Our Team

Chris Simiriglia launched Pathways in Philadelphia in 2008. Under her leadership, the agency has rapidly expanded services to meet the growing and changing needs of our neighbors with disabilities experiencing homelessness. 

Chris most recently worked at the Mental Health Association of Southeastern PA (now Mental Health Partnerships), holding various positions including Vice President. She has worked with various service systems and has had several papers and tool kits published related to her work with homelessness. She also consults on managing non-profits. Chris prides herself on Pathways’ continued ability to move the needle forward for people, even in the most trying times.

Valerie Johnson joined Pathways to Housing PA in 2018, and was promoted to Vice President of Advancement and Social Enterprise in 2024.  Prior to that, she was the Director of Advancement for Council for Relationships.  She also worked as a fundraiser for Valley Youth House and the American Association for Cancer Research.

Valerie, a Certified Fundraising Executive, holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and an MBA from Drexel University. A member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals since 2012, she served six years on the Board of Directors as Vice President of Education and Professional Development. Valerie has been a featured speaker for the PANO, NTEN, Seattle Children's, AFP Silicon Valley, AFP GPC, and AFP Brandywine, and contributes to Generocity.

Randy is the Vice President of Human Resources. He has 20+ years working in the private and social services industry. An extensive knowledge of Payroll, HR and implementation of various systems. A proven track record of revamping and building HR departments. Has led teams of HR professionals with various functions, including sourcing ,payroll, and learning and development.  An accomplished trainer of Management Skills development, Communication, Labor Law and Organizational Behavior. A member of The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and  NAAHR ( National Association of African Americans in Human Resources). Randy has a BS in Accounting(Lincoln University) and a AA (Associates in Art) from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

Conor grew up in Ireland in his family’s multi-generational grocery shop. He began his career at Ernst & Young Risk Advisory Services before moving to Haiti to set-up a Foundation for Irish entrepreneurs to create social enterprise, agriculture, and orphanage initiatives in Southern Haiti. He went on to lead the foundations first response work during and after the 2010 earthquake and subsequently setup his own consulting business in Haiti before moving to Philadelphia to work for La Colombe Coffee Roasters. After La Colombe sold to Chobani, he launched his own e-commerce venture and went on to lead the Reading Terminal during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic as interim GM. Conor joins Pathways after a couple of years in Greece where he volunteered for an international aid agency as a fulltime, stay-at-home Dad. Conor holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance from University College Cork, Ireland. Fun fact: when Conor moved to Philly he lived above a furniture shop, so it makes perfect sense he now works from our Furniture Bank!

Kathryn Lipman joined Pathways to Housing PA in 2020 as Assistant Director at the Philadelphia Furniture Bank. She helped the Furniture Bank provide furniture over 2,400 households in Philadelphia in two years. She joined Good Haul during its start-up phase in 2022. As Director at Good Haul, she looks forward to hauling your junk – and to helping people in the Philadelphia area connect with their neighbors and give back to their communities. Her professional interests include creative re-use, community-building, and sustainability.

Lara Carson Weinstein is a family doctor, addiction medicine specialist, and public health researcher in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. Grounded in the belief that healthcare and housing are human rights, her work focuses on driving fundamental change in how our health systems, health professionals, and learners support the health and wellness of people with substance use disorders and serious mental illness. She has collaborated with community-based agencies for over 20 years to implement and evaluate novel systems of integrated primary care, behavioral health, substance use treatment, and supportive housing in partnership with people and communities most affected by these issues.

George Sabo, IV is a partner with the accounting firm RSM US LLP (RSM) and has 20 years of public and private accounting experience. He has worked with a wide array of industries including real estate, manufacturing, government contracting, education, gaming, and entertainment, franchisee/franchisor, food services, financial services, health care, and employee benefits plans. George's real estate background includes commerical, and multi-family properties, hotels, and shopping malls. George also has extensive experience with Federal and State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit and New Markets Tax Credit transactions. Before joining RSM, George held positions in a publicly traded battery manufacturing company, and a local accounting firm, in which he had extensive experience in auditing, consulting, internal controls, taxation, outsourced accounting services, and financial forecasting.

