Daniel J. Hilferty is President and Chief Executive Officer of Independence Blue Cross, one of the nation's leading health insurers. Mr. Hilferty's vision is to lead the transformation of health care in America, seeking innovative technologies and new models of care that will increase the quality and lower the cost of care.
He led the creation of the Independence Blue Cross Center for Health Care Innovation and launched Tandigm Health, a unique joint venture that arms primary care physicians with the tools and data needed to better manage chronic conditions and deliver more personalized care. He has built business collaborations with world-renowned institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania to conduct cutting-edge research and partnered with Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans and other leaders in health care to purchase dynamic health care companies. He is among a select group of nonpartisan health care leaders called upon by government leaders for advice on implementing health care reform.
David L. Cohen is Senior Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation and is the Company's Chief Diversity Officer. David is also the Campaign Chair for the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey's 100th Anniversary and is Co-Chair of the 2017-2018 Campaign for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.
David serves on the national board of City Year and is Chair of its Governance Committee, the national board of the National Urban League and is Chair of its Audit Committee, and is Chair of the Corporate Advisory Board of UnidosUS. He has received numerous awards for his civic and charitable activities, including the Americanism Award of the Anti-Defamation League, the American Red Cross Citizen of the Year Award, and the President's Volunteer Service Award.
Sharmain Matlock-Turner is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Affairs Coalition. She began her tenure in March of 1999, with a special distinction as the first woman to lead in the organization's 47-year history. The Urban Affairs Coalition, formerly GPUAC, unites government, business, neighborhoods, and individual initiative to improve the quality of life in the region. In partnership with a diverse Board of Directors, made up of business, nonprofit and community leaders, Ms. Matlock-Turner and her team of managers and more than 500 employees create partnerships and build consensus to help families reduce poverty and reach the middle class.
Ms. Matlock-Turner is founder and chair of the eighteen-year-old West Oak Lane Charter School. In addition, she serves on the following boards and commissions: Peirce College Board of Trustees; Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Economic and Community Advisory Council; Entrepreneur Works, Board of Directors; Forum for Executive Women, Member; Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia; Philadelphia Council for College and Career Success; Street Soccer PHL Board of Directors; The Philadelphia Foundation's On the Table Steering Committee; Cranaleith Spiritual Center President's Council and the Citizens Bank Advisory Board. Sharmain is also a Senior Fellow at University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute for Government. She was a member of the 2016 DNC Diversity Committee and serves on the Comcast Economic Opportunity Oversight Committee.
Aundrea Cline-Thomas is a reporter for NBC10 News. You can watch her reporting weekdays during the morning or evening newscasts. Aundrea's favorite part of being a reporter is interacting with people who make our viewing area so great. Aundrea also appreciates the diversity of the Greater Philadelphia area, both ethnically and geographically, and being able to cover all different types of people, places, and situations.
Prior to joining NBC10, Aundrea worked as the lead education reporter for four years at WTVF, the CBS affiliate in Nashville, where she won a regional Emmy award for Spot News. She also worked at News 14 Carolina in Charlotte for two years as a reporter and photographer, and WMGT, the NBC affiliate in Macon, Georgia. Aundrea has also been an instructor at the Carolina School of Broadcasting. Aundrea is the youngest of three children whose parents are originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa. She is passionate about issues affecting women, children, and immigrant communities.
Stephen P. Fera is Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Independence Blue Cross (Independence). In this role, Mr. Fera leads federal and state government affairs, the Independence Political Action Committee, and community affairs areas. He also oversees the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, a $65 million charitable organization. The IBC Foundation aims to further Independence's community leadership by leading sustainable solutions to improving the health and wellness of our neighborhoods that can be replicated on a national scale.
Since joining Independence in 1990, Mr. Fera has held executive level positions responsible for Medicare Products, CHIP, and other products assisting the low-income and uninsured. Additionally, he has led the development of key community programs. He is a member of the Public Affairs Council Board of Directors, St. Joseph's Preparatory School Board, Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) Board, and the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation Board. Mr. Fera served as chair of the Government Outreach Committee for the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.
Lorina Marshall-Blake serves as the President of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, where she leads the Foundation's strategic, programmatic, and operational efforts to fulfill its mission of leading sustainable solutions to improving the health and wellness of our neighborhoods that can be replicated on a national scale. This includes overseeing grant-making work for the $65 million Foundation.
Outside of work, Ms. Marshall-Blake is devoted to her church and community. She serves as an associate minister at the Vine Memorial Baptist Church in Philadelphia. In addition, she is affiliated with more than 30 professional and civic organizations, including the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the United Negro College Fund, and is the past president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She also serves on 25 nonprofit boards and committees of local, state, and national organizations including Albright College, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association — Corporate Responsibility Committee, Pennsylvania Conference for Women, the Urban Affairs Coalition, and the Urban League of Philadelphia.
