Our Team and Leadership

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.

Over the last 28 years, Bill Maroon has worked for various nonprofit organizations at the cross-section of housing, homelessness, and healthcare.  Bill has experience in street outreach, ACT Teams, Housing First, Supportive Housing, Case Management, and integrated health care. Prior to joining Pathways, Bill was the Director of Business Development and Innovation for Resources for Human Development (RHD) where he was an integral part of negotiating, developing, and implementing Assertive Community Treatment teams, Supportive Housing programs, and other programs focusing on social determinants of health for RHD. Bill is known for bringing hospitals, physical health managed care organizations (MCOs), nonprofits,  behavioral health MCOs, and the criminal justice system together to work towards ending homelessness. 

Bill has a Master’s Degree in Social Work Administration from Temple University.

Valerie Johnson joined Pathways to Housing PA as Director of Institutional Advancement in 2018, and was promoted to VP of Advancement and Special Projects in 2021.  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 serves on their Board of Directors as Vice President of Education and Professional Development. Valerie has been a featured speaker for the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, NTEN, AFP GPC, and AFP Brandywine, and contributes to Generocity.

Oksana Kazharova joined Pathways to Housing PA in 2015 as an Assistant Team Leader. Oksana’s leadership skills were recognized shortly after her arrival and she was subsequently promoted to Team Leader; Senior Team Leader; Assistant Clinical Director; and Clinical Director. Oksana is passionate about supporting her staff and helping them to exceed their own expectations regarding professional growth. 

Prior to her arrival at Pathways, she developed excellent clinical skills as a Therapist at John F. Kennedy Behavioral Health Center. She received renowned acclaim with her diligent work with persons under the supervision of the United States Federal Probation Department. Oksana is a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Social Work and a 2008 graduate of The Rutgers School of Social Work.

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.

John Lambert has served as the Director of Housing for Pathways since 2008. John received his B.A. in Sociology from Ramapo State College; and his M.A. degree from Rutgers University. He came to Pathways to Housing PA with a diverse employment background which includes working as a teacher and a certified Substance Abuse Counselor.

In 2000, John moved to the South Jersey/Delaware Valley area and joined the staff of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern PA (MHASP). He received training and certification as a Targeted Case Manager, and later became the Program Manager for a low income housing project for people with mental health issues. 

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 Manager 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.

Tom Maroon spent over 12 years coordinating and directing educational community service initiatives. Using leadership development models, Tom lead groups working in community kitchens, homeless shelters, construction projects for homes and schools, tutoring elementary students and organizing summer camps.

After earning a Masters Degree in Business Administration, Tom worked in Guatemala and Mexico building homes and schools with Habitat for Humanity and Los Ninos. Tom was also a Loan Counselor helping low and moderate income families with financial literacy, credit repair and mortgage acquisition. Prior to working at Pathways to Housing PA and the Philadelphia Furniture Bank, Tom was a 7th grade English teacher at DePaul Catholic Elementary school.

Andrew Spiers joined the clinical leadership team of Pathways to Housing PA in February 2018, and now serves as the Director of Training and Technical Assistance for Housing First University. He received his Master of Social Service from the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College, where he concentrated in Community Practice, Policy, & Advocacy. Prior to his work at Pathways, Andrew served as the Lead Therapist at Resources for Human Development’s Morris Home program— a residential substance use treatment program for members of the transgender community. 

Over the past decade, Andrew has worked and volunteered with organizations such as Prevention Point Philadelphia, The Institute for Community Justice at Philadelphia FIGHT, GALAEI, The Bridge Way School, the Public Education & Outreach subcommittee of the Mayor’s Task Force to Combat the Opioid Epidemic, and the Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club. He has taught human services and sociology courses at Harcum College, and presented at conferences nationwide on harm reduction, Housing First, and behavioral health best practices for LGBTQ+ communities.  

Andrew is passionate about helping organizations and communities to create and sustain meaningful change through individualized training, tailored TA support, and collaborative problem-solving.

Kristen Alwine is the Sr. Director of Financial Operations at MidAtlantic Retina, a leading retina practice in the world. Kristen has spent the last 30 years in healthcare in a financial capacity helping businesses strengthen their net income while keeping a consumer-focused approach. As Chief Financial Officer, she oversaw human resources, IT, and the maintenance department. Along with managing the property management company. Behavior health is a passion of mine and believing everyone needs a chance. We all have a journey, and no person is the same. If you believe in people, they will start to believe in themselves. Changing your belief can change a perspective and change the path you are on. Kristen also has a coaching company Dream, Believe, Success, Inc., to help people see their full potential and breakthrough the boxes they have put themselves in and hold them back. 

