Chief Professional Officer

Melva Gooden Ledbetter is currently employed as the Chief Professional Officer of UCP/CLASS. Employed for the past 26 years, Ms. Gooden Ledbetter has supported populations of individuals with various abilities in the areas of residential, life skills education and vocational supports. Her specific employment experiences include that as a residential counselor, life skills educator and supervisor, coordinator/director of services, consultant and public speaker on community and disability issues, information/referral and marketing. Recent experience includes overseeing the development and technology departments at UCP/CLASS. She has taught for Community College of Allegheny County Non-Profit Professional Development Academy.

Additional responsibilities have included serving on various committees such as the Disability Consulting – Life Planning Committee, Educational Consulting, Transition Planning, Domiciliary Care Committee with Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging as well as many other committees. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania and the Greater Pittsburgh Supported Employment Association (GPSEA). She has assisted in the development of a values clarification manual entitled “Values, Rights and Responsibility: A Delicate Balance” and has co-authored three articles: “Living, Working and Playing: A Holistic Approach” which was published in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation and “Independence and Life Care Planning” published in the Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation in January 1998 and “Self-Efficacy and Interdependence as Predictors of Life Satisfaction for People with Disabilities: Implications for Independent Living Program (2007). She also has co-authored the manual “Together is Better: Creating a Community Where Each Belongs.”

Melva is a graduate of Carlow College with a degree in Psychology and Special Education. She also graduated from Robert Morris University with a Masters degree in Non-Profit Management. Ms. Gooden Ledbetter is a strong advocate of community inclusion and strongly supports the agency’s mission of “Working Toward A Community Where Each Belong”.