“The diverse backgrounds of the people on my team are amazing.” – Joan Wenders

Joan Wenders takes over as the new director of the Project Management Office and Portfolio for LITS after spending 29 years at Assurant (which has undergone a few name changes via acquisitions and mergers). Joan started as a health underwriter, then became an IT manager in the late ’90s. She subsequently moved into project and program management. She became a senior project manager, doing IT integration work. Her last title was vice president of program and portfolio management.

After taking an early retirement from Assurant, Joan sought a new career that was more mission focused. “I wanted to feel like I was doing something to benefit others, rather than just making money.” This position at Emory was the job she wanted more than any other.

Born in West Allis, Wisconsin, Joan earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She moved to Georgia in 2004, and her daughter earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Georgia.

Joan loves to run, work out and play with her dogs. She enjoys audio books on audible.com, reading, and things like the New York Times and Dr. Who.

“The diverse backgrounds of the people on my team are amazing,” says Joan. “Their previous experience and pockets of expertise has been impressive. They’ve been welcoming and made time for me.”

You can reach her at joan [dot] marie [dot] wenders [at] emory [dot] edu.