Aaron Gray

Background

About Aaron Gray

Since 2020, I've been Executive Director of PULSE, the Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience. PULSE cultivates a community of young servant leaders to transform Pittsburgh. We invite talented university graduates to partner with Pittsburgh nonprofits for a year of service and leadership. PULSE fellows SERVE with a nonprofit, LIVE in community, and GROW as a leader. Learn more at pulsepittsburgh.org! Before PULSE, I spent 2.5 years as Assistant Director at PennSERVE, the Governor's Office of Citizen Service. PennSERVE is "the umbrella agency for volunteerism and community service initiatives throughout the Commonwealth. PennSERVE is also the administrative entity charged with monitoring and overseeing the AmeriCorps State programs in Pennsylvania. PennSERVE is responsible for providing on-going technical assistance support and training to its programs." Prior to my position at PennSERVE, I spent 21 years with the KEYS Service Corps AmeriCorps program, starting as an AmeriCorps member in 1996, then became the Program Coordinator for KEYS in 1997 and Assistant Director in 2003. During that time, KEYS grew from approximately 20 members per year to over 150 annually. I am experienced in: • Working with college-aged individuals to help them navigate new experiences, set goals, and develop plans to achieve them • Grants: Federal and Foundation grant writing, application review, grant-making, and oversite • Full-cycle human resources: recruitment and outreach, cultivating relationships, interviewing, screening, selection, training, development, and off-boarding • Public speaking and training: training staff and National Service cohorts as well as providing workshops at local, state, and regional trainings • Community development: working with nonprofits, schools, faith and community-based organizations, and other stakeholders • Board cultivation and management • Staff management and development I am a certified Conflict Resolution trainer, an alum of the National Service Leadership Institute, and have served on several boards and advisory councils in Pittsburgh and at the state level.