Leadership
Morris Tranen
President & C.E.O
In 1993, Morris created PDG, Inc. with the goal of fostering self-employment and entrepreneurship for people with disabilities. Discovering that he had clients in common with his wife Sondra, Morris made the fearless decision to join forces. Today, the ever-expanding PDG family provides a comprehensive array of behavioral health, case management, and vocational services throughout the Baltimore-Washington area.
Morris’s graduate work focused on Urban Planning at Cornell University, and he worked in community economic development for Syracuse, NY; College Park, MD; and Prince George’s County, MD. Morris then went on to join the Council for Economic Action in Boston, where he was responsible for designing and implementing targeted small business development initiatives. Morris was a National Rehabilitation Association Switzer Scholar and has authored articles on self-employment. He was also named a Small Business Advocate of the Year by the SBA. Morris directed the RISE Program (Maryland’s self-employment initiative) for the Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) for over twenty years.
Beyond providing excellent, substantive services in the community, Morris is equally focused on creating a satisfying and rewarding work environment. He is proud that PDG has been named one of Baltimore’s Top Workplaces five consecutive years in a row (2016 – 2020), and looks forward to future growth.
Sondra Tranen, MS
Executive Vice President, PDG, Inc.
Executive Director, PDG Rehabilitation Services, Inc.
Sondra didn’t expect to find her passion in behavioral health. In fact, Ms. Tranen was on her way to graduating seminary and becoming a Methodist minister when meeting her husband and Elie Wiesel changed her life. Inspired by these individuals, Sondra Tranen set out on a path to help her community.
Sondra holds an MA in Pastoral Counseling and is certified by the National Board of Certified Counselors. Ms. Tranen has 33 years of clinical and managerial experience working with individuals with serious behavioral health disorders. Ms. Tranen is a noted innovator in developing effective treatment programs and training professional staff to work with difficult populations in a variety of settings – from traditional community rehabilitation programs to prisons, detention centers, and shelters.
In addition to her clinical management expertise, Ms. Tranen also successfully organized advisory representative committees with government and community services agencies. These committees improve service provider communication, increase the quality and scope of care, decrease service duplication, decrease recidivism, and lessen the frequency with which individuals “fall through the cracks” of the behavioral health system. Sondra Tranen is committed to constantly expanding her efforts to provide the best possible services to these populations.
Victoria Morgan, LCSW-C
Vice President
Tory came to Partnership Development Group in 2008 as a clinician within the Mental Health Jail Project. After 6 years providing services in the detention centers, she transitioned into a leadership role with PDG, with a specialized focus on accreditation, training, growth, and clinical supervision.
Tory holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Social Work, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with Honors, from Goucher College. Tory is passionate about the Behavioral Health field and has previously provided services in both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health settings, as well as served as adjunct faculty for psychology courses. She provides supervision to students and graduate-level clinicians and hopes to shape the future professionals in this field.
In her free time, Tory is a voracious reader with a love for musical theater. Tory sang and played bass in an all-girl rock band as a teenager and adult.
Kirsty Wheelton, LGMFT
Baltimore Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program Director
Kirsty’s passion for working in the behavioral health field began when she was a senior in high school. She decided to take a psychology class as an elective and became fascinated with the world of mental health and how it impacts individuals. She was inspired to learn more and eventually turned this passion into a career. After 8 years of providing Program Coordination, Case Management, Outreach and Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling to transition-aged youth, Kirsty moved into her leadership role with PDG.
Kirsty holds a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Towson University. Kirsty is driven by her near decade of education, experience, and past endeavors in the behavioral health field. She has a passion for assisting and advocating for others in any way possible.
Outside of work, Kirsty enjoys playing softball and spending time with her family and friends.
