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Sjostedt addresses the 2018
Civic Leaders fellows.
Photo by Mindi Line.
Judy Sjostedt
JAMIE NULL
A Mountaineer by choice, Judy Sjost-
edt moved to West Virginia from Mas-
sachusetts in 1980 with her then-new
husband. With a career spanning three
sectors, today she brings a great deal of
experience to the table in her role as the
executive director of the Parkersburg
Area Community Foundation and Re-
gional Affiliates (PACF).
Prior to her role with PACF, Sjostedt
worked for the Internal Revenue Service,
as a consultant to DuPont and Nova
Chemical Corporation and as a small
business owner. “I have gained a unique
perspective,” she says. “I understand how
each of the different sectors of the econ-
omy—government, for-profit and non-
profit—work and what each does well
and not so well.”
On most days, her passions for eco-
nomic development and community ser-
vice intertwine, making her work goals
and volunteer efforts almost inseparable.
Her job allows her to interact with people
Photo by Knobel Photography.
16
WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
The 24 2018 Civic Leaders fellows.
Photo by Mindi Line.
across the region, and this unique op-
portunity fuels her desire to make Park-
ersburg and West Virginia better places
to live, work and play. “I enjoy seeing
local people succeed and our communi-
ties thrive,” she says.
Since 1999, Sjostedt has led the PACF
through rapid growth, increasing the or-
ganization’s assets from $7.6 million to
nearly $45 million. The organization is a
regional public charity community foun-
dation that serves 11 counties in West Vir-
ginia. Along with her role at the PACF,
Sjostedt is also the current board of di-
rectors chairperson for Highmark Blue
Cross Blue Shield West Virginia and the
Highmark Senior Solutions Company and
a member of the Highmark Foundation
board of directors. She also serves on the
West Virginia Small Business Develop-
ment Center’s advisory council and The
Education Alliance’s board of directors.
A recipient of the Spirit of Philanthropy
Staff Leadership Award, she served as
the chair of the West Virginia Grantmak-
ers Association, now Philanthropy West
Virginia, for six years. Sjostedt is also a
member of the Parkersburg Rotary Club.
“I enjoy sharing my experiences in
foundation and nonprofit management
and do so regularly,” she says. “I’m pro-
viding training in Kansas this fall for
community foundations nationwide to
help strengthen their operations and en-
hance their organizations’ sustainability.”
Sjostedt believes volunteerism is the key
to the future of West Virginia. A resident
and community leader by choice, Sjost-
edt sees the possibilities that exist in the
Mountain State.
“West Virginia is a modest-sized state—
it’s easy to get to know people and make
Greg Herrick, PACF board
chair, with Sjostedt.
Photo by Julie Boyce.
things happen,” she says. “Whenever we
manage to get folks moving in a common
direction, our efforts have incredible po-
tential to make a difference. That’s some-
thing you don’t get to experience as di-
rectly in a larger state.”
To help keep more young people in the
state, Sjostedt and the PACF created the
Civic Leaders Fellowship Program, an
initiative that matches college students
with summer employment opportunities
and civic leadership development.
“We need to be sending a clear message
to our young people: ‘Please stay. We need
you,’” she says. “Wherever you choose
to live, you might make a difference, but
here, in a state the size of West Virginia,
your efforts can be transformative. Stay
and be part of the solution.”
According to Sjostedt, leaders need to
continuously recruit volunteers for tomor-
row’s community service. She believes it
is important to engage the next genera-
tion in service so they know their inter-
est and activism are needed to help create
stronger and more resilient communities.
“Volunteers bring hope to a commu-
nity,” she says. “Many of the activities
in our local communities that bring us
a good quality of life are made possible
by volunteers.”
Ultimately, Sjostedt’s motivation to
serve her community comes from that
inseparable bond of work and volunteer-
ism. “The thoughtfulness of our many
donors is a constant source of inspira-
tion,” she says. “I feel very privileged to
know so many profoundly good people.
Their ideas and dedication to serving our
citizens provide another source of moti-
vation to keep working toward advanc-
ing our region.”