Marilyn Pendleton ’20 Serves as Graduate Commencement Speaker
Marilyn Pendelton, EdD, RN, LNC, CSN ’20 is a transdisciplinary leader, founder, and CEO of Your Voice Heard, LLC, a federal government procurement-ready, nationally certified minority business enterprise. The mission of Your Voice Heard is to help individuals recover from traumatic events and other significant emotional losses.
In addition, Dr. Pendelton is a grief recovery method specialist certified by the Grief Recovery Institute® and an adjunct professor at Gwynedd Mercy University, where she earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership. In her role as a dissertation advisor, she is diligent about developing educational leaders whose research projects are conducted through a lens of empathy and global application.
Dr. Pendelton is a proud graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Girls and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, a Master’s in Educational Psychology degree, and a School Nurse Certification from Widener University. She also received a Legal Nurse Consultant Certification from Manor College.
Before launching into full-time entrepreneurism, Dr. Pendelton was an administrator in the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Early Childhood Education. She is a sought-after speaker and has presented to local, national, and international audiences on various platforms on topics of grief, trauma and loss, education, and workplace mental health and well-being. She is the host of the YouTube channel, Your Voice Heard with Dr. Marilyn Pendelton.
Dr. Pendelton serves a variety of boards and committees, include The WISE Fund, Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Racial Equity and Community Engagement Advisory Council, Mid-Atlantic Region Grief Recovery Method Specialists, the National Speaker Association – Philadelphia Chapter, and most recently became a member of the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Health Equity Action Team. She served on The Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s COVID Racial Equity Committee and the Health Equity Advisory Committee throughout the pandemic.
Dr. Pendelton has been acknowledged for her transdisciplinary work by local and global organizations, including The McClain Foundation in Gun Violence Intervention in Leadership and Research, and an honorable achievement nomination for the 2021 Federation of International Gender and Human Rights Prize of Peace Lifetime Achievement Award. In October 2023, the Justina Mutale Foundation presented her with the “Iconic Female Leadership Award” at the World Summit on Women and Girls.
Dr. Pendelton enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, baking, mentoring women, and volunteering.