Penfield Children’s Center Appoints Polina Makievsky as President & CEO

Milwaukee, WI (January, 18 2023) — Human services leader Polina Makievsky has been named President & CEO of Penfield Children’s Center, an organization that serves children with and without disabilities in the Milwaukee metro area by providing early education, health and wellness services, and family programs.

For over 25 years, Makievsky has dedicated her career to advancing the missions of diverse child and family serving human service organizations for people who have experienced adversities in life, but who strive to find healing, stability and live a life of meaning. She brings an extensive background in nonprofit leadership including program development, advocacy, and innovation design for both community-based and national organizations and a deep passion for helping people realize their full potential.

Most recently, Makievsky was Vice President of Strategy and Innovation for Wellpoint Care Network, where she provided administrative oversight and strategic direction for quality improvement, marketing and communications, and advocacy for this $30 million Milwaukee-based human service organization.

“The board and myself are honored that Polina has chosen our Penfield family for the next chapter of her career.” Says Penfield Children’s Center Chair, Al Araque. “Her extensive background in nonprofit leadership will pave new pathways for Penfield as we celebrate 55 years, and plan for the changing needs of our children and families in the future.”

Previously, Makievsky was Senior Vice President for the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, a national association for health and human service nonprofits. In this role, she was responsible for new program design, knowledge and content management, as well as leadership development.

She has also served as Director of Programs for La Casa de Esperanza, Director of Model Programs for the Points of Light Foundation, and as a Policy Analyst at the National Human Services Assembly/National Collaboration for Youth.

“It is an honor and privilege to be leading the dedicated team at Penfield Children’s Center as the new President and CEO.” States Polina Makievky. “I look forward to building upon the center’s legacy of excellence and providing the highest quality of care to our children and families.”

Makievsky has a Master’s degree in Public and Social Policy from The Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Smith College.

She assumed responsibilities as President & CEO of Penfield Children’s Center on Tuesday, January 16, 2023.

Penfield Children’s Center engaged Kittleman & Associates to conduct a search for its new President & CEO. Kittleman & Associates is a national executive search firm that specializes in the recruitment of CEOs for tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, public charities and philanthropic organizations. Kittleman recruits leaders for the entire nonprofit sector including human services and agencies serving individuals with differing abilities, advocacy and educational organizations, and foundations. For more information,

https://www.kittlemansearch.com/.

Penfield Children’s Center serves more than 1,500 children annually throughout the Milwaukee metro area. It offers high-quality, integrated services and a safe and stimulating environment for children, families, and community partners to maximize early development and learning. Established in 1967, Penfield is named in honor of Dr. Wilder Penfield (1891-1976), a world-renowned neurosurgeon who advocated for early intervention for children with developmental delays and disabilities.

Penfield Children’s Center helps children reach age-appropriate milestones, enter school ready to learn, and overcome developmental challenges. Professional and caring staff include speech pathologists, physical and occupational therapists, special education teachers, nurses and certified nursing assistants, social workers, and early education and childcare professionals.  For more information, visit https://penfieldchildren.org/.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.