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Roseville, Calif. — PRIDE Industries (PRIDE), a leader in job creation for people with disabilities, announced today the appointment of Michele Bennyhoff to the position of Director of Development & Donor Services. A long-time advocate of inclusive employment practices, Bennyhoff comes to PRIDE with a wealth of experience in community organizing and fundraising.

At PRIDE, Bennyhoff will spearhead efforts to raise funds for job training and employment support programs for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment.

“PRIDE’s mission is to create jobs for people with disabilities. Vocational training and person-centered job supports are essential to successful employment outcomes,” said Jeff Dern, President of PRIDE Industries. “In order to create more jobs for more people, we wish to grow these important services. Michele brings a passion for our mission and building community relationships that will help expand PRIDE’s services to a greater number of families.”

PRIDE Industries is a leading provider of manufacturing and logistics, integrated facilities management, custodial and environmental, energy, and recruitment services, serving customers of all sizes, from regional businesses to Fortune 500 companies. But unlike most services companies, PRIDE is a nonprofit social enterprise, driven by a mission to create meaningful jobs for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment, including service-disabled veterans.

It’s a mission that Bennyhoff is eager to support.

“I’ve long believed that businesses play an important role in creating a healthy community,” Bennyhoff said. “People feel a sense of accomplishment and connection to the community when engaged in meaningful work. PRIDE partners with employers to provide that opportunity to individuals with disabilities. Bringing people with diverse abilities into the workforce benefits all our communities, and I feel privileged to be a part of this effort.”

Bennyhoff is a graduate of Evergreen State College, Washington, and holds a Master of Public Health degree in Community Health Sciences from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. For more than a decade, she has led comprehensive state and national public health programs at the County Behavioral Health Directors Association, the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, and the Center for Health Improvement. In all these organizations, her focus has been on executive and nonprofit leadership training, fundraising and stakeholder partnerships, public policy initiatives, and workforce education and training designed specifically to benefit people with disabilities. An avid volunteer, she has worked for the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and the UN Population Fund.

About PRIDE Industries: PRIDE Industries, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, is the leading employer of people with disabilities, with expertise providing facility operations and maintenance services, custodial services, contract manufacturing, supply chain management, and fulfillment services to public and private organizations nationwide. Founded in 1966, PRIDE’s mission is to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities through person-centered job coaching, training, and placement. PRIDE’s mission extends across the country, assisting individuals to become self-sufficient, contribute to their communities, and achieve their employment goals. Learn more at prideindustries.com and follow PRIDE on Facebook.