Kim McDevitt leads a team of advocates and innovators for mental health resources

Kim McDevitt is a transformative leader with a love for this community that traces back to her family’s immigration to Lancaster when Kim was just a little girl. 

Born in Australia and partially growing up in Kos, Greece, Kim credits her drive and can-do attitude as well as her heart for people to many mentors, especially her father and her maternal grandmother—whose hard work and resourcefulness were transformative in their own right to her family. 

“They were entrepreneurs, and family and connectedness were everything to them,” she shared. “My father built an addition onto our home to fit a large table so more of our family could sit around one table for family dinners.” 

Inspired by her roots, Kim saw her leadership potential early on. Her aspirations were nurtured throughout her educational career, and her courses in special education and psychology were foundational to her perspective on serving others and intentional collaboration with her peers. 

After her children reached elementary school, Kim began to think even bigger when it came to her impact on the community. She has served at many influential nonprofits throughout Central Pennsylvania before taking on her current role as Executive Director of Mental Health America of Lancaster County, where she has guided a passionate team of advocates since 2019. 

“MHA has allowed me to bring all my experiences together to serve the community on a broader scale,” Kim said. “I find great fulfillment in making a tangible change in systems and people’s lives, as well as motivating them to embrace that anything is possible.” 

“I find great fulfillment in making a tangible change in systems and people’s lives, as well as motivating them to embrace that anything is possible.” 

– Kim McDevitt

Kim enjoys the challenge of the many roles she manages at MHA—from identifying partner organizations to development to advocating for policy change at the local and state levels. And she is proud of the progress made over the past several years in reducing stigmas and increasing resources here in the community that welcomed her all those years ago. 

As Kim’s leadership style has shifted and grown, she has faithfully served this community and instilled in her team the value of authenticity, integrity, inclusivity, and innovation as they continue to drive local impact. 

“Every day, I get to work with the most compassionate, dedicated, and brilliant individuals and partners who have dedicated their lives to improve the lives of those living with mental illness,” she said. “This indeed is a blessing not only to me but to our community.” 

Learn more about the work of MHA and their work throughout Lancaster County at mhalancaster.org. 

This article is part of our Reach High series—sponsored by High Foundation—which introduces business and nonprofit leaders who are thoughtfully innovating with a spirit of servant leadership.

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