A Woman of Vision: Pat Siger’s Journey of Service and Leadership

“My dad always said he was the luckiest guy in the world. We live in the greatest country, and we have great obligations. Even in the midst of the chaos we’re sitting in right now, there’s a lot to be grateful for,” Siger said. “And I think now is more important than ever that we don’t sit silently. Whatever you feel passionately about, this is the time to roll up our sleeves and get involved because so many things we’ve taken for granted are at risk right now.”

During the tumultuous 1960s, she saw tanks roll in to enforce school integration and recalls that even in her senior year, her high school almost lost its accreditation for not following the Civil Rights Act. These experiences left an indelible mark on her perspective about justice and service to others.

Siger attended the University of Missouri and embarked on a successful career as a financial planner with Canada Life Insurance Company. As the first full-time female financial planner at the firm, she built a team of women—an early testament to her commitment to uplifting others, especially women in traditionally male-dominated industries.

“Can you imagine? At the time, women didn’t know a lot about their finances. We didn’t qualify for our own credit cards,” Siger said.

In 1973, she moved to Pittsburgh after marrying Alan Siger. Life brought its share of personal challenges, including the sudden loss of her parents and in-laws by the time she was 33 years old. With three children to care for, she stepped away from full-time work but never from her sense of purpose. She remained active in the Ladies Hospital Aid Society and the Jewish community. When her youngest daughter started kindergarten, she re-entered the workforce—not just as an employee but as a leader and visionary in the nonprofit sector.

She took on roles at Family House and the Children’s Hospital Foundation before starting her own consulting firm at the suggestion of former Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Director Herb Elish.

“Herb was the first non-librarian to lead the esteemed Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. He called me on the telephone and said, ‘I hate fundraising, but you can help me.’ I asked him what he meant, and he said, ‘Let’s just put you in business for yourself, and you can come work at the library as a consultant,” Siger recalls with a laugh.

She took Elish up on his offer and started her own consulting firm specializing in nonprofit strategic planning, fundraising, and board development, working with approximately 50 clients at its peak. Later, she joined 10 other community members to co-found Gateway Bank, which was eventually sold to S&T, marking yet another milestone in her career.

Though no longer in the consulting business, Siger notes that she and her husband have “flunked retirement,” as he returned to a role in his industry, and she continues to serve on boards and volunteer for organizations she is passionate about, including Maccabi, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, and the YMCA. She also helped establish United for Women at the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and sits on the Board of the Squirrel Hill Health Center in addition to the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) Board.

Siger’s community service resume is a lengthy one.

When Magee Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh was an independent hospital, Siger joined the board at the urging of Irma Goertzen, CEO of UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in the early 1990s. Serving on this board was an eye-opener to the inequities in women’s health care.

That year, her husband began running marathons. The two worlds collided when she was reading Runner’s World magazine at home and saw a story about the Race for the Cure. In the thick of strategic planning for the National Council of Jantorewish Women, Siger brought the idea of the race to the Council as a way to engage membership and the race was founded by Siger, Laurie Moser, and Eileen Lane in 1992 and continues to this day. JHF contributed the first $25,000 raised.

Siger’s leadership extends far beyond business and finance. Her commitment to service has been felt across Pittsburgh and beyond through initiatives addressing critical community needs. She was instrumental in championing JHF’s Working Hearts, a campaign focused on raising awareness about women’s heart health—an initiative that later influenced the national Go Red campaign. She has worked extensively with organizations like the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the YMCA’s anti-hate initiatives, and the United Way’s United for Women, which she helped bridge with the Jewish Women’s Foundation to create a broader impact. Through her consulting work with the JCC for Maccabi and her continued involvement in women’s health advocacy, she has left a lasting imprint on countless lives.

“For me, as long as I’m upright, I want to continue to learn, have new experiences, and meet new people,” Siger said. “It’s been a fascinating journey for me because I’m not a Pittsburgher, but I’ve lived here a long, long time, and I love it.”

Her passion for social justice and advocacy extends to her family. A unique family tradition takes each child to Washington, D.C., for their 10th birthday to learn about government and civic responsibility. This experience profoundly shaped her son Rick, who was the youngest intern for Arlen Specter at age 16 and went on to work for political leaders like Tim Kaine and Barack Obama. Today, he continues his career in politics as the Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development for the State of Pennsylvania. Siger noted that the tradition continues with her oldest grandson coming to Pittsburgh for his 10th birthday to door-knock with her before the last presidential election.

Beyond her personal family influence, she has dedicated her time and resources to philanthropy focused on underserved women, mentorship, and education. From supporting the Pittsburgh Promise to mentoring young women in their careers, she has demonstrated a steadfast belief in the power of education and opportunity to transform lives.

Her leadership within the Jewish Healthcare Foundation has been marked by bold risk-taking—advocating for early action on pressing issues like HIV/AIDS and aging, and doula certification, often before they became widely recognized priorities.

“What I love about Karen, the Foundation, the Board, and the team is that we are risk takers. We go where others do not,” said Siger, noting that she joined the Board in the Foundation’s second year, joking that she has since been “recycled” into many positions throughout the Foundation’s history.

“Karen and I like to push the envelope. It’s exciting; and it’s not always a home run, but sometimes we win and make a big difference in a big way.”