Joyce A. Bender is the CEO and President of Bender Consulting Services, Inc. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Bender Consulting is a national firm that recruits and hires people with disabilities for competitive career opportunities in the public and private sectors, who are trained in the information technology, engineering, finance/accounting, human resources, and general business areas. In 1985, Joyce survived a life-threatening accident caused by a misdiagnosis of epilepsy. Due to her personal experience living with both epilepsy and a hearing disability, she founded Bender Consulting Services, Inc. in 1995 and Bender Consulting Services of Canada, Inc. in 2001.
Joyce is the immediate past chair of the board of the American Association of People with Disabilities and immediate past-chair of the national Epilepsy Foundation. She is a board member of the Epilepsy Foundation of Western and Central PA, Carlow University, the Pittsburgh Disability Employment Project for Freedom, and Variety the Children’s Charity. She is also a member of the Geneva College Advancement Board.
Awards received by Joyce Bender include the following:
- 2008 YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh Tribute to Women Award in the Entrepreneur Category
- 2008 Pittsburgh Business Times Diamond Award
- 2007 Achieva Sattler Humanitarian Award
- 2006 Easter Seals Distinguished Service Award
- 2005 UCP of Pittsburgh’s Gertrude Labowitz Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2003 Bush Administration's New Freedom Initiative Award
- 1999 President's Award, received from President Clinton at the White House, for her efforts in furthering the employment and empowerment of people with disabilities
- 1998 Pennsylvania’s 50 Best Women in Business Award
- 1996 Carlow University Woman of Spirit Award
Joyce has been featured in various periodicals including “Reader's Digest”, “Investor’s Business Daily”, “Pittsburgh Post-Gazette”, and “Chicago Tribune”. Ms. Bender holds a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Geneva College, and hosts the weekly radio show, “Disability Matters with Joyce Bender” on www.voiceamerica.com.
