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Jo Rosenberger Altman
Associate, Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP
Jo Rosenberger Altman is the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association liaison to Child Advocates' Board. She is an associate in the Litigation Department and White Collar Crime and Government Investigations practice group at Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP. Jo concentrates her practice in complex commercial and fiduciary litigation. While in law school, Jo advocated for abused and neglected children through CASA of Allegheny County. She has been a Volunteer Attorney for Child Advocates for the last five years. Jo additionally volunteers with the Homeless Advocacy Project. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh in 2005, and her B.A. summa cum laude from Temple University in 2002. Jo hopes that her passion for children's rights will help make a difference in the lives of the clients Child Advocates serves.
Amy A. Fox
Assistant General Counsel, R.A.F. Industries, Inc.
Amy A. Fox works at R.A.F. Industries, a private equity firm located in Jenkintown, providing legal counsel to the portfolio companies as Assistant General Counsel. Prior to joining R.A.F. Industries, Amy was a corporate lawyer with the Philadelphia law firm of Dilworth Paxson LLP. Amy earned a B.A., with distinction, in Psychology from Stanford University and a J.D. from the New York University School of Law. She is a member of the Women’s Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and served as Chair of the 2009 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. She lives in Wynnewood with her husband and two children. Amy previously served on Child Advocates’ Board from 1996-2002 and is excited to return. Welcome back, Amy!
Sherri Krensel
Owner and Partner, Workplace Environments
Sherri Krensel is Owner and Partner of Workplace Environments, a women-owned office furniture dealership. She has more than twenty years of experience within the furniture industry and has led her company to become one of the most successful dealership models in the country. Sherri is returning to Child Advocates’ Board, having previously served from 2003 to 2009. She formerly led Child Advocates’ development efforts, chairing the Annual Benefit Reception and Golf Classic. Sherri currently co-chairs the Public Relations committee, serves on the Golf Classic committee, and annually contributes coats and clothes by the hundreds to our Holiday Toy Drive. Sherri was recently honored as a Distinguished Advocate for Children at Child Advocates’ April 14th Benefit Reception. Welcome back, Sherri!
Kathy E. Ochroch
Partner and Director of Pro Bono Services, Blank Rome LLP
Kathy E. Ochroch is a Partner at Blank Rome LLP, concentrating her practice in commercial litigation, and representing clients in the areas of trusts and estates litigation, media and first amendment law, and product liability. Kathy additionally serves as Blank Rome's Director of Pro Bono Services. She has been a Volunteer Attorney with Child Advocates since 1999. Kathy has received multiple awards, including being chosen as one of The Philadelphia Business Journal's "40 under 40" in 2007, the 2005 Craig M. Perry Community Service Award, the 2004 Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Award, the “2003 Lawyer on the Fast Track” designation, and the 2003 Distinguished Advocate for Children award from Child Advocates.
Matthew J. Siegel
Member, Cozen O'Connor
Matthew J. Siegel is a Member of the Litigation Department of Cozen O’ Connor. Matt works in the Global Insurance Group, focusing his practice in the areas of insurance coverage, construction litigation, commercial litigation, casualty defense and products liability.
Matt received his Bachelor of Arts in English from Colgate University in 1995. He earned his law degree, cum laude, at Temple University Beasley School of Law in 1998, where he served as an articles editor for the Temple Political and Civil Rights Law Review and was awarded the Barrister Award for achievement in the field of trial advocacy.
Matt has been a Volunteer Attorney since 2000, advocating for many children throughout the past ten years. He serves on Child Advocates’ Volunteer Committee and is currently the chair of Cozen O'Connor's Child Advocates’ practice group. Matt has lectured at Child Advocates’ Volunteer Attorney training program on several occasions and was named one of the Distinguished Advocates for Children in 2006.
