Dr. Angela Pittman Vanderweide is the CEO and founder of A4O, a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) dedicated to serving human services organizations. Over the past 35 years, Angela has held progressively responsible executive leadership roles in the for-profit, non-profit, state (NC DHHS), and local government sectors. She is a full-time Lecturer at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, contributing to the DSW and MSW programs.
In 2021, Angela developed the A4O Immersive Leadership Capacity-Building Model, designed to align with the mission and values of human services. The model is rooted in neuroscience research and integrates neuroscience-informed leadership practices with technical and managerial practices, specific to human services and child welfare leaders. The model includes a vital approach – one-on-one capacity-building with an experienced executive coach to build upon and apply the learning from leadership practices. This creates a “learning ecosystem” encompassing learning sessions, leader observation, modeling, coaching, and feedback for growth and learning. The model is designed to be a cross-disciplinary model for public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including law enforcement and interdisciplinary organizations, engaging workers, supervisors, and executive leadership in transformative leadership development.
Angela’s diverse background has sharpened her ability to collaborate effectively, driving organizational performance and achieving desired outcomes in organizational, operational, and fiscal management and consumer satisfaction. Angela’s leadership has made significant contributions to national and international child welfare consultation, with a strong focus on serving counties in North Carolina and 25 other jurisdictions across the US. Angela’s expertise extends to trust-building, fostering psychological safety, workforce resilience, equity, inclusion, systems evaluation, and change management. She has spearheaded system-wide continuous improvement initiatives, utilizing data to bolster organizational effectiveness and improve client outcomes.
Committed to principles of social justice and cultural humility, Angela prioritizes equity and belonging in all aspects of communication, workforce development, and service provision. Drawing from personal experiences, including her role as a legal guardian for a former foster child, Angela brings a nuanced perspective to her consulting work, leadership style, and teaching and training methodologies. Angela earned her Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. In 2020, she contributed to the field with her article titled “Leadership Rebooted: Cultivating Trust with the Brain in Mind,” offering a model of neuroscience-informed leadership aligned with the values and ethics of human service organizations.
Angela resides in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, on Foggy Vale Farm, on generationally owned land, with her partner, Craig, where they grow Appalachian herbs and plants, tend the grounds, and delight in the quiet reverence of the mountains and wildlife. Their daughter, Lucy, a Jefferson Scholar, is a North Carolina State University sophmore studying a dual major in animal science and anthropology.
