Board of Directors

Executive Committee

Javier Suarez, President

Javier is the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Lindsay Albright, Vice President

Lindsay is the Chief Operating Officer for Episcopal Community Services and is a graduate of the University Of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice.

Estelle Richman, Vice President

Estelle is the Executive Director, Philadelphia Coalition to Save Lives and former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.

Ira Goldstein, Treasurer

Ira is President of the Policy Solutions Group at Reinvestment Fund. He is also a Lecturer for the Urban Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Ira is also the Chair of the Children First Finance Committee.

LaTi Spence, Secretary

LaTi is Counsel at TD Bank.

Harriette Lynn Starr, Committee Member

Lynn is the former (retired) Director of Clinical Development at Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC / Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Lynn’s uncle, Wilbur Hobbs, was a founder of Children First. Lynn is also the Chair of the Children First Development Committee.

Darren Smith, Committee Member

Darren is a Senior Associate at Wodjak Government Affairs. He is a lawyer and former Chief of Staff to a Senate Leader and former campaign director for various legislators. Darren is also the Chair of the Children First Nominating & Governance Committee.

Ann Rosewater, Committee Member

Ann is a senior member of the team at Kronley & Associates and has advised foundations, non-profit organizations, federal, state and local governments and universities including Ford, Annie E. Casey, Rockefeller, Pew Charitable Trusts and Robert Wood Johnson.

Board Members

Saumya Ayyagari

Saumya is the Director of Special Outreach Services, a preventative oral health care program for individuals with intellectual disabilities and behavioral health challenges in PA. Her background is in public health nursing and maternal and child health nursing.

Donna Fields

Donna is a School Nurse at the Franklin Learning Center and Graduate from our Parents Empowered for Change program.

Phil Fitzgerald

Phil is Senior Vice President, Senior Program Officer at Citi Foundation.

Marsha Gerdes, PhD

Marsha is a Senior Psychologist with PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Havi Glazer

Ahaviah (“Havi”) is the Senior Policy Advisor at PolicyLab and Director of the Office of Government Affairs at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

David Hackett

David is a lawyer with Cozen O’Connor focusing on representing and counseling employers concerning the full spectrum of labor and employment-related issues.

Leann Hart

Leann is a Symbology Analyst at Dow Jones, and a grass-roots organizer and education advocate.

Honorable Renee Cardwell Hughes

Renee is the CEO of the Hughes Group. She’s a former trial judge in the Court of Common Pleas of Pennsylvania and former CEO of the Red Cross of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Phil Jaurigue

Phil is the Chairman and CEO of Sabre Systems, Inc. He’s also co-owner of the Philadelphia Soul and Albany Empire AFL Teams.

Ken Klothen

Ken is the Founder and principal consultant in E2K Consulting, LLC, a firm specializing in research ethics, clinical ethics, and mediation in the health care field.

Diego Matamoros

Diego is a Partner with Fisher Broyles with a broad range of experience and a particular focus on private investment funds and middle-market mergers & acquisitions transactions.

Lisa Panepinto

Lisa is the Senior Vice President & General Manager Public Sector for Comcast Business.

Michael Ranck

Mike is the President & CEO – Community YMCA of Eastern Delaware County.

ShaVon Savage

ShaVon is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Policy, Organizational, and Leadership Studies in the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University.

Staci Scott, MHS

Staci is the Chief Operating Officer for North10 Philadelphia, where she leads strategic and operational efforts in support of the organization’s mission: to improve the life outcomes for community members in Hunting Park and East Tioga.

Frances Sheehan