Power moves: Public Health Management Corporation announces C-suite hires

1. PHMC names new chief educational services officer, chief social services officer and chief financial officer.

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) recently announced additions to the executive leadership team. Sara Molina-Robinson has been promoted to chief educational services officer, Dawn Holden Woods has been promoted to chief social services officer, and Robert Block has been named chief financial officer.

Molina-Robinson began her career with PHMC in 1992 as a family support coordinator, and rose through the ranks, working variously as deputy director, senior program director and managing director of social services. Her most recent position at the organization was as managing director of special education and support services. Molina-Robinson holds a master’s degree from Eastern University.

Holden Woods previously served as the managing director of children and family social services at PHMC and chief executive officer of Turning Points for Children — a PHMC subsidiary. Prior to joining PHMC, Holden Woods served as chief administrative officer at Children’s Aid Society; as an analyst at PECO; and as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Block comes to PHMC from Community Health Center Inc. in Connecticut, where he served as CFO. Prior to that he served as VP of finance at St. Vincent’s Medical Center; CFO at the Jewish Home for the Aged; chief administrative officer of the APT Foundation; director of finance at American Medical Response; manager of budget and finance at Yale-New Haven Hospital; and CEO of The AuctionBlocks, a company which he founded. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School, and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us just how critical our work in public health is. Sara, Dawn and Bob will be tremendous additions to the executive team as we continue to serve communities in need across our region,” said Richard J. Cohen, president and CEO of PHMC.

2. UWGPSNJ announces new chief of staff and new chief marketing and communications officer.

L to r: Tabitha Jenkins; Erika Joy Erb. (Courtesy photo)

United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) recently named Tabitha Jenkins as its chief of staff and Erika Joy Erb as its chief marketing and communications officer.

Before joining UWGPSNJ, Jenkins served as the chief of staff and senior attorney advisor to the chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, Jenkins served as the VP, assistant general counsel for Burlington Stores Inc., where she also did as stint as senior employment counsel. She also served as senior counsel at Macy’s, and as counsel at May’s Merchandising Company and the May Department Stores. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College, and her law degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.

Jenkins will start at UWGPSNJ in September.

Erb, who joined the leadership team in June, most recently served as director of marketing at Fashion District Philadelphia. Prior to that she fulfilled three different roles at SugarHouse Casino over seven years, most recently as director of marketing. Additionally she served in various marketing capacities at NYSE Euronext and Sullivan & Worcester LLP. Erb has volunteered her time to Friends of Kensington Football, Tara Miller Melanoma Foundation, and Philadelphia Fashion & Garment Industry Task Force. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University.

“Tabitha and Erika are proven leaders who not only understand the community we serve, but who also take great pride in cultivating an environment focused on collaboration, clear communication and accountability,” said Bill Golderer, president and CEO of UWGPSNJ. “They will bring a sense of urgency and passion and will play a critical role in elevating our mission and moving our organization forward.”

3. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society fills four senior leadership positions.

L to r: David Chrystal; Tim Ifill; Patti Gregory; Melissa Raffel. (Courtesy photos)

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society recently filled four leadership positions: Patti Gregory is the new VP of human resources; David Chrystal is director of annual giving; Melissa Raffel is the director of volunteer programs; and Tim Ifill is the associate director of trees.

4. Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia appoints new VP of operations.

Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia (CSFP) recently announced the hiring of Kevin Dow as its new VP of operations.

Dow most recently served as executive director at Friends of the Rail Park. He has also served as the senior VP of impact and innovation at the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey; the chief operating officer of the commerce department of the City of Philadelphia; and as the community affairs manager of Wachovia (a Wells Fargo company).

“We are thrilled to welcome Kevin to CSFP’s leadership team,” said CSFP Executive Director Keisha Jordan. “Kevin is a seasoned, highly-respected leader with expertise in multiple practice areas essential to the operations of CSFP. He also has demonstrated a commitment to parental choice in education for more than 20 years.”

Dow holds a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, a master’s from Saint Joseph’s University, a certificate in Corporate Community Development and is a Certified Diversity Practitioner.

5. Zakiyyah Boone goes from interim to permanent CEO at Wonderspring Early Education.

Wonderspring Early Education recently announced that Zakiyyah Boone, who has been serving as interim CEO, will become the organization’s permanent CEO

Boone, who previously served as the organization’s chief program officer, joined Wonderspring after serving as VP of early childhood at the Greater Philadelphia YMCA. (Read more about her in our profile upon becoming interim CEO here.)

