The incoming president of The Pittsburgh Foundation will give this year’s commencement address at Shady Side Academy.
Lisa Schroeder will be the ceremony’s featured speaker at 9 a.m. May 31 on the senior school campus at 423 Fox Chapel Road, Fox Chapel.
The Shady Side Academy Class of 2019 has 125 students.
Schroeder is a nonprofit executive who from 2002 to 2015 led Riverlife, a group that works to bring trails, development and cultural events to area waterfronts. During her time there, Schroeder is credited for steering the development of Three Rivers Park with its 13 miles of riverfront trails, 850 acres of public space and a $128.8 million investment in the riverfront system.
Schroeder returned briefly in 2015 to her hometown of Baltimore to become president and CEO of the Parks & People Foundation, which works to connect people with parks and green spaces.
Schroeder is set to become the sixth president of The Pittsburgh Foundation and the first woman to lead the organization, which works to improve the quality of life in the Pittsburgh area by tackling community issues, promoting philanthropy and connecting donors to critical regional needs.