In 2008 Jeri Lynne Johnson established her own orchestra in Philadelphia, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, with some of the top musicians in the country from diverse cultures and ethnicities as a model for the 21st-century orchestra. Through Black Pearl, she pioneered a fresh new approach to community engagement that has been imitated and adopted by orchestras across the country.
The world-class quality of her concert performances have earned Black Pearl numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. And her innovative community engagement programs have made Black Pearl the only organization in the nation ever to win three prestigious Knight Foundation Arts Challenge grants.
Marcus Allen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region (BBBS IR), the Greater Philadelphia region's largest and most experienced youth mentoring organization, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2015. In April of 2013, Allen became the first African American CEO in BBBS IR's celebrated history. He has significantly grown the agency as measured by number of children served, revenue generation from donors, and programs and overall visibility. This impressive growth garnered BBBS IR a Gold Standard Award in 2013 and the coveted Pinnacle Award in 2014 from BBBS of America, given to only four affiliates of the 334 affiliated agencies across the country. Allen now manages the largest one-to-one mentoring program in the Commonwealth and the 2nd largest Big Brothers Big Sisters Agency in the nation. In 2015, BBBS IR was recognized as a 4-star organization by Charity Navigator.
He currently serves on the board of directors for United Way, the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, and the Philadelphia Housing and Development Corporation. In 2016, he was appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. In 2013, he was appointed to serve on the Mayor's Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity oversight board. Allen also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Lucy E. Kerman is Senior Vice Provost for University and Community Partnerships and founding Executive Director of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University. Dr. Kerman is responsible for providing strategic direction to support the University's vision for its neighborhood initiatives, and directs Drexel's civic engagement efforts. A primary role is to align Drexel's academic and administrative resources to create a coordinated and comprehensive approach to community revitalization, including investments in housing, economic development, retail, clean and safe initiatives, education, and health/wellness.
Among many projects, Dr. Kerman leads the planning and implementation of the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, a new "urban extension center" in Drexel's neighborhood that will engage all of the University's college and schools in community problem solving, from a wellness center and community lawyering, to public programs in architecture, engineering and food studies. Dr. Kerman oversees the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement and supports the integration of student leadership and academic engagement into community revitalization efforts. She also works closely with Drexel's School of Education and the School District of Philadelphia to improve the public schools near Drexel's campus.
Siobhan A. Reardon is President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, the first woman to serve in this capacity. Since joining the Free Library in 2008, Ms. Reardon has spearheaded the Library's initiative to move beyond its walls by creating computer and internet outposts called Hot Spots that offer free access and training in partnership with local organizations in underserved neighborhoods and in the city’s first roving "techmobile." In addition, Ms. Reardon steered the creation of an ambitious five-year strategic plan for the Library, underscored by a mission to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity. Ms. Reardon’s vision for the future—Building Inspiration: 21st Century Libraries Initiative—includes the launch of a new model of service wherein neighborhood libraries will undergo physical and programmatic changes to directly respond to and meet the needs of the surrounding neighborhood. For these efforts and her visionary leadership of the Free Library, Ms. Reardon was named Library Journal's Librarian of the Year in 2015.
She is an Endowment Trustee of the American Library Association and an officer of the Standing Committee of the Metropolitan Libraries section of the International Federation of Library Associations. She also sits on the boards of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Irish American Business Chamber & Network, the Philadelphia Education Fund, the Parkway Council, and Poets House. In addition, she serves as an Advisory Board member of the Satell Institute & a think tank for corporate social responsibility.
As Vice President - Corporate Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer, Dave designs Campbell Soup Company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability strategies, goals, policies, and programs. Dave has helped the company achieve its place on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List, and recognition as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies.
In 2008 and 2013, Dave was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics by Ethisphere Magazine. Trust Across America named Dave one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior for 4 years in a row.
Katherine Smith is the Executive Director of the Center for Corporate Citizenship, Boston College Carroll School of Management and serves as part-time faculty at the Carroll School of Management, where she teaches "Business in Society." As executive director, she leads the team, oversees content, events, and strategic partnerships that contribute to the organization's success.
Katherine has worked with public private partnerships for more than 20 years through her career in nonprofit and higher education. She has worked at Brown University, where she served last as AVP for Research, and the University of Massachusetts, where she served as COO of the Foundation with more than $700 million under management. She has unique experience working on facilitating large-scale public-private partnerships and joint research projects over the course of her career. Katherine is the co-author with Dave Stangis of 21st Century Corporate Citizenship: A Practical Guide to Delivering Value to Society and to Your Business, which was published by Emerald in 2017.