Audrey C. Talley
Partner, Drinker Biddle
Audrey C. Talley is a Partner with Drinker Biddle’s Investment Management Practice Group and has more than 25 years of legal experience in investment management, corporate and securities, and general corporate law matters. Audrey has served as Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, Chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Business Law Section, Chair of its Board of Governors and Co-Chair of the Investment Companies Committee. She is also a member of the American Bar Association, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a member of the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Audrey formerly served as Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession. Audrey is active in various community organizations. She serves on the Board of Trustees of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Audrey is pleased to join Child Advocates’ Board of Directors to serve Philadelphia’s vulnerable children.
Gina Morrison joined Child Advocates in June as a new social worker. She has worked in the child welfare community of Philadelphia for more than twelve years. During her time at Best Nest, a foster care and adoption agency, Gina worked specifically with abused and neglected children with special medical needs. Gina is excited to be a part of Child Advocates’ team and its mission.
The Support Center for Child Advocates welcomes:
Moira Mulroney as the new Director of Development and Communications. Read More about Moira Mulroney
Nicole Friant
Pro Bono Counsel, Duane Morris LLP
Nicole Friant is Duane Morris' Pro Bono Counsel, directing and overseeing the firm’s national pro bono program. Formerly an attorney in Duane Morris' Environmental Law Practice Group, Nicole served on the firm's Pro Bono Task Force and Committee from 2003 to 2005, and was chair of the Duane Morris Support Center for Child Advocates Practice Group for several years. Nicole is a volunteer through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and has been a volunteer attorney for Child Advocates for the last decade.
A former judicial clerk to the Honorable L. Anthony Gibson, former presiding judge of the Chancery Division for the Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic County, Nicole is a 1998 graduate of Rutgers School of Law - Camden and a graduate of Rutgers University. By bringing her passion for working with children and her experience as a volunteer attorney to the Board, Nicole hopes to help Child Advocates better serve Philadelphia’s abused and neglected children.
Beth Hanssens
Vice President, Finance, Sprout
Beth Hanssens is Vice President, Finance for Sprout, the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers. An accomplished professional with more than 17 years experience in finance and accounting, Beth is responsible for managing the network's overall budget, ensuring that financial spending is aligned with board objectives and facilitating communication among departments for all Sprout finance-related matters. Additionally, Beth generates and manages all information for the Sprout Audit Committee and oversees the implementation of the financial systems and staffing requirements at the network. Prior to joining Sprout, Beth served for eight years at Comcast Corporation in various roles of increasing responsibility.
Beth holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Drexel University and is a member of Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT). She has two small children and knows firsthand the challenges of raising happy, healthy and well-rounded children. She hopes her personal and professional experience will further the goals of Child Advocates because all children should have this opportunity. Let's "Change the Story" together!
Edward D. Ohlbaum
Professor and Director, Temple University Beasley School of Law
Eddie Ohlbaum is a trial lawyer and professor of Law and Director of Trial Advocacy & Clinical Legal Education at Temple Law School where he teaches courses in Evidence, Trial Advocacy, Criminal Law, and Professional Responsibility. He is the architect of Temple's unique LL.M. in Trial Advocacy program and is a senior coach of the school's championship mock trial team. His programs have won awards from a variety of organizations, including the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Committee on Professionalism of the American Bar Association. In 1997, Professor Ohlbaum was awarded the Roscoe Pound Foundation Richard S. Jacobson Award for demonstrated excellence in teaching trial advocacy. He is the author of several books, and consults and lectures on evidence, litigation strategy, advocacy, and ethics to judicial conferences, government agencies, bar associations and law firms. A former trial lawyer with the Defender Association of Philadelphia, Professor Ohlbaum also serves on the Board of the new Pennsylvania Innocence Project. An active volunteer attorney, he joined the board to influence policy to effectuate systemic change in courtroom practice.
Jill Porter
Retired Reporter
Jill Porter is Philadelphia through-and-through. Born and educated in the city (Germantown High School and Temple University), Jill was a permanent fixture at the Philadelphia Daily News until she retired in March 2009. Jill wrote an award-winning column for 30 years championing the causes of children, women, and victims of injustice. In real life, Porter likes to dance, read, paddle with the Philadelphia Flying Phoenix dragon boat team, and ride her bike. She lives in Bala Cynwyd with her husband, Fred Hamilton, and has one son. Jill joined the board of Child Advocates because she can’t think of anything more important than the work Child Advocates does: Saving children's lives.
