Medford resident JoDee Pettine was recently named the state president of the international non-profit Philanthropic Educational Organization.
Pettine is a legacy PEO. Both her mother and grandmother were part of the organization. Additionally, Pettine’s daughter is a member.
“Once you join PEO, you’re PEO for life. Wherever you go, people will contact you to be in their chapter. It’s a constant support system,” Pettine said.
According to the PEO website, seven female students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, founded the organization in 1869. Originally a small campus friendship society, PEO eventually included women off campus.
Today, PEO has grown from that tiny membership of seven to almost a quarter of a million members in chapters in the United States and Canada.
The PEO Sisterhood is passionate about its mission: promoting educational opportunities for women.
The organization has six philanthropies that include ownership of Cottey College, a women’s college with two-year and selected four-year programs, and five other philanthropies that provide higher educational assistance.
According to Pettine, the girls started their own sorority and valued women’s education.
“They did this in 1869. These ladies were forward-thinking for their time,” Pettine said.
As state president, Pettine will oversee 1,435 members in 41 chapters.
The 20-year Medford resident was a member of Chapter W before being asked to move to the state board, where she spent six years before being named president.
“It’s exciting and it can be overwhelming too at times,” Pettine said. “You’re responsible for all these ladies. It’s a privilege to work for these ladies. You don’t need to worry about failing because they’re so loving and compassionate.”
Pettine is passionate about PEO and the message for education and empowerment for women.
This year, her message is “Bloom and Grow with PEO.”
“The objective is to help other women to gain education and educate other women within PEO,” Pettine said. “The basic premise is, once you educate a woman, you educate her family and community. It’s like a pebble dropping in a pool.”
Recently, Cherry Hill native Kathryn Matlack, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, was awarded a $15,000 Scholar Award from a national pool of students.
“It’s coordinated by the main office in Iowa, which makes the final determination.
“This year there were 559 nominees,” said Shirley Kane, Chapter W member. “All the money collected is pooled [for the scholarship], and it’s a cooperative effort.”
The money will assist Matlack in her research in acoustics and material ultrasound technology applied to structures, specifically nuclear reactor structures, according to Matlack.
“Next time I go home, I’m hoping to meet with my mom’s PEO chapter,” Matlack said, noting she has video chatted following the award of the scholarship. “I’m hoping to keep in touch with them. They’ve been amazing support for me, and I’d love to meet with them one-on-one.”
Matlack’s story is one of many that keeps Pettine passionate about PEO’s mission.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to help other women, not only the people who receive the awards,” Pettine said.
“Members are called our sisters, and there are great possibilities with PEO.”
For more information on PEO and the scholarships available through the organization, visit www.peointernational.org.
