Per Scholas Pittsburgh Welcomes Gene Walker as New Managing Director

Pittsburgh, PA, May 22, 2025 — Per Scholas is excited to announce Gene Walker as the new Managing Director of Per Scholas Pittsburgh. Gene officially joined the organization earlier this year, bringing a deep commitment to education, community leadership, and workforce development to his new role.

As Managing Director, Gene will lead the strategic growth of Per Scholas Pittsburgh, building strong partnerships with staff, community-based organizations, corporations, and both private and public foundations to advance the organization’s mission of opening pathways to thriving tech careers for individuals across the Pittsburgh region.

A proud Pittsburgh native, Gene is a graduate of Peabody High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Deeply rooted in his community, Gene has served as an Elder at Mosaic Community Church and as Co-chair of the Pittsburgh Presbytery’s New Worshipping Communities Commission. He currently serves as a School Board Director for Pittsburgh Public Schools and holds the role of School Board President.

“We are thrilled to welcome Gene Walker to the Per Scholas leadership team,” said Plinio Ayala, Chief Executive Officer of Per Scholas. “Gene’s dedication to education, his strong community ties, and his leadership experience make him the ideal person to grow Per Scholas Pittsburgh’s impact and help transform lives through technology careers.”

Per Scholas Pittsburgh is poised for an exciting new chapter under Gene’s leadership, expanding its reach and continuing its commitment to providing no-cost, high-quality tech training to diverse talent across the region.

For more information about Per Scholas Pittsburgh, visit perscholas.org/pittsburgh.

About Per Scholas

As Per Scholas celebrates 30 years of impact, we are charting an ambitious path forward—aiming to train and upskill 25,000 technologists annually by 2030, expanding access to high-growth tech careers and fostering economic mobility nationwide. Since 1995, we’ve offered no-cost tech training to more than 30,000 technologists in the most sought-after tech skills, generating over $2 billion in increased personal earnings. On average, our learners earn 3x their pre-training wage in their first role after Per Scholas. With 20+ campuses and remote programs, we partner with employers—from Fortune 500 companies to startups—to create inclusive talent pipelines in fields like Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, and Software Engineering. More than half of our learners hold a high school diploma as their highest educational credential. We are building a future where successful careers in tech are accessible to everyone across urban, suburban, and rural communities, empowering individuals to unlock their potential and drive transformative economic change nationwide.

Learn more at PerScholas.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.