for McWilliams. Her role at AT&T had moved into corporate social responsibility, which was a passion of hers. Sitting on boards, as well as consulting with nonprofits and corporations on their philanthropic portfolios, she saw firsthand the work involved with running a nonprofit. She knew it was the type of work she wanted to do, and traveling nonstop for her job at AT&T, as well as wanting to care for her parents, instilled her with a desire to find a job that allowed her to be home more.

These days, McWilliams can enjoy time at home for the things she loves, like cooking for friends and neighbors, reading, and caring for her two cats.

She is also at home at Heritage.

“I’ve never, ever looked back, because I can do all of the things I did before in the for-profit world but apply them to things that speak to me intellectually and also to my heart,” McWilliams said. “Each day I feel grateful and prepared to do it again tomorrow.”

Written by Jackie Smith