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Biography of Joyce Bender
Joyce A. Bender is the President of Bender and Associates International, Inc., and has over 20 years of experience specializing in the information technology (IT) executive search industry. Joyce is also the President of Bender Consulting Services, Inc. (BCS), a firm that provides technology consulting services to its customers, and full-time employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities who are trained in the technology field. Joyce incorporated Bender Consulting Services of Canada, Inc. (BCSC) in 2002. BCSC is a Canadian company that focuses on creating employment opportunities for Canadians with disabilities.
Professional Experience
Joyce began her career in 1979 as a search consultant, and in 1988 founded Bender and Associates International, Inc., an executive search firm specializing in permanent placement of technology professionals. Bender and Associates International, Inc. works with companies throughout the Pittsburgh area and nationally, largely on a retained basis filling intermediate through senior level management openings, as well as staffing projects that require recruiting technology professionals for multiple positions.
In 1985, Joyce had a life-threatening accident due to epilepsy, that caused a cerebral hemorrhage that required subsequent brain surgery. Against all odds, Joyce recovered from this accident that left her with a 60 percent hearing loss in one ear and a realization that she had epilepsy. As a result of her personal experience, she developed a passion for helping people with disabilities.
BCS, a subsidiary of Bender and Associates International, Inc., was established in September 1995. The mission of BCS is to provide technology consulting services to companies throughout the United States, while focusing on providing employment to people with disabilities in the technology field.
In September 2002, Joyce received the prestigious 2002 Employer of the Year Award from the National Epilepsy Foundation. The award is given to employers who reflect outstanding contributions and commitment to the epilepsy movement and a better quality of life for people with epilepsy.
BCS was selected as the 1996 Small Employer of the Year by the Pennsylvania Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, and received the 1997 Power of Work Award from Goodwill Industries, and the 1999 Employer of the Year Award from hireAbility in Philadelphia, PA. BCS was named the 2002 Employer of the Year by the National Epilepsy Foundation. BCSC received the 2002 Diversity in the Workplace Award from the Canadian Paraplegic Association of Ontario.
Joyce was selected as the 1999 President's Award winner. This is the highest honor awarded by the President of the United States to an American who furthers the employment and
empowerment of people with disabilities. Additionally, Joyce was named one of Pennsylvania's 50 Best Women in Business in 1998 and was selected as a 1996 Carlow College Woman of Spirit.
Joyce is the recipient of the 2000 James F. Compton Humanitarian Award. The award recognizes the efforts of a corporate leader to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, by removing barriers to employment and creating other employment opportunities.
Affiliations
Joyce is a member of the National Employer Advisory Group, U.S. Department of Labor. She was instrumental in initiating a Pennsylvania Business Leadership Network, and is currently a participating member. Joyce is also a member-at-large of the PA Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, a board member of the National Conference for Community and Justice, a corporate member of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, a national board member of the Epilepsy Foundation, and a regional board member of the Epilepsy Foundation of Western PA. Additionally, Joyce is the Epilepsy Foundation's Chairman of the JobTech project. This project is designed to train people with epilepsy in the customer service and technology fields.
Joyce is the President of the Pittsburgh Disability Employment Project for Freedom (PDEPF). Founded in 1998, PDEPF is a non-profit organization whose mission is to train and provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities, in the information technology networking and web authoring industries. Joyce was the 1994-1997 Chairperson of, and is currently a board member of TECH-LINK, an organization that introduces middle and high school students with disabilities, to the technologies. TECH-LINK provides mentoring and shadowing programs, technology-related industry tours, and summer internships.
Since 1988, she has been a member of the Business Advisory Committee for the Institute of Advanced Technology (IAT). The IAT is a 12-month training program, designed to train individuals with disabilities to be computer programmers. Joyce is also a Board Member of the Central Blood Bank in Pittsburgh, PA.
Joyce has been featured in various periodicals including "Pittsburgh Business Times", "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette", "Chicago Tribune", "Computerworld", and "Reader's Digest".
In April 2000, Joyce was appointed by Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy and County Executive Jim Roddey to the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (TRWIB). TRWIB will streamline
the job training system that is already in place to allow for increased accountability and customer emphasis. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Geneva College.
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