Carolyn Byham is an American philanthropist and community activist residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Overview

For more than four-and-a-half decades, Carolyn has been very active in cultural and civic organizations in Pittsburgh and Mt. Lebanon, the suburb where she resides. She was elected as Mt. Lebanon City Commissioner and served from 1982 to 1990. She is past president of both the local chapter of the

American Association of University Women The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide network of 170,000 ...

and the Mt. Lebanon Civic League. Carolyn is currently on the board of trustees for the Chautauqua Institution. In the 1980s, she helped to found the Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival and continues to express her love of the arts through board memberships with the Pittsburgh Public Theater,

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (PCT) is a nonprofit arts organization formed in 1984 to promote economic and cultural development in Downtown Pittsburgh. The "Trust" has focused its work on a 14-square block section called the Cultural District, wh ...

, and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Carolyn is on the Honor Board of WQED public radio and television stations, where she is active in fundraising.

Philanthropy

Carolyn and her husband,

William C. Byham William C. Byham (born September 14, 1936) is an American entrepreneur, author and industrial/organizational psychologist. Overview Byham, co-founder (with Dr. Douglas Bray), chairman and CEO of Development Dimensions International (DDI) is ...

, are major contributors to many arts organizations in Pittsburgh. To restore a grand old performance venue, they provided the funds for what is now the Byham Theater, a 900-seat theater in downtown Pittsburgh. And, to ensure the comfort and safety of the next generation of ballet dancers who come to Pittsburgh from around the world, the Byham's established th
Byham House
Recently, plans for a spectacular new 14,000-square-foot annex to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre studios was unveiled and named th
Byham Center for Dance Excellence
in honor of Bill and Carolyn.

Early life

Carolyn Byham was born on November 11, 1941, in Easton, Pennsylvania. She received her bachelor's degree in speech from West Virginia University and then attended Ohio State University on an assistantship, where she received her master's degree in Broadcasting. From 1964 to 1968, Carolyn worked as an account executive in the public relations department of

Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn BBDO is a worldwide advertising agency network, with its headquarters in New York City. The agency originated in 1891 with the George Batten Company, and in 1928, through a merger with Barton, Durstine & Osborn (BDO), the agency became Batten, B ...

(BBDO) advertising agency in New York City. In this role, she co-wrote cookbooks and produced three NFL half-time specials with CBS for her client, the Campbell Soup Company. She is currently the Executive Vice President of Design and Planning for

Development Dimensions International Development Dimensions International (DDI) is an international human resources and leadership development consultancy. DDI works with organizations to make changes related to leadership development, leadership selection, succession management, an ...

, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She and her husband have two children: Tacy M. Byham, Ph.D., and Carter W. Byham.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byham, Carolyn Living people 1941 births 21st-century American philanthropists Philanthropists from Pennsylvania