Pendleton Place appoints Anne Marie Maertens as Executive Director

The Board of Directors of Pendleton Place has named Anne Marie (“Annie”) Maertens as Executive Director (ED), effective November 2021. Maertens assumed the role of Interim Executive Director in June 2021, and will succeed Jed Dews, who led Pendleton Place’s growth and success for nine years, in the official ED capacity.

Maertens is committed to empathy, equity, and excellence, and is passionate about advancing positive outcomes for people and populations. She earned a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts from Clemson University. Her contributions to the public sector have deep roots, with service on several boards of directors, and in professional and leadership roles at Prisma Health, the Foster Care Review Board, and the Hispanic Alliance. She has nearly twenty years of combined experience in advocacy, public speaking, healthcare and public policy, grant writing, community relations, and nonprofit strategy.

Maertens states “I am delighted to be entrusted to lead Pendleton Place and look forward to continuing to help children, rebuild families, and propel our legacy of community impact and improvement with our incredible team; it is the honor of my career to join them in championing family success in the Upstate of South Carolina. I could not be more grateful for this opportunity to create social change.”

Pendleton Place is an Upstate South Carolina nonprofit organization offering programs that protect, heal and equip vulnerable children, youth, and families hurt by abuse, neglect, homelessness, and other forms of trauma. Pendleton Place strengthens these children while rebuilding families, with the goal of creating a stable home environment and bright future for each child served. Founded in 1975, last year the organization made a positive impact in the lives of over 550 individuals and more than 250 families. For more information visit www.pendletonplace.org or call 864-467-3650.