Patricia Wellenbach, Please Touch Museum & Jefferson Health Systems

“I hope to be an inspiration to young girls and women who are thinking about the impact they can have in the work they do.”
Patricia Wellenbach

Patricia Wellenbach, President & CEO of the Please Touch Museum and Board Chair for Jefferson Health Systems, shared the story behind her title with us on May 17, 2023.

Patricia (Trish) D. Wellenbach is the President and CEO of the Please Touch Museum, one of the country’s leading children’s museums located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia. The museum welcomes over 500,000 visitors a year and facilitates early childhood learning and development through play through its exhibits, and education and special programs.

She is formerly President and CEO of Green Tree School and Services, an agency located in Philadelphia that serves children ages 5‐21 who are on the autism spectrum or are severely emotionally disabled.

She was Founder, President, and CEO of Sandcastle Strategy Group LLC, a company providing management consulting services to clients primarily in the health care, small business and non‐profit sectors. She previously served as Managing Director for Business Development & Strategy, at Granary Associates; and as Executive Director of The Wellness Community of Philadelphia (now Cancer Support Community of Philadelphia).

Ms. Wellenbach started her professional career as registered nurse and clinical instructor of obstetrics at Pennsylvania Hospital. In 2016 she was appointed to the Mayors Cultural Advisory Board. In 2018 she received the City and State PA Above and Beyond Award honoring women of public and civic minds. From 2010-2017, Ms. Wellenbach was a board member of the Reinvestment Fund, a Community Development Financing Institution, where she chaired the audit committee, and was a member of the executive committee and of the governance committee. She was a Trustee of Abington Health from 2005‐2015.

In addition, Ms. Wellenbach currently serves as a member of The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), Women Corporate Directors, PA Women’s Forum and Forum of Executive Woman, as well as Director of the NACD Philadelphia Chapter Board.

SUE SAYS

Trish grew up in a small town in NJ as an Irish Catholic and the oldest of five. She felt a sense of responsibility to lean in and help where needed and would take that leading role with her throughout life. Her grandmother played an important role in shaping who Trish would go on to become, and she remains forever grateful for having had her in her life.