WCA was established by Melissa Thompson Coppin, M.D., in 1919 in Philadelphia.  Located in north central Philadelphia, WCA is one of America’s first African American founded and operated child welfare organizations.

As Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Mial administers and manages WCA's vision, mission, and services to enhance the organization's impact and partnerships in the region for the community. The organization provides a variety of services to children, families, and communities such as Foster and Kinship Care, Adoption, Prevention and Intervention services, a Community Family Center, and a Learning and Development Center that provides subsidized day care along with a Head Start program.

Prior to assuming her leadership position at Women's Christian Alliance, Mial was senior associate for child welfare at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national foundation based in Baltimore, Maryland, where she was responsible for its $10 million portfolio of investments in practice reform, policy development and research in the field of child welfare.  Mial directed the implementation and evaluation of the Family to Family Initiative, a multi-faceted reform effort which engages 80 sites in 17 states in the delivery of concrete strategies to improve outcomes for children and families in the child welfare system.

During her tenure at Casey, Mial convened and facilitated the Urban Child Welfare Leaders group, comprised of commissioners from the largest urban child welfare systems around the country.  The group engaged in substantive peer interaction as well as learning about best practices and policies, in the field that could support their work. 

Prior to her work at Casey, Ms. Mial was chief deputy commissioner for program and planning for Philadelphia's Department of Human Services. She directed agency operations for three programmatic divisions - Children and Youth Services, Community-based Prevention Services, and Juvenile Justice Services.

Wanda Mial holds a Master of Government Administration degree, earned at the Fels Center of Government, University of Pennsylvania.  She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Amherst College.

Ms. Mial has worked in community services, youth development and women's health arenas in Philadelphia for the past 20 years. Her extensive experience in social services includes programmatic and administrative roles at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc., Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Maternity Care Coalition, Germantown Settlement, and the American Red Cross.

As an Eisenhower Fellow, October 2002, Mial explored the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and England.

Ms. Mial's board memberships include the Henrietta Tower Wurts Foundation, Maternity Care Coalition, and Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc.  She is a former board member of Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth and the Chestnut Hill Health Care Foundation.

Ms. Mial resides in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.