Power moves: The future is female

Two women in leadership retire, more than 10 others others step up into exciting new roles.

There are lots of fresh cracks in the glass ceiling this week thanks to leadership and top staff changes at organizations across the sector. We’re also seeing  increased representation at board level as institutions and associations in the area announce new appointments.

And, yes, there are men also in both the staff and board appointments, whose accomplishments we celebrate this week as well.

1. Renee Chenault Fattah named executive director of Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity.

Renee Chenault Fattah, who served as the news anchor at NBC10 for 25 years, joined the staff of Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity as the organization’s deputy director in June. She will become the executive director in September.

In addition to her broadcast journalism bona fides, Chenault Fattah is graduate of Penn Law. She worked at Hughes Hubbard & Reed in New York City and clerked for Judge Damon Keith on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“I am thrilled to be serving PLSE in this new role,” she said in the PLSE announcing her appointment. “As a Black woman, it is especially gratifying to help lead an organization that is at the forefront of addressing the structural racism that keeps so many Black and brown people who have served their time and deserve a second chance from achieving their social, economic and human potentials.”

3. Natasha Danielá de Lima McGlynn becomes the first Latina executive director of the Anti-Violence Partnership.

The Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia recently announced the appointment of Natasha Danielá de Lima McGlynn as AVP’s executive director. De Lima McGlynn has functioned as the interim executive director of the organization for the past nine months.

De Lima McGlynn is both the first millennial and first Latina appointed to the post

Before joining AVP, she served on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and was a consultant in litigation against the United States Department of Energy. Additionally, she recently completed a fellowship with the New Leaders Council.

As a student fellow with the Ortner Center on Violence & Abuse at the University of Pennsylvania, de Lima McGlynn’s research on violence against women in public spaces from a public administration lens earned her a 2020 Fels Public Service Award.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College, and master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government.

4. Jennifer Johnson Kebea Joins Campus Philly as president.

In late June, Campus Philly named Dr. Jennifer Johnson Kebea its new president.

Johnson Kebea most recently served as executive director of the Lindy Center for Civic  Engagement at Drexel University. She also served as faculty for both Drexel’s Goodwin College of Professional Studies and the School  of Education.

Before joining Drexel, Johnson Kebea worked at Chestnut Hill College and at Campus Philly.

“I was an undergraduate student when Campus Philly first launched as a non-profit in 2004. I was deeply  drawn to the organization’s mission, serving first as an intern and eventually as the inaugural Director of  Career Programs in 2008,” said Johnson Kebea in the emailed announcement of her new post. “Just over a decade later, I am delighted to return  and lead this dynamic organization into its next phase of growth.”

Johnson Kebea holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Chestnut Hill College and a doctorate from Drexel University.

5. Kia Ghee becomes executive director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.

Kia Ghee became the executive director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations in late June. As executive director, Ghee also leads the Fair Housing Commission.

Ghee succeeds Randy Duque, who served as acting executive director since December 2020, after Rue Landau‘s departure from the post. Duque, the first Asian American to lead the agency, will be returning to his former role as deputy director for PCHR’s Community Relations Division.

For the past five years, Ghee has served as legal counsel for the City of Philadelphia, most recently as deputy city solicitor, and previously as assistant city solicitor, labor and employment attorney, and certified legal intern.

Prior to working for the City, she served as a law clerk at Mintzer Sarowitz Zeris Ledva and Meyers LLP; legal intern at the Office of General Counsel of Einstein Healthcare Network; judicial intern for Judge Michael Baylson of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, among other posts.

Ghee holds a bachelor’s degree from Johnson C. Smith University, a master’s from West Chester University, and her law degree from Drexel University law school.

6. Sarah Green appointed interim executive director of Delaware Pacem in Terris.

Sarah Green has been appointed interim executive director of Delaware Pacem in Terris. She will serve in the interim capacity through the end of August, with the opportunity to become the executive director at that time.

Green succeeds Shara Smith, who resigned from the post at the end of May.

Most recently, Green served as co-chair of S.A.F.E. Schools Delaware. She previously served as director of community engagement at Literacy Delaware and as program coordinator for RISE at Jewish Family Services of Delaware.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 2007, she co-founded and served as the executive director of Wilmington’s Urban Bike Project.

