CHARLESTON—Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach recently announced that Jill Jackson Ledford has been selected as the new executive director of the organization. She will start Oct. 1.
Ledford will replace Sister Mary Joseph Ritter who was elected as general superior of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy for the Charleston region in April. She ran the outreach for two decades.
Ledford has extensive experience in nonprofit and program management at the local, state and national level, according to a press release.
Her appreciation for collaboration and partnership among organizations was a key factor for her selection, according to the release.
Ledford previously served as vice president of health promotions with the National Council on Aging, where she oversaw the Center for Healthy Aging.
Prior to joining the national organization, Ledford was the founding executive director of the Lowcountry Senior Center, a facility managed by Roper-St. Francis Healthcare and owned by the City of Charleston.
She was instrumental in designing and managing the Charleston-based center — a facility that continues to be a model for senior centers, according to a press release from the outreach. She also oversaw the Coastal Area Agency on Aging in Brunswick, Ga., and served as vice president of health promotion with the National Council of Aging.
Ledford received a master’s degree in social work from the University of South Carolina and is a master trainer in patient chronic disease self management — a program she completed from Stanford University.
“Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach has an impressive reputation and I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to provide leadership for the organization,” Ledford said. “I look forward to being a part of the continued mission of service to the community.”