Our Leaders

 

Allan Woods

Chair, Holy Family Institute (HFI) Board of Directors

Allan Woods has served in many roles through his lifetime. A one-time Brooklyn street kid, he moved on to become a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, Vietnam; a hospice volunteer for 15 years; and the vice chairman and chief information officer at Mellon Financial Corporation from 1999 to 2005.

While working at Mellon, Allan’s workday typically began at 6:30 a.m. He was known for randomly interviewing employees to learn about the problems they faced in their jobs. He was responsible for formulating Mellon’s emergency response plan.

Today, as a nationally registered emergency medical technician, Allan responds to crises in rural and urban South Carolina and in the South Hills neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. On July 1, 2006, Mr. Woods took on his newest role, chair of the Holy Family Institute (HFI) Board of Directors. Mr. Woods views his role on the board as being that of a servant-leader. “I will be looking for ways to help board members do their outstanding work,” he said, “and to support the employees. At Holy Family I see tremendous dedication in all departments.”

Sister Linda Yankoski

Sister Linda Yankoski

CEO, Holy Family Institute

Sister Linda Yankoski, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, has been with Holy Family Institute since 1975. Active in many professional and community organizations, Sister Linda serves or has served on a number of Pittsburgh-area and national boards: Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern PA; Community at Holy Family Manor, Pittsburgh; Kearns Spirituality Center, Allison Park; Catholic Charities, USA; Council on Accreditation, New York; and Families International, Milwaukee.

Sister Linda graduated summa cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in social work, from the University of Pittsburgh. She holds a master’s in administration, from the University of Notre Dame, and a doctorate in education from Duquesne University. Her research interests include nonprofit governance, leadership, and organizational development.

Sister Linda has received numerous awards, including the Campfire USA award in 2007; the “Champions for Children” award from the Homeless Children’s Education Fund in March, 2004; the Carlow “Woman of Spirit” award in 2001; and the “Manifesting the Kingdom” service award from the Diocese of Pittsburgh in January 1999. In 1998, Sister Linda was featured in Success Stories of Pittsburgh. She is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh XIII and received a Catholic Youth Association award in 1997. In 1994, Sister Linda was honored as the “Vectors Woman of the Year in Religion” and was named Volunteer Administrator of the Year in 1993 by the Volunteer Administrators of Southwestern Pennsylvania.