According to Wonderspring’s emailed announcemnt, “Since taking on the role of interim CEO in April, Boone has successfully managed the safe reopening of the organization’s four early childcare centers and its school-age camps in Philadelphia and Montgomery County. She has also been instrumental in the development of Wonderspring’s newly constructed center in the neighborhood transformation project known as  New Market West. While acknowledging the challenges posed by the pandemic, she is optimistic about the future of Wonderspring.”

6. Community Partnership School appoints new director of advancement, welcomes six new board members.

Community Partnership School (CPS) recently the appointment of Deana Frank as director of advancement.

Frank joins CPS after serving as director of development for Mural Arts Philadelphia. A Baltimore native, Frank led the launch of the BIC Educational Foundation, served as director of the Elijah Cummings Youth Program and managed a city-wide college scholarship and grant program for the CollegeBound Foundation. She also served as director of college placement for My Sister’s Circle; as a youth counselor at Chesapeake Alternative School; and as an adjudicated youth case manager at the Choice Program at UMBC.

She is a member of the LEADERSHIP Philadelphia Class of 2020, and serves on the board of trustees of Samuel Ready Scholarships Inc., and the Philadelphia Black Giving Circle.

Frank holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice.

In addition, the Community Partnership School announced the addition of six new members to its board of trustees:

• Sherry Coleman
• Jocelyn Hillman
• Carolyn Korman Jacobs
• Rebecca Lehr
• Thomas Needham
• Kimberly Wilson

7. University of the Arts names Kym Moore dean of the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts.

Kym Moore will join University of the Arts as dean of the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts, starting January 2021. Moore will succeed the current dean, David Howey, who will be retiring after 24 years of service to the university s as a faculty member, program head and dean..

Currently, Moore serves as full professor and director of undergraduate studies in Brown University’s Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies. She is the c-ofounder/co-artistic director of the Antigravity Performance Project, and recently completed a second residency at the Yale Center for Collaborative Arts and Media. According to the announcement of her appointment, Moore is working toward the creation of a transmedia performance installation, Do Eye Know You?, which is slated to premiere in Philadelphia next season.

“We set out to find a truly imaginative and future-focused leader who gets the relevance of art and creativity today, and how it can change our world,” said UArts President and CEO David Yager. “In Kym we have found that leader, and she also defies the boundaries between disciplines. She understands what creatives bring to our society and knows how we must prepare — the work we must lead — to be relevant and reflective of the world we live in.”

Moore has taught acting and directing at Swarthmore College, Hampshire College, SUNY Purchase, Sarah Lawrence College, Notre Dame University, Indiana State University, the Juilliard School, Carnegie Mellon University, the SIBIU International Theater Festival (Romania), and the Belgrade Theatre (UK), among many others.

She is an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, and a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab and the National Alliance of Acting Teachers.

Moore holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz and a master’s degree from University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

8. Benefits Data Trust welcomes two new board members.

In an email blast that went out to its newsletter subscribers in mid-July, Benefits Data Trust introduced its two newest board members: Julius Green and Zia Khan.

According to the announcement: “Green is a retired tax partner and regional tax leader for the Philadelphia tax services group at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP. With nearly 30 years of experience working with tax-exempt organizations, Julius provides consultation on tax compliance and consulting matters that impact the firm’s not-for-profit, healthcare, senior living, higher education, membership organization, social clubs, and private foundation clients.”

Green holds both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Baltimore, and a law degree from The George Washington University Law School.

Khan is senior VP for innovation at the Rockefeller Foundation.  According to the announcement, “in his role, he partners with various initiative teams to incorporate innovation into their strategies. He also leads programmatic work to develop new tools, fields, and movements to improve the social impact of innovations, particularly those related to data and technology.”

Khan holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, and his master’s degree and doctorate from Stanford University.

9. Bank of America’s Greater Philadelphia-area ‘Student Leaders’ start paid internships.

L to r: Rebecca Stern; Nia Weeks; Jialin Huang; Vinay Panayanchery,; Ashanti Campbell. (Courtesy photos)

Bank of America recently announced that the five Greater Philadelphia high school juniors and seniors selected as student leaders (#BofAStudentLeaders) have started their paid summer internship experience of leadership, civic engagement, and workforce skills-building.

The Class of 2020 Greater Philadelphia based Bank of America Student Leaders are:

• Ashanti Campbell, Northeast Philadelphia, recent graduate at Esperanza Academy Charter School, and incoming freshman at Temple University
• Jialin Huang, Philadelphia, recent graduate at Central High School, and incoming freshman at Muhlenberg College
• Vinay Panayanchery, Moorestown, incoming senior at Moorestown High School
• Rebecca Stern, Malvern, incoming senior at Great Valley High School
• Nia Weeks, Philadelphia, incoming senior at J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School

These student leaders will work with the bank’s leadership and participate in a collaborative, mentoring-focused project working with Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN).