Our Team
Board of Directors
Gaetano Piccirilli, Esq.
Chairperson
Carol B. Rice
Vice Chairperson
Paul R. Greenwald, CPA
Treasurer
Susan W. Herron, Esq.
Secretary
Jonathan M. Cohen, Esq.
Member, Chair Safety Committee
Jennifer Heller
Member
Mary A. Faustino
Member
Susan Jansen Varnum, Ph.D
Member
Ruth S. Damsker
Member
Leonard Prendergass
Member
Jerry Macdonald, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Executive Team
Jerry has spent his career working and volunteering in large and small-scale nonprofit organizations for a variety of social justice causes. His focus has been on helping organizations develop the resources that they need to implement their visions of social change.
As a proposal writer and development professional, he has raised over $2 billion in the areas of mental health and substance abuse treatment, social justice, LGBT rights, HIV/AIDS, education, public health, housing, arts and culture, and children and youth services.
For the past 19 years, he has served in a variety of capacities at Caring People Alliance, having been named President and CEO in 2016. His vision is to transform Caring People Alliance into a dynamic engine for social justice by addressing the root causes of poverty in Philadelphia.
Jerry is married to David Acosta, and they live in South Philadelphia with their two dogs and two cats. Jerry and David love art, travel, food, wine, animals and hanging out at the beach.
Alease has dedicated her life to helping the community, its families, and the children of the Philadelphia area. She has over 45 years of experience in the job training and non-profit sectors with proven exceptional leadership and management skills.
As the Executive Director of the largest Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) in the state of Pennsylvania, she manages over 200 employees and a five-year budget exceeding one billion dollars. She ensures child care providers offering early learning resources and families needing early learning resources are united and provided with high quality and outstanding services.
Alease has excellent reasoning and analytical skills, a proven track record of accomplishments and a commitment to the highest standards of integrity. She is a tremendous asset to Caring People Alliance’s senior management team.
Carmen I. Paris, MPH, Vice President, Business Development
(She/Hers/Her)carmen@caringpeoplealliance.org
Carmen I. Paris is currently the Vice President of Business Development at Caring People Alliance. Carmen started working for the agency as a Consultant in 2018. She had previously worked in the fields of Mental Health and Health in the City of Philadelphia with over 20 years of experience in Senior Management.
She has served in many boards and commissions and is currently the Vice Chairperson of the Delaware Valley Community Health Federally Qualified Health Centers. Born and raised in Puerto Rico she holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master’s in Public Health from Temple University in Philadelphia.
Carmen is an avid golf trainee, runner and reader and currently lives in Mount Airy with her husband and son.
Leadership Team
Tanya Brown, M.Ed.
Lead Early Learning Center Director
R.W. Brown Boys & Girls Club
John Haltiwanger
Director of Information Information Systems and Technology
Ladrina M. Powell
Early Learning Center Director
West Philadelphia Boys & Girls Club
Keith L. Smith
Interim CFO & Assistant Director Of Operations, ELRC Region 18