In addition, as a volunteer, Green helped organize the Unification Project, a social movement to bring together Wilmington’s Triangle, Brandywine Village, and Washington Heights neighborhoods.

7. Anna Shipp, executive director of SBN, announces she will step down at the end of September.

After nearly nine years with Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, more than four of them as the organization’s executive director, Anna Shipp announced that she will be stepping down, effective September 30.

“It’s been an absolute honor to have served this amazing organization in this way and to have had the opportunity to work with so many of you,” Shipp wrote in the organization’s newsletter. “I have many emotions, but my strongest feelings are of optimism and excitement for all that is ahead for both SBN and myself.”

Before becoming SBN’s executive director, Shipp served as the organization’s manager of the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Partners. Prior to that, she served as senior fellow at the Environmental Leadership Program and sustainability science fellow at the US Forest Service. Earlier in her career she held posts at the University of Pennsylvania, Neighborhood Bike Works and WHYY.

She has served on advisory councils and committees for numerous organizations including Philadelphia Water Department, the City of Philadelphia, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, the Philadelphia Land Bank and the South Philly Food Co-op.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Temple University and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

8. Penn Asian Senior Services Founder and CEO Im Ja Choi retires.

In late June, Im Ja Choi, the CEO of Penn Asian Senior Services, retired from the organization she founded. Her association with the organization will continue as an advisor to the board of directors.

According to the emailed statement, Choi founded Korean American Senior Services in 2004, after she learned that the Philadelphia region had no home care agency which could provide culturally and linguistically competent services for her ailing mother. In 2005, recognizing other AAPI communities were in the same situation, she renamed the organization Penn Asian Senior Services and began to offer services in more languages. Currently PASSi offers services in 19 different languages.

Under Choi’s leadership, PASSi expanded its offerings to include workforce development services, a senior adult day center, a public benefits counseling center, a senior community center, and the region’s first Asian meal delivery service. The organization now employs nearly 700 people, and has annual budget of more than $22 million.

Choi has served for seven years as an advisory council member of the Pennsylvania Cultural Diversity Advisory Council, and for 13 years as a member of the board of visitors of Temple University’s College of Health Professions.

She holds a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania

“We are grateful for Im Ja’s dedication, passion, and commitment to serving the community over the past 17 years,” David Miller, Penn Asian Senior Services’ board chair said in an emailed announcement. “We are confident that the team Im Ja has built will be able to continue to build upon her vision.”

Kenneth Yang, who has served at PASSi for the past three years in the role of managing director, succeeds Choi as executive director.

Before joining PASSi, Yang was DHC executive director, and earlier DHC program director, of the Greater Philadelphia Asian Social Service Center.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School, and a law degree from Temple University‘s law school.

9. The Food Trust names Regine Metellus vice president of finance.

The Food Trust recently named Regine Metellus vice president of finance for the organization, effective July 15.

Metellus joins The Food Trust after serving nearly seven years as executive director of finance and administration at the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to that post, she served for nine years as the COO of the Urban League of Philadelphia, and seven years in a variety of roles, including director of finance, at Comcast.

Metellus has also served on the boards of several organizations including Maternity Care Coalition, People’s Emergency Center and Philadelphia Works.

Metellus holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Boston College and a master’s degree from Temple University. She is also a 2010 graduate of the National Urban League Emerging Leaders Program.

10. NMAJH appoints Carole Zawatsky as chief advancement and strategy officer.

The National Museum of American Jewish History has appointed Carole Zawatsky as its chief advancement and strategy officer — a new position at the Museum.

According to the announcement of the appointment, Zawatsky led the Edlavitch DCJCC for nine years. Prior to that, she was the first chief program officer for Arts, Culture and Jewish Life at the JCC of San Francisco. She also launched The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Cleveland and served as its founding executive director.

Early in Zawatsky’s career, she served as director of education at The Jewish Museum in New York City; the director of public programs of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington; and museum educator at the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Skirball Museum.