Kristen graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Accounting. Currently, she is pursuing her master's in Cyber Accounting at the University of Maryland Global Campus. Kristen and her husband reside in Telford Pa and their one daughter is currently attending West Chester University majoring in Psychology. 

Diamond Bertil is a Senior Manager in PwC’s Cyber, Risk and Regulatory team. With over 10 years of audit and consulting experience and extensive knowledge of compliance, operational, and control frameworks, she helps her clients solve complex issues and drive key priorities within their risk management, internal audit, and corporate governance programs. Her range of clients has included private and public companies across the pharmaceutical, retail and consumer, media, industrial products, and technology industries.

Diamond is passionate about helping others and giving back to her community. She previously served on the board of the National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. - Philadelphia chapter and has been involved with multiple mentoring programs and initiatives to teach financial literacy.

Diamond holds a dual B.S. degree in Accounting and Finance from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Pennsylvania.

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.

Elisa Foster currently serves at the Associate Director of Penn Women’s Center at the University of Pennsylvania where she advocates for gender equity among all areas of the campus community. Prior to joining Penn in 2017, Elisa served as the Manager of the Women's Leadership & Mentorship Program at Robert Morris University. Elisa’s background also includes grant writing and strategic planning for nonprofit organizations throughout the Philadelphia region as a consultant for Fairmount Ventures and a fundraiser for the Women's Business Development Center and Urban League of Philadelphia. She also served as a marketing coordinator and market researcher for The Melior Group where much of her work focused on helping colleges and nonprofit organizations meet the needs of their constituencies.

Elisa has continued to use her nonprofit background through community service. She has previously served as an Executive Service Corps Volunteer at the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management and a board member of Ursuline Support Services in Pittsburgh. She holds a BA and MA in Communication from Villanova University. 

Kasandrah Garnes is the Vice President of Operations for Novartis Pharmaceuticals. At Novartis, Kas leads a team that serves patients by provide medication access, insurance benefit verification and financial assistance. Kas has extensive operations experience at several academic health systems including Jefferson Health, Virtua Health and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her leadership focuses on building new teams, creating LEAN process flows and demonstrating value for customers.

Kasandrah received a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and earned her MBA in Finance from Drexel University. Kas is an adjunct professor within Drexel’s Health Administration Department. Additionally, Kas serves on the board for Pathways to Housing PA and is an active board member and committee chair with the Philadelphia Chapter HFMA (Healthcare Financial Management Association). Together with her husband, David, she is the mother of two children (daughter and son) who keeps the family busy with both sports and academics.

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 the author of The Lovable Leader, a book about building great teams with trust, respect and kindness. He's also strategist, consultant, coach, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and more.

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.

Megan Gibson (she/her) is a career educator and entrepreneur. This is her 20^th year as a public school Health and Physical Education teacher. While her students call her “Ms. G,” one of Megan’s first entrepreneurial pursuits earned her the nickname “Peanut Butter Lady.” As the creator of PB & Jams PHL, Megan brought artisanal nut butters and innovative food creations to the Philadelphia area via a food truck, line of retail products, and philanthropic initiatives. In 2016, PB & Jams PHL was selected as a “culinary entrepreneur with innovative ideas” by the global brand Triscuit and was featured in a year-long television and print media campaign.  While PB & Jams PHL is no longer in operation, it remains an instrumental part of Megan’s education in community-centered entrepreneurship.

A licensed realtor, Megan has turned her passion for real estate into a successful second career. Tapping into both her business and education background, she has helped clients throughout the region to realize their dreams of home ownership. She maintains a special focus on supporting members of marginalized communities as they navigate the home buying process. Megan was born and raised in Philadelphia, and is a proud graduate of The Philadelphia High School for Girls (GHS #240). A lifelong athlete, she attended the University of Rhode Island on a full basketball scholarship. Megan earned her Master of Science in Clinical Counseling Psychology from LaSalle University. In addition to her professional pursuits, she enjoys a full life with her partner of five years, her close and loving family, and her church community as a leadership council member at Tabernacle United Church in West Philadelphia.

Lisa Griffin has many years of healthcare leadership experience she is currently Vice President of the Consumer Experience and Clinical Patient Access at University Hospital in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. She formerly served as SVP of Enterprise Patient Access at Jefferson Health. Her prior roles include VP of Patient Access Services at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Systems Director of Patient access at Houston Methodist and Director of Access Optimization at Cleveland Clinic.