Maari is the Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives with the Managing Director's Office in the City of Philadelphia and is responsible for advancing and aligning a set of high priority strategic initiatives of the Kenney Administration. Maari returned to city government after close to two years as Executive Director for Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia representing over 150 philanthropic organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region who together award close to one billion dollars annually. Before working for philanthropy, Maari had a career in the public sector in the United States, United Kingdom, and her native country of New Zealand.
Maari migrated to the U.S in 2010 during the Great Recession leading the City of Philadelphia's new Recovery Office managing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, 2009 "stimulus" funds, attracting and wisely spending $350 million to create jobs and grow the economy. After that role, Maari was appointed as Chief Grant’s Officer and Executive Director of the Mayor's Fund for Philadelphia attracting $50 million in federal and philanthropic funding in two years. Maari held several policy analyst positions for the UK Government during the Blair Administration including in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Minister's Delivery Unit and the Cabinet Office (which includes No. 10 Downing Street).
Jeffrey Brown is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Brown's Super Stores, Inc., a thirteen-store supermarket chain trading under both the ShopRite and Fresh Grocer banners. Brown’s Super Stores was recognized as one of "The Best Places to Work" multiple years in a row by the Philadelphia Business Journal and has received recognition as a top employer in the region from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and NJBiz. In 2017, Brown’s Super Stores was recognized by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions as a "Young Adult Employer Champion".
Mr. Brown is an Officer and Director of Wakefern Food Corporation, the marketing and distribution arm for ShopRite. Under Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, Mr. Brown is acting Chairman of the Workforce Investment Board. Mr. Brown is also a Member of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, Chairman of the Philadelphia Youth Network and a Member of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Corporate Council.
Additionally, Mr. Brown is the founder and Chairman of UpLift Solutions, a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization that supports food businesses, government and nonprofits to create sustainable environments for underserved communities.
Ryan Manion has dedicated her life to supporting our nation's military, veterans, and families of fallen heroes. She is inspired by her brother, 1st Lt Travis Manion (USMC) who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq in 2007, while drawing fire away from his wounded comrades. Ryan has served as the President of Travis Manion Foundation since 2012, leading a national movement to empower veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. As a highly regarded advocate for the military community, Ryan has been invited to address national audiences on numerous occasions.
In 2015, Ryan was selected to receive the President's Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteer Service. In 2016, Ryan took an official appointment to serve on the Remember and Explore Subcommittee and the Honor Subcommittee for the Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery. When not engaged in public service, Ryan spends as much time as possible with her husband Dave, and three children: Maggie Rose, Honor, and Travis Brendan. Ryan dedicates her work to all the heroes who have sacrificed for our country, but in particular to her brother and her late mother Janet, the founder of Travis Manion Foundation.
Joe oversees the UPS Humanitarian Relief & Resilience Program, coordinating The UPS Foundation's $15 million annual investment in program support, logistical expertise, skilled volunteers, and capacity building efforts to enhance community resilience and strengthen preparedness, response and recovery capabilities of UPS partner agencies.
He also manages UPS's engagement in the Logistics Emergency Team (LET) loaned executive program for the U.N. World Food Programme and Global Logistics Cluster, and the UPS Logistics Action Team (LAT) initiative, both of which offer support after natural disasters. Joe is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Risk & Resilience. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Association of Corporate Contributions Professionals (ACCP), and is on the board of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP). He also serves on the Operation Hope — Hope Coalition America Corporate Advisory Council, Good360 Disaster Recovery 360 Advisory Board, and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) Development Committee.
Steve Wilmot is a 1997 graduate of the School of Social Policy & Practice of the University of Pennsylvania and currently works as the Senior Director of Practice Management at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where he has been employed for over fifteen years. In his current role, Steve oversees four of the Hospital's Primary Care Centers in Philadelphia, including the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Primary Care Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the nation's largest Primary Care Center providing care to over 31,000 children and adolescents. In addition, Steve directs the Hospital's After Hours Nurse Triage Program, as well as the Hospital's pediatric literacy initiative, Reach Out and Read.
The former Director of Camp JOY and the Variety Club Camp & Developmental Center, Steve has spent a great deal of his career working with children and young adults with chronic disability and illness. In addition, Steve has worked with the homeless population and is one of the co-founders of the Safe Harbor Homeless Shelter located in West Chester, PA. In addition to teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, Steve is an Adjunct Faculty in the Undergraduate Social Work Department at West Chester University where he has taught Advanced Social Policy, Human Behavior in the Social Environment, and Generalist Practice.