Zawatsky has served on the board of the Jewish Theater in San Francisco and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Community Advisory Committee, and has taught at several universities, including Johns Hopkins, NYU, and George Washington University.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree from George Washington University.

11. Inspira Health names Anneliese McMenamin as chief human resources officer.

Inspira Health recently announced that Anneliese McMenamin will become the organization’s chief human resources officer, effective August 9.

McMenamin most recently served as chief human resources officer and vice president of human resources for Saint Barnabas Medical Center, part of RWJBarnabas Health. McMenamin also served for more than 10 years as the vice president of human resources for Kennedy Health System, now part of Thomas Jefferson University.

She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management and Tri-State Society for Human Resources Management. She served on the board of the National Human Resources Associate Philadelphia chapter, and was a board member and chair of the human resources committee for the Food Bank of South Jersey.

McMenamin holds a bachelor’s degree from La Salle University and a master’s degree from St. Joseph’s University.

12. Monica Disare joins Juvenile Law Center as Zubrow Fellow in Children’s Law.

Juvenile Law Center recently announced the appointment of Monica Disare as the 20th Zubrow Fellow in Children’s Law.

Disare attended Georgetown University Law Center, where she was a Law Fellow, and a senior editor on the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy.

During law school, she interned at the National Center for Youth Law; the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section; Advocates for Children of New York; and at Juvenile Law Center.

Prior to law school, she was a reporter with Chalkbeat New York, where she covered New York city and state educational policy.

Disare holds a bachelor’s degree is from Yale University.

13. Philadelphia Museum of Art appoints Alphonso Atkins as deputy director for diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has appointed Alphonso Atkins Jr. as the newly established Miller Worley deputy director for diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA), effective August 16.

Since 2017, Atkins has served as chief diversity officer and special assistant to the chancellor for equity and inclusion the University of South Carolina Upstate. An attorney, Atkins also served as the university’s equal opportunity and Title IX coordinator.

A native of Saint Louis, Atkins has held posts at a number of colleges and universities, including the Community College of Rhode Island, Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana University School of Liberal Arts, and in 2015 received a National Endowment for the Humanities Teaching Fellowship in World Religions and Culture in conjunction with Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI).

He served as chair of the African-American Leadership Society of the United Way of the Piedmont, Goodwill of South Carolina, and the Madame Walker Theatre and Legacy Center in Indianapolis, and was a founding board member and executive vice-president of the Indianapolis International Film Festival.

“The PMA is inextricably linked with the identity of Philadelphia, and as the city evolves, so too must the museum,” he wrote in the announcement on the museum’s website. “Beyond the beautiful renovations of the museum’s physical footprint, there is a genuine desire to reimagine the PMA and its impact, identity, and influence as an institution committed to equity and inclusive excellence for all Philadelphians. I couldn’t be more excited to join the Philadelphia community and lead this work at one of America’s premiere cultural institutions.“

Atkins holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University, a master’s degree from Minnesota State University-Mankato, and his law degree from Indiana University, McKinney School of Law. He is also a Certified Culinarian, Le Cordon Bleu North America.

14. Musicopia and Dancing Classrooms Philly named new board members and officers to shared board of directors.

New board members:

•  Arthur Chiu, VP Urethane Systems, head of Americas, LANXESS Corporation
• Aalyah Duncan, publicist/arts advocate, Alist & Co., LLC
• Richard M. Gordon IV, principal, Paul Robeson High School for Human Services, School District of Philadelphia
• Rhonda Moore, teaching artist, Dancing Classrooms Philly
• Tom Valvano, partner, Grant Thornton LLP

Newly elected officers:

• Chair — David DiStefano, chief revenue officer, AIIR Consulting
• Secretary — Lynne Millard, leadership coach, Office of Leadership Development,
  School District of Philadelphia
• Treasurer — Staci Wilhelm, chief accounting officer, J.G. Wentworth

15. United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey appointed new regional board members.

• Bill Cariss, president and CEO of Homan Strategic Ventures
• Patrick Eiding, president of Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO
• Steve Grabell, CFO of NFI Industries
• Rakia Reynolds, founder and CEO of Skai Blue Media
• Leslie Richards, general manager of SEPTA
• Marcel Pratt, managing partner of the Philadelphia Office of Ballard Spahr
• Chris Woods, president of the National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Employees (NUHHCE) AFSCME District 1199C