George serves diverse clients from closely held (family owned) companies to nationally, and internationally traded public companies. George has prided himself on being able to assist companies with applying best practices in operating their businesses resulting from a wide array of value-added recommendations in internal controls, streamlining processes, better utilization through the use of technology, and recommendations related to utilization of resources.

George has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Drexel University and is a Certificated Public Accountant (CPA).

Jeannine Lisitski, PhD joined Council for Relationships in 2022 as Chief Executive Officer. She brings decades of management and leadership experience in the nonprofit sector. Jeannine served in a variety of executive level roles in organizations focused on alleviating violence, poverty, and behavioral health issues, including as the Executive Director & President of Women Against Abuse (WAA) for over a decade. Under her leadership, WAA grew exponentially in all service areas, deepened agency infrastructure, and achieved certification in the Sanctuary Model of trauma-informed care. In addition to her extensive leadership experience, Jeannine also brings insight from her early social work career providing direct counseling and case management services.

Jeannine has been the recipient of multiple awards for business acumen and social innovation. She led an effort to create a citywide plan to address relational violence in collaboration with over 60 agencies and organizations resulting in a first-place award for the international Lipman Family Prize for social innovation out of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In her role on the senior leadership team at Project H.O.M.E., Jeannine collaborated with and received an award from CFR for establishing a partnership to provide high quality therapeutic services to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

Ragine Johnson deeply passionate about revolutionizing workplace dynamics by embedding fresh perspectives of diversity and inclusion. She is a graduate of La Salle University, with a Master's Degree in Human Capital Development and currently serves as the Leader of DEI Recruiting, Reporting, and Outreach as part of the Workforce Development Team at SEI. 

Suzanne Shaw is the Director of the PECO Transmission & Substation Engineering department. She has held various jobs within PECO since starting out as a field technician 37 years ago, after completing an Associate in Engineering at Delaware Technical Community College. At PECO, she has gained experience in budgeting, forecasting, scheduling, work management, project/program management, and strategic planning. She has sponsored many volunteer activities, sponsors DEI events, and has set up a women’s circle in her current department. While working full-time, she obtained her Bachelor’s in Engineering from Widener University and an MBA from the University of Delaware. Suzanne visited several countries and states while growing up in a military family. She finally settled in Hockessin, Delaware, where she now resides with her husband Dale. She still enjoys traveling and spending time on the Chesapeake Bay with friends and family, is an avid reader, and her new hobby of necessity is gardening.

You might know Jeff Gibbard from Linkedin as "the World’s Most Handsome Strategist and Professional Speaker." You might also know him by his other title: Superhero. 

Jeff Gibbard is a business coach and professional speaker and the founder of two companies: Super Impactful and Super Productive. He is the author of The Lovable Leader, a book about building great teams with trust, respect and kindness. 

Jeff is on a mission to make the world kinder, safer and more equitable. He's committed to living a purpose-driven life, helping people to unlock their full potential, being a heroic and lovable leader, and becoming an unstoppable catalyst for change.

Diamond Bertil recently joined Cencora as Director of Internal Audit. She previously served as Senior Manager in PwC’s Cyber, Risk and Regulatory team. With 10+ years of experience and extensive knowledge of compliance and operational frameworks, she helps clients solve complex issues and drive key priorities. She holds a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from West Chester University and is a CPA.

Brandyn Campbell helps businesses build and articulate their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The founder of Brandyn Campbell Communications, a DEI consulting firm, she draws on over 15 years of experience in training, strategy, and inclusive leadership centering on multiculturalism and cultural competence. As a speaker and strategist, Brandyn works with clients worldwide to provide actionable solutions to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout their communications and cultures. Organizations around the world that have benefited from Brandyn’s expertise include the NFL and Fortune 500 companies. In addition, Brandyn’s commitment to equity and justice are reflected in her community advocacy and leadership.

