Meet Diona Jones, Pittsburgh’s East End Cooperative Ministry’s New President and CEO

The Board of Directors for East End Cooperative Ministry said they executed a nationwide search for their next President and CEO. But, as it often turns out, Pittsburghers know how to deal with other Pittsburghers best, especially those who are experiencing some trying times.

Diona Jones is a Pittsburgher. Born and raised on the East Side, graduated from Peabody High School before anyone ever thought to name it Obama, and went through a series of trials and tribulations that one may go through, growing up in urban environments.

“Their mission was really impactful to me,” Jones told the Courier in an exclusive interview, Feb. 11. “They work with individuals who have experienced homelessness, food insecurities, lack of employment opportunities and educational opportunities,” and Jones said some of those issues she dealt with firsthand as a youngster. “When I read their mission and their vision, I said I need to actually be a part of this organization so I can give back.”

EECM’s Board of Directors selected Jones as EECM’s next President and CEO. Her first day was Monday, Jan. 20. Jones was formerly the executive director at Focus on Renewal, based in McKees Rocks.

“Diona has every qualification the board was seeking in a leader for the organization’s purposeful growth and change, including strong educational credentials, broad proficiency in human services administration, and recent, successful experience as a nonprofit chief executive familiar with the most pressing issues of this region and the Commonwealth. The board could not be more pleased to welcome Diona as our new leader,” said EECM’s board chair, David J. McAllister, in a statement released Jan. 23.

EECM has been around for 55 years. Jones told the Courier her first priority is to raise the profile of EECM locally, regionally and nationally. While many people on the East End have heard of East End Cooperative Ministry, historically it has been known as a place that helps the homeless and provides meals. While that’s still true, Jones said EECM does much more.

As an example, EECM has a department dedicated to children and youth. Staff members visit schools like Obama and Westinghouse to speak with students to prevent situations such as teen domestic violence and teen pregnancy. Their “L5 Program” (Lifting, Learning, Literacy, Life and Love) Elementary Educational Support and Club provides early academic supports, assistance, and intervention to educationally at-risk students through class shadowing, and one-on-one relationship-building. And EECM has a summer camp for students beginning at age 5, where the students attend fun trips like Kennywood, the Carnegie Science Center, and Sandcastle. In 2024, more than 200 campers attended the five-week camp.

When it comes to the food services, EECM’s food pantry allows people in need to get groceries at its location, 6140 Station St., weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EECM also provides people in need to get a hot meal between noon and 12:45 p.m. (tray service). A bag lunch is available from noon until 1 p.m.

Jones said EECM provides roughly 1,500 meals per month for residents in need.

EECM’s housing services include an emergency shelter (412-345-7135) and a “recovery house.” The recovery house is a licensed program designed for adult men and women in active recovery and who are referred from a treatment facility, probation or justice-related services. The program, according to EECM’s website, gives individuals the chance to move into long-term recovery in the community through peer support and mentoring, case management and work with the EECM Education Employment team.

Some 2,000 people are being helped through EECM’s programs, Jones said. “The organization has accomplished a great deal in its illustrious history, but the need to help local individuals and families facing the impacts of poverty has unfortunately never been greater. Safe, affordable housing, for example, is a problem that increasingly demands creative solutions and more and better integrated community resources; food insecurity continues to rise with devastating lifelong consequences; and too many East End children and youth are not yet on a path to achieve academic or occupational success. With so much to be done and so little time to do it, I am eager to develop new community partnerships and resources, and promote the attainment of permanent, sustainable, and positive changes in Pittsburgh’s East End,” Jones said in a statement.

Jones will work with three EECM vice presidents in the organization’s quest to combat poverty—Rev. Darnell Leonard (Children and Youth Services/Congregational Liaison; and Special Projects); Nicole Harrington, Ed.D., (Community Programs); and Jerry Parfitt (Finance and Administration, including Human Resources).

Jones has an undergraduate degree from the University of Phoenix, a master’s in professional counseling and clinical psychology from Carlow University, and is finishing her doctorate in community engagement and leadership development at Point Park University. But before the degrees, she told the Courier that it was a place called Americorps that changed the trajectory of her life. The mentorship there that’s provided to young people was just what Jones needed in those early days. She said the Americorps program gave her the life skills, the self-sufficiency skills that she needed.

“That really opened up the pathway to want to work in social services,” she told the Courier exclusively. And now, each day, Jones welcomes the opportunity to be “part of an organization that you can help combat systemic poverty, save lives,” and “create an environment where individuals have hope.”