16. The Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership announced five newly elected board members.

• Montez Devine James, Navy veteran
• Thomas Johnston, principal landscape architect and construction manager, ThinkGreen LLC
• Donna Long, writer and an environmental educator/substitute teacher
• Donald Pierce, certified public accountant. Pierce will serve as the TTF board treasurer.
• Sara Poindexter, Rodriguez Consulting
• Robert Zienkowski, Montgomery County VP

17. Mayor Kenney announced appointees to Mayor’s Commission on Aging.

• Karen Buck, executive director of SeniorLAW Center
• John Chin, executive director of Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation
• Reneé Cunningham, executive director at Center in the Park  Senior Center
• Laura Gitlin, professor and dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University and executive director of the AgeWell Collaboratory
• Bill Johnston-Walsh (Chair), state director for AARP Pennsylvania
• Philip Lai, branch director at Philadelphia Senior Center
• Patience Lehrman, vice dean of Workforce and Community Development at the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University
• Diane Menio, executive director at CARIE
• Eric Naftulin, executive director at Federation Housing
• Nijah Newton-Famous, senior Pennsylvania engagement manager at Benefits Data Trust
• Najja Orr, president and CEO of Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
• Bill Ryan, vice president for Government Relations and Public Affairs at the Einstein Healthcare Network
• Alexandria (Alexis) Skoufalos, associate dean for Strategic Development and program director at the Jefferson College of Population Health, Thomas Jefferson University
• Anne Standish, director of development at Woodmere Art Museum
• Harry Tapia, director of operations and controller of HACE
• Loretta Sweet Jemmott, vice president for Health and Health Equity, and professor in the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University
• Heshie Zinman, founding board member of the LGBT Elder Initiative

18. The Wardrobe (formerly Career Wardrobe) added five new members to its board of directors.

• Janet Bernstein, president, The Professional Organizers
• Lauren Blevins, manager of Strategic Marketing Products, Effective: A Comcast Company
• Gina Harlan, chief financial officer, Philabundance
• Jessica Rennard, executive vice president, Jo-Mar Retail
• Jennifer Robinson, president, Purposeful Networking

19. Mazzoni Center onboarded eight new board members.

• Jeffrey N. Doucette, chief nursing Oofficer at Press Ganey
• Ana Hartl, chief creative director for Free People
• Ryan Richmond, integrated media leader for IKEA U.S.
• Kedzie Teller, founder and lead consultant at KedzieT Consulting
• Karl-Anthony Jones, general manager at Shake Shack
• Michael Nguyen, incoming medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson
• John O’Leary
• Chris Wilson, chief nursing officer for Belmont Behavioral Health System

20. United Way of Bucks County appointed a new class of board members.

• Joseph Albert, director of festivals and events, Peddler’s Village
• Kevin Antoine, VP/chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Bucks County Community College
• Susan Baranowski, corporate director of human resources, Refined Hospitality
• Gena Jaffe, founder, Connecting Rainbows
• Amy Musolino, VP of U.S. marketing, IQVIA
• Purvi Panwala, CHO and co-founder, PPM Corporation
• Marc Sabo, director of product oversight and governance, BlackRock
• Bernard Tynes, senior VP and director of marketing and data analytics, Penn Community Bank
• The African American Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed two new board members
• Krystal Jones, senior VP and CFO for Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
• Hassan Charles, VP of Workforce Innovation and Partnerships at Peirce College

21. African American Chamber of Commerce appointed two new members.

• Krystal Jones, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
• Hassan Charles, VP of Workforce Innovation and Partnerships at Peirce College 

22. The Fund for Women and Girls added five new members to its board of directors

• Susan Beauchamp, founder of Beauchamp Consulting and co-founder and managing director of OpExecs
• Cheryl Miles, chief program officer of Housing Support Services at Good Samaritan Services
• Sandra Donahue, regional sales manager of the Mid-Atlantic region for Party Rental, Ltd.
• Christina Norland, executive director of Kennett Trails Alliance
• Dr. Chasity Riddick, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania Health Science department