She has strategically worked to aid organizations design and implement operational throughput strategies, call centers, telephony platforms and physician practice efficiencies inclusive of Epic and many other electronic medical records builds, maintenance and innovative strategies. She possesses a successful record of accomplishments and hold a reputation for formulating strategies to achieve improvement in service delivery, patient access and revenue. Lisa is a certified executive through Cornell University and a certified call center manager. She is known for her tireless energetic work ethic towards achieving optimized operational efficiencies.

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.

Laura W. McClammer, Esq. serves as legal counsel for AmeriHealth Caritas, a mission-driven organization focused on offering comprehensive, outcomes-driven access to care to those who need it most through integrated managed care products, as well as pharmaceutical benefit management and specialty pharmacy services, among other offerings. She joined the company in 2014. In her role, she assists the business in navigating the complex regulatory healthcare landscape, primarily focused on advising on the day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives occurring in Medicaid managed care. Laura is a graduate of The College of William and Mary and Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. Throughout her education and career, Laura has been passionate about addressing social inequality through access to healthcare, which is why the mission of Pathways to Housing PA resonates so deeply with her. Laura currently lives in the Fairmount area of Philadelphia with her husband and daughter and loves to explore the variety that Philadelphia offers.

Damon Reaves is the Head of Education at the National Gallery of Art. Prior to his current role he was the Interim Senior Curator of Education and Public Programs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He has a background in visual art working in drawing, painting, and installation. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2008, he was awarded the Lock’s postgraduate fellowship. In 2019 he was guest faculty at the Banff Centre Training’s for the Not-yet artist’s residency and participated in The Tate Intensive: A Case for Action at Tate Modern. Damon has presented on several panels including Striving Towards An Equitable Future: Addressing Systemic Injustice As A Cultural Organization institutions. His talks focus on community building, surrendering institutional authority, and fostering inclusion at art institutions.

Ira Neil Richards is a partner in the law firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP. He is Chair of the Firm’s Class Action Practice Group and the Firm’s Political Action Committee. In addition, he is a certified yoga instructor.

Ira practices nationally representing clients in complex litigation matters. He has decades of experience in litigating complex, multiparty class actions for businesses and government agencies on both the plaintiffs' and defendants' sides. His class action experience spans a variety of substantive areas, including antitrust, securities, and consumer matters. He also represents clients in matters involving issues of corporate governance disputes, partnership and shareholder disputes, mergers and acquisitions, and securities sales and valuations.  In addition, Ira represents government agencies in matters under state and federal law. As an appellate advocate, Ira has argued cutting edge issues in federal and state appellate courts.

Brian Rodin currently works as a market research lead at Vanguard where he supports brand and product marketing efforts with investor and advisor insights to help lead data-driven decisions. Prior to Vanguard, his experience has been on the full-service market research consulting side – working at Deloitte and a boutique Philadelphia-based firm, The Melior Group. 

Outside of his professional experience, he has served on various boards and committees in a marketing expertise capacity, including a prior Pathways board membership most recently as the Board Secretary. 

Brian also contributes to his community by leading the LGBQIA+ employee resource group at his former employer Deloitte and now at Vanguard which includes the creation of various volunteer initiatives, non-profit partnerships, and employee engagements. 

Brian holds a BA in Psychology and Economics from Syracuse and is pursuing his executive MBA from Drexel University.

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).

Mark Salzer, Ph.D. is a psychologist and Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the College of Public Health at Temple University. He is also the Principal Investigator and Director of the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities, a rehabilitation research and training center funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research since 2003. It is an internationally recognized scholar on community inclusion of people with significant mental illnesses. Dr. Salzer was an original board member of Pathways to Housing PA and returns to the board for a second time in 2020 to support this great mission and organization.

Pamela Selvey is a Certified Recovery Specialist who coordinates a team of CRS's in a Warm Hand Off program in Philadelphia area hospitals. She has a passion for helping those who suffer with SUD. She has been in recovery for over 15 years and uses her second chance at life to give others that same chance.

Jennifer Wood is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice 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.

James Whitaker currently serves as the Marine Corps Base Quantico (MCBQ) Safety Division Deputy Director.  He is responsible for planning, developing, and implementing a comprehensive and diverse Safety and Occupational Health program encompassing the MCBQ geographic area of responsibility.  Acts as the assistant principal authority and advisor to the Commander and Chief of Staff, MCBQ pertaining to the development of policy and procedures relating to SOH.

Prior to that, James served 20 years in the United States Navy under the Naval Construction Force as a Navy Seabee.  Aside from serving our country, James has been a pillar in the City of Philadelphia through his recurring donations to Philabundance, Donors Choose, and Pathways to Housing. 

James has a certification in Safety Management from the American Society of Safety Professionals.  Certified Lean Six Sigma Green belt, USMC.