Humanitarian/Volunteer

James Whitaker is currently retired after serving as the Marine Corps Base Quantico (MCBQ) Safety Division Deputy Director.  Prior to serving as a civilian Marine, James served 20 years in the United States Navy under the Naval Construction Force Navy Seabees.  Aside from proudly serving our country, James has been a pillar in the City of Philadelphia through his recurring donations to Donors Choose and Pathways to Housing PA.  He also serves as an ambassador for Volunteer Vet a nonprofit organization in creating care packages to send to soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines abroad and at home.  James, when requested does speaking engagements to men and youth groups to share his life’s journey from living in a shelter to serving in the military and executing leadership roles and responsibilities as a Deputy Director.  James is committed to mentoring anyone experiencing difficult/challenging times from his vast professional and life experiences.  James has a certification in Safety Management from the American Society of Safety Engineers and the North Carolina Department of Labor.  James is also an OSHA General Industry 501 Authorized trainer and a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green belt, USMC. 

Jennifer Wood is a Professor and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at Temple University. Her research examines policing and public health issues, with a focus on alternative frontline responses to mental health crises. She has examined ways in which multiple forms of disadvantage lead to repeat encounters with police. Her work is devoted to better understanding how multiple systems could coordinate to be more responsive to people’s social and medical needs and avoid people's criminal justice involvement. Jennifer grew up in northern Ontario, Canada, and studied in Ottawa and Toronto.

Mike Coleman has an diverse background in the business and human services fields and currently leads one of the top real estate teams in PA. Prior to real estate, Mike was a foster care case manager in Delaware County. He personally mentors several local youths as they transition from foster care into adulthood. The ability to drive impact is what drives Mike to achieve at the highest possible level.

Maura Diamond has 15+ years of experience building connections between academic, corporate, and government sectors. She has an MBA from Stern School of Business, served as the Director of Sales for several of the largest academic publishing houses, and is currently Vice President Federal Affairs, Science & Energy at Digital Science.

Lakisha Sturgis is the Director of Community Care Management for Temple Center for Population Health and previously served as Director of Nursing and Quality Systems for Montgomery Cty Emergency Services. She received her undergraduate degree from Cheyney University and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh, and continued her education in nursing with a degree from Ohio University.

Most recently, Tyra Virden worked at a community foundation as an Associate Director for Nonprofit Excellence. She also led the first annual forum for Black nonprofit leaders in Delaware County. Tyra received my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in early childhood, elementary and special education from Temple University.

Cykhira N. Walton is the Senior Policy Advisor for Councilmember Anthony A. Phillips, representing Philadelphia’s 9th District. In this role, she leads legislative strategy, zoning oversight, and community-driven policy initiatives, working closely with city departments, community organizations, and residents to advance priorities such as neighborhood revitalization, youth engagement, public safety, and equitable economic development. Cykhira is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology/Pre-Law and earned her Juris Doctor from Widener University Commonwealth Law School. Her career spans legal, policy, and nonprofit service, including clerking for the Honorable Daine Grey in the Court of Common Pleas; serving as a Voter Protection Legal Fellow with Pennsylvania Voice; interning with Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA); and interning at the Dauphin County Public Defender’s Office. Dedicated to civic and community leadership, Cykhira serves on the Board of Directors of Philly Youth, Inc., and is a member of the Philadelphia Barristers’ Association and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She also volunteers as a civic education presenter, introducing middle school students to the law, the judicial system, and civic engagement. Cykhira is deeply committed to empowering underserved communities, inspiring youth, and strengthening neighborhoods across Philadelphia through policy, advocacy, and education.

Joe Harrington is the Patrick T. Harker Professor in the Department of Business Economics & Public Policy at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to arriving at Penn in 2012, he was on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University from 1984 to 2012. His professional service includes being President of the Industrial Organization Society and serving as an editor on several journals in his field of research. Though a resident of Philadelphia only since 2013, Joe has come to adopt the city as his own and is committed to helping its residents who are in need. While in Baltimore, he served on the board of Wide Angle Youth Media which is an organization that provides Baltimore youth with media education to tell their stories and become engaged with their communities.
Joe received his B.A. in Economics and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and his PhD in Economics from Duke University.