New members bring a wealth of expertise and experience in the corporate, legal, financial, philanthropic, and educational fields to strengthen United Way’s mission.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa., October 10, 2022 – United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) announced today the addition of five community leaders to its Regional Board of Directors. These newly elected members will strengthen UWGPSNJ’s efforts to end poverty and expand opportunity, while uplifting and empowering underserved communities throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.
“We are thrilled to welcome five new Board Members, each with a unique personal and professional background to move our mission forward,” said UWGPSNJ’s Regional Board Chair, John Salveson of Salveson Stetson Group, Inc. “The onboarding of these five leaders brings with it a broad range of talent, knowledge, and experience to the fight against poverty in the Greater Philadelphia area.”
Joining the twenty-five existing Regional Board Members, these five new members bring a wide array of skills, competencies, and experiences to strengthen UWGPSNJ’s mission. That mission includes investments in programs, partnerships, and initiatives like The Promise, an action plan to reduce Philadelphia’s poverty rate and help support an equitable economic recovery from the pandemic.
UWGPSNJ welcomes the following Regional Board Members: Ann Arena, Senior Director of Business Process Improvement for Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween; Sarah Bouchard, Partner with Morgan Lewis; Jim Buck, General Partner of the TDH III Partnership; Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend, President of The Hamilton Family Charitable Trust; and Peter Haas, a history and English teacher at Devon Preparatory School.
Ann Arena is the Senior Director of Business Process Improvement for Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween, running the Project Management Office for the company. A Spencer’s employee since 1987, Ann also leads their Community Action Team, running projects such as back-to-school backpack and school supplies, Thanksgiving food drives, and holiday gift drives for the Atlantic City region. She previously served as Chair of the Board of United Way in Atlantic County, and currently serves as a Board member at Avanzar Social Services and Past-President and current Historian of the Auxiliary of the American Legion Post #28, Absecon, NJ. Ann holds a B.A. from Stockton University and was inducted into the Atlantic County Women’s Hall of Fame for her volunteerism in 2017 and is a Board Member.
Sarah Bouchard is a Partner with Morgan Lewis in Philadelphia. She litigates highly sensitive and complex harassment, whistleblower, noncompetition, and trade secret matters across the United States. As co-leader of the firm’s whistleblower group, Sarah routinely handles litigation and litigation avoidance related to regulatory issues under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Dodd-Frank Act, False Claims Act, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. She leads the firm’s Title IX taskforce, focusing on issues of discrimination and sexual harassment in the education setting. She is adept at leading internal investigations related to workplace misconduct, including sexual harassment, and advising employers on appropriate responses and remediation measures, and defending companies in employment lawsuits and related matters. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association (Southeastern PA) and the Philadelphia Go Red for Women Campaign. She holds a B.A. from Pennsylvania State University and a J.D. from Villanova University School of Law.
Jim Buck is President of TDH Capital and a Partner of the Philadelphia Phillies. Jim began his career at J.P. Morgan & Co., holding various positions in its management training, banking, and private placement groups. In this latter position, he worked most directly on the structuring and private placement of institutional debt with Japanese financial institutions. Jim has served on several TDH portfolio company boards and is active with numerous charitable organizations, including Main Line Health, the Mann Center, Peter’s Place, The Haverford School, and Princeton University.
Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend serves as President of The Hamilton Family Charitable Trust (HFCT) and brings with her over 20 years of non-profit experience. Chekemma oversees the planning, implementation, and management of HFCT philanthropic grantmaking in the Philadelphia, Newport, RI, and Palm Beach County, FL markets. Her expertise spans several disciplines including research, evaluation and systemic transformation. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work and Bachelors Degree in Psychology, both from the University of Pennsylvania.
Peter Haas is a history and English teacher at Devon Preparatory School, where he also serves as chair of the theater department. Prior to Devon, Peter was a teacher with Mastery Charter Schools in Philadelphia. Outside of teaching, Peter serves as a Board Member for the William Penn Foundation. He holds a B.A. from Wheaton College and an M.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania.
The UWGPSNJ Regional Board provides counsel and a breadth of resources and expertise to the UWGPSNJ organization. For a full list of Regional Board Members, visit here. For more information on UWGPSNJ’s mission to end poverty and expand opportunity, visit www.unitedforimpact.org.
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About United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) is on a mission to end poverty and expand opportunity for all. Serving Pennsylvania’s Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, and New Jersey’s Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May and Cumberland counties, United Way creates solutions that break the cycle of poverty. As part of a network of independent local nonprofit organizations, United Way provides countless ways to give, advocate and volunteer. To learn more, visit www.unitedforimpact.org.