Power moves: New appointments at Equal Measure, PCGVR, Reinvestment Fund, Inspira Health and Bestwork

1. Leon T. Andrews, Jr. named president and CEO of Equal Measure.

The Equal Measure board of directors recently announced the appointment of Leon T. Andrews, Jr. as the organization’s president and CEO. Andrews succeeds Meg Long,who served as president for the past seven years.

Andrews most recently served as the director of Race, Equity and Leadership at the National League of Cities. Prior to that he served with the United States Department of Justice, for United States Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, the United States Public Interest Research Group, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, YouthBuild Pittsburgh, the Development Corporation of Columbia Heights, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and as an adjunct professor in the department of political science at Eastern Michigan University.

He serves as the board chair of the National Recreation and Parks Association and ChangeLab Solutions.

“Leon is a dynamic leader with a longstanding record as a collaborator and innovator,” said Jason Ingle, Equal Measure board chair, in the emailed announcement. “His extensive and accomplished background in federal and local government, philanthropy, academia, and community and youth development is exceptional, and we are very excited about the opportunities to broaden Equal Measure’s impact. The knowledge and experience Leon brings will continue to enhance Equal Measure’s work in strategy, evaluation, capacity building, technical assistance, and communications.”

Andrews holds a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon, and an ABD-doctoral degree from University of Michigan.

2. Jessica H. Beard becomes Stoneleigh Fellow and director of research at Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting.

The Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting and the Stoneleigh Foundation recently named Dr. Jessica H. Beard a Stoneleigh Fellow and the Center’s director of research, effective July 1.

According to the announcement of the appointment, during her three-year fellowship Beard will work with the Center to deepen the media narrative around gun violence, with the goal of increasing support for policies and programs to curb the epidemic and save lives.

“Now more than ever, gun violence is an urgent threat to the health and welfare of young people in Philadelphia,” said Ronnie Bloom, executive director of the Stoneleigh Foundation, via the announcement. “The work of Dr. Beard and the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting in collaboration with local media will bring more depth, nuance, and action-oriented solutions into the public discourse about gun violence.”

Beard is a trauma surgeon at Temple University Hospital and public health researcher at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University, a master’s degree from University of California, Berkeley, and her MD from Yale University School of Medicine.

3. Kareem Thomas named the managing director of credit of the Reinvestment Fund.

The Reinvestment Fund recently announced that Kareem Thomas is the organization’s new managing director of credit.

Before joining the Reinvestment Fund, Thomas served as the CFO of American Reading Company. He previously served as regional vice president at Wells Fargo and Citizens; vice president at Citi, Susquehana Bank and Bank of America; assistant vice president at Commerce Bank, and senior account executive at Chase.

“Kareem’s proven success in improving financial services and credit management, as well as driving mission alignment will be an asset for Reinvestment Fund,” said Nancy Wagner-Hislip, chief investment officer at Reinvestment Fund. “We are delighted to have Kareem as part of our team and look forward to the strategic expertise and collaborative approach he brings to leading our credit operations.”

Thomas a member of the board of directors of SELF Inc. and the Urban Affairs Coalition, and is cofounder and co-chair of Friends of the Coalition. He previously served on the board of the People’s Emergency Center, Mt. Airy USA CDC, Philadelphia OIC, Norwood-Fontbonne Academy and Mastery Charter Schools Foundation.

4. Inspira Health appoints Warren E. Moore as new executive vice president, COO.

Inspira Health recently announced the appointment of Warren E. Moore to executive vice president, chief operating officer.

According to the emailed announcement, Moore has more than 25 years of experience in the health care industry, most recently serving as CEO of Children’s Specialized Hospital and the senior vice president of pediatric services for RWJBarnabas Health. Moore also served as the chief administrative officer of Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and held several leadership roles at HealthSouth.

He is a member of the board of trustees of the Health Research & Educational Trust of New Jersey and the Ronald McDonald House of Central & Northern New Jersey. He also serves on the Children’s Hospital Association’s Quality and Safety Committee, the New Jersey Council of Children’s Hospitals Leadership Committee, the New Jersey Innovation Institute External Advisory Board and the New Jersey Hospital Association’s Finance Committee.

“Moore is a highly respected executive leader in the health care industry whose experience will be invaluable to the growth of Inspira,” said Amy Mansue, president and CEO of Inspira Health, in the emailed announcement. “He has a strong background in utilizing his insights to improve hospital operations. In joining our leadership team and our network overall, he will bring immeasurable knowledge and experience to fuel our growth as a health care leader in the South Jersey region.”

Moore holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, and a master’s degree from Rider University.

5. Jon Katz named president/CEO of Bestwork Industries for the Blind.

The board of directors of Bestwork Industries for the Blind, Inc. recently announced the appointment of Jon Katz as president/CEO, effective July 15, following the announced retirement of Belinda Moore, the organization’s current president/CEO.

Katz most recently  served as vice president of business development at National Industries for the Blind. A veteran and commissioned officer in the United
States Marine Corps, Katz led the military resale division of NIB for four years before becoming VP.

Moore, who joined Bestwork in 1991, will provide consulting services, working in collaboration with Katz to ensure a seamless transition over the next several months.

6. Laura Otten retires from the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University.

In a recent newsletter to subscribers, Laura Otten, the executive director of The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University for the past 20 years, announced her retirement at the end of May.

“I have loved these past 20 years as the executive director as it has given me the opportunity to work with and get to know so many of you,” Otten wrote in the newsletter. “It has given me the opportunity to work with an incredible group of people — our staff, consultants and instructors — to bring you rock solid basics and new and creative ideas, tools, perspectives, insights, etc. for running better and stronger nonprofits, being better board members, stronger leaders and managers, all while helping to move our sector out of the shadows of the for-profit sector.”

Though Otten served as the Center’s executive director since 2001, her association with it, and with La Salle University, extends further than that. She started as an associate professor at La Salle in 1982, and as a consultant and instructor at the Center in 1985. In 2013 she became the director of the Masters in Nonprofit Leadership program at La Salle, which she will continue to run. She will also continue to teach class in the Certificate in Nonprofit Management program.

Earlier in her career, Otten worked at MITRE, the Ford Foundation and the Vera Institute of Justice.

Otten holds a bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College, and a master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.