Suzanne Root
Attorney-At-Law
Suzanne Root is a solo practitioner in family law specializing in child custody and child advocacy. She practices law primarily in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Formerly, Suzanne worked in preschool and elementary education, educational research and development in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and public emergency management education in a seven-state region. Suzanne is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Grants Committee of the New Century Trust in Philadelphia. She previously served as President of the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House for six years and as a Board Director for twenty-two years. Her education, professional employment, and volunteer work have focused on meeting the developmental needs of children and children’s welfare policies. Suzanne hopes to bring her life experiences to help achieve the mission of the Support Center for Child Advocates
Joe H. Tucker, Jr.
Shareholder, Tucker Law Group, LLC
Joe H. Tucker, Jr. is an attorney specializing in complex civil litigation. His legal practice is extremely diverse as he represents individual plaintiffs and Fortune 100 companies. Joe currently serves on the Vestry of The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Overbrook Farms. He received his undergraduate degree from Howard University and his law degree from Temple University. As a lifelong Philadelphian, Joe understands that it is not enough to care about our children. Rather, we must act to save and support children, our most precious resources. Joe looks forward to bringing his energy and passion to the Board.
Mehreen Zaman
Mehreen Zaman joined Child Advocates as the result of a one-year deferral from Ballard Spahr. Mehreen arrived in Philadelphia in 2000 to complete her undergraduate program at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was active in educating students about sexual and domestic violence. After graduation, she worked for the Social Impact of the Arts Project, interviewing Philadelphia artists to discover if appropriated city arts funds successfully reached artists. She then joined the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania as a paralegal, working predominately on public benefits and employment issues. After beginning law school in New York, she transferred back to the University of Pennsylvania to complete her law degree in May 2009. Mehreen is very excited to join the talented and dedicated staff at Child Advocates and to advocate for abused and neglected children in Philadelphia
Staff Members
Joyce Krajian is temporarily filling in for staff social worker Megan Walley. Joyce comes to Child Advocates with a long career of working with children and youth. For the past 11 years, she served as Founder and Executive Director of the Bridges Program, a 12-month internship and training initiative that prepares Philadelphia public high school students for entry-level post-graduation employment in law firms, health care systems, and other organizations. Joyce previously served as Director of the Corporate Career Opportunity Program, a school-to-work program for Philadelphia high school youths. She has a Masters of Divinity with a major in education from Princeton Theological Seminary and a B.A. from Lycoming College. Joyce is pleased to join Child Advocates staff of talented and impassioned professionals to help change the story for abused and neglected children in Philadelphia County.
The Support Center for Child Advocates welcomes the addition of six new board members:
- Kimberlee Washington Barr, Director of Human Resources at PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Victoria Y. Demo, Senior Vice President at Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania (RBS Citizens NA)
- Katherine Kelton, Assistant General Counsel at ARAMARK in Philadelphia
- Mark Gittelman, Chief Practice Counsel - Asset Recovery for PNC Bank, National Association
- Charles Persing, Senior Manager at Parente Randolph, LLC
- Shannon Prown, Global Marketing Director for Navigant Consulting
They bring tremendous energy and expertise to child advocacy in Philadelphia.
Kimberlee Washington Barr is a Director of Market Human Resources at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ms. Washington Barr is a former member of the AICPA Minority Initiatives Committee and the National Association of Black Accountants. She is a 1986 graduate of Rider College with a B.S. in Marketing. She brings her passion for children and her many years of Human Resources expertise and her skills with working with a diverse community to the Support Center for Child Advocates.
