Rina Irwin, Chief Executive Officer of Child Development Centers, Inc., grew up in Erie, with dreams to improve her community's neighborhoods beginning at an early age. She graduated from Strong Vincent High School and spent ample time throughout her childhood visiting her grandmother's home in Knox. When she was 13, Rina worked a summer job in the dining hall on Clarion University's campus. She grew fond of the area and quickly set her sights on attending Clarion University, with an interest in its accounting program. At Clarion, she worked for the Dean of the Business School, and in May 1988, Rina graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting.
Upon her graduation, Rina relocated to Venango County, where she served as an internal auditor for eight years with Quaker State Oil Corporation. During that time, she obtained her certified public accountant and certified internal auditor certifications and traveled across the country auditing the company's various businesses. She eventually began serving on Child Development Centers Inc.'s board of directors while her three daughters were enrolled in its centers, immediately becoming inspired by and dedicated to the nonprofit's mission of educating children to succeed.
As she has long understood the importance of education, Rina has always been very passionate about providing children with excellent early learning experiences beginning in infancy. She firmly believes that education is a key factor in ending poverty, and she has made it her life's mission to ensure each child's access to vital resources, education and experiences that will foster confidence in the classroom and a lifelong love for learning.
Rina's compassion, drive and genuine commitment to helping children and families inspired her acceptance of the executive director position at Child Development Centers, Inc. after Quaker State Oil relocated to Dallas, Texas, in 1997. She was dedicated to getting the organization out of debt and eligible for vital grant funding, and the fruits of her labor are evident in the smiling faces of over 2,000 children that the nonprofit currently educates, feeds and nurtures across the region. In Rina's 25 years of service, the nonprofit's budget grew from $900,000 to $28 million and is now recognized across the commonwealth as an organization of excellence and quality for children and families. More than $100 million in grant funding has been awarded to the organization.
Under Rina's leadership, CDC now operates 20 locations across Northwestern Pennsylvania in Erie, Crawford and Venango counties, a giant leap from the five small centers that were initially in operation when she came on board. The nonprofit's newest center opened in June of last year at 2300 Cranberry Street in Erie, now offering CDC's impactful services to another 150 infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Her goal to provide exceptional child care and early learning experience that families can trust directly impacts each community's economy while preparing its children for a successful transition to kindergarten, elementary school, and beyond.
In addition to her service at Child Development Centers, Inc., Rina has served on the Pennsylvania Child Care Association Board, the Bridgebuilder's Community Foundation Board, the Venango County Human Services Board, the Governor's Early Learning Council in 2018, and the Pennsylvania Head Start Association Board of Directors. She also served as vice chair on the UPMC Northwest Board of Directors for over five years. In 2022, the Nonprofit Partnership also named Rina the 2022 Best CEO of the Year.
Rina and her husband, Joe, live in Erie with their two boxers, Lucy and Zoey. Her eldest daughter, Haley, lives in Houston, Texas, Amber lives in Pittsburgh, and her youngest, Kellianne, is currently a Physician Assistant at Meadville Medical Center. Irwin also has a stepdaughter, Madison, who resides in South Carolina, and a stepson, Andrew, who also lives in Erie. Rina's entire family is tremendously proud and inspired by her accomplishments!
To connect with Rina, please email her at rirwin@cdcenters.org.