Victoria Y. Demo is a Senior Vice President at Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania (RBS Citizens NA). Ms. Demo manages the sales teams and portfolio of international customers. She is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania and previously served as a volunteer with the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and as a Chapter Advisor for Alpha Delta Pi – Boston University. Ms. Demo is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with A MI-BAQ in Economics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH with a MBA in Finance, Royal Bank of Scotland Executive Leadership Program-Harvard Business School, Edinburgh, Scotland- 2004 & 2006. As the mother of two school aged children Demo knows of the personal challenges of raising a family and shaping their lives to become productive and stimulated individuals. She hopes to bring this life experience to further the goals of the Support Center for Child Advocates.
Mark Gittelman is the Chief Practice Counsel - Asset Recovery for PNC Bank, National Association, and is based in their Philadelphia market. He is primarily responsible for providing legal services for PNC Bank's troubled loan portfolio. Prior to joining PNC Bank in 1992, Mr. Gittelman practiced at Blank Rome, LLP in Philadelphia. Mr. Gittelman is a member of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, District of Columbia, and American Bar Associations and served as Vice Chair of the Electronic Transactions in Bankruptcy Subcommittee of the Business Bankruptcy Committee of the ABA Business Law Section. He lectures frequently on bankruptcy and UCC issues. Mr. Gittelman received his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1984 and his B.A cum laude from Georgetown University in 1981.
Katherine Kelton is an Assistant General Counsel at ARAMARK in Philadelphia, serving as counsel to ARAMARK’s Healthcare division and Director of Pro Bono for ARAMARK Legal. Prior to joining ARAMARK, she was a senior associate with the Healthcare group of Duane Morris, LLP. Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, Ms. Kelton is a member of the American, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia bar associations, the American Health Lawyers Association, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. She is a 2001 graduate of Boston College Law School and a graduate of Williams College.
Chuck Persing is Partner in the Insolvency and Litigation group at Bederson & Company. Mr. Persing has provided a variety of financial consulting and accounting services as part of his roles in public and private companies and consulting since 1981. Recently, he has spent approximately four years with a formerly publicly traded company during its Chapter 11 and 7 proceedings assisting in all aspects of the proceedings. During the last two of those years his efforts were spent providing extensive litigation support in various matters including a successful $300 million preference and contract dispute adversary action. Prior experience included two years in various Corporate Development and M&A assignments for a publicly traded Telecommunications Company. Several of the assignments involved troubled investments or contract dispute resolution. Earlier, Mr. Persing spent 14 years in various financial and operational capacities in the radio and media industries providing M&A, financing, and post acquisition restructuring services. Mr. Persing has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration majoring in Accounting from Drexel University.
Shannon Prown is a Marketing Director for Navigant Consulting. Ms. Prown is the global marketing director for Navigant’s disputes and investigation practice. She is responsible for all marketing outreach to the legal industry. Ms. Prown's past experience includes being a part of the working group of the Children’ Rights Litigation Committee of the ABA Section of Litigation. Ms. Prown is a graduate of Boston College.
We’ve also added three talented new staff members:
- Kristyn DiDominick, Development Officer
- Patricia Marino-Bongiovanni, Development Officer
- Beverly C. Wells, LSW, Social Work Supervisor
Kristyn DiDominick is our new Development Officer. She joined us in late August from her role as Development Associate at Philadelphia FIGHT, an AIDS service organization. Kristyn has a Masters in Social Work and pursued a career in development to advocate and secure funding for nonprofits. During her graduate program, she worked with abused and neglected kids and families. the Support Center for Child Advocates’ mission has a special place in her heart.
Patricia Marino-Bongiovanni is a Development Officer with Child Advocates. She joined us in April from her role as Development Specialist at Presbyterian Children’s Village, a residential-educational facility providing a comprehensive continuum of residential treatment, behavioral health, and child welfare and prevention services in Rosemont, PA. She is honored to be associated with the Support Center for Child Advocates and its dedicated staff and Board.
Beverly C. Wells, LSW is our new Social Work Supervisor. She joined us on October 6, 2008. Beverly is an experienced clinician, case manager and supervisor.
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