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Chair Lynette M. Brown-Sow is a life-long
Philadelphian who has dedicated her career to the organization,
development, and wellness of communities, as a strategic
consultant, change agent, and connector. She founded L.M. Brown
Management Group in 1980, served as Vice President of Marketing and
Government Relations at the Community College of Philadelphia for
over 22 years, held government positions, and served with health
organizations and on numerous boards. Brown-Sow is a board
member for organizations including YAP (Youth Advocates Program)
Inc., a global juvenile justice organization; the Philadelphia
Tribune Co. Inc.; Hahnemann University Hospital; NHS Enterprises,
Inc.; and The Board of City Trusts, serving Girard College via her
committee assignment. She is a member of the Forum of
Executive Women and convener of the Forum for a Better
Pennsylvania; has served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of
The Consortium, a behavioral health-care organization that named
its service center the Lynette M. Brown Center of Hope in
recognition of her years of service; founded and chairs the Hardy
Williams Education Fund, providing scholarships and support in law
and social justice; and is a founder and Chair of Women of Destiny,
developing pipelines of talent to the corporate and non-profit
sectors by providing mentorship to professional women of color.
Brown-Sow's political/civic positions include: managing
Philadelphia Mayor Rendell's transition team in 1991 and then being
appointed as Deputy Mayor of Administration; co-chairing
Philadelphia Mayor Nutter's transition team in 2007; serving as
Vice Chair and Chair of the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment
for 3 years during a city-wide code change; and serving as Chair on
PHA's Board since 2013.
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Vice-Chair Herbert Wetzel is the Executive
Director of Housing and Community Development for the Philadelphia
City Council. He is also a founding member of the board of
directors and former executive director of the Greater Germantown
Housing Development Corporation. Mr. Wetzel has a long history of
community development activities. During the past 20 years he
established a small business in the Germantown section of
Philadelphia to create neighborhood-based economic development;
served as Director, Deputy Executive Director and, upon appointment
by former Mayor John Street, Executive Director of the Philadelphia
Redevelopment Authority; and has served as Vice-Chair on PHA's
Board since 2013.
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Leslie D. Callahan, PhD serves as
pastor of St. Paul's Baptist Church in North Philadelphia. She
received her Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Harvard/Radcliffe,
her Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in the City
of New York and her PhD in Religion from Princeton University. Her
research interests include religious history in the United States,
particularly independent African American Christianity and
Pentecostal studies. |
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Rev. Bonnie Camarda has served as the Director
of Partnerships for The Salvation Army in Eastern Pennsylvania and
Delaware since 1999, where she is at the heart of its initiatives
to form fruitful partnerships with area business leaders,
government leaders, prospective donors, fellow social service
organizations, and most importantly, individuals seeking spiritual
guidance and hope. Her professional accomplishments and community
involvement are truly one and the same, and she has been recognized
for her rare ability to reach across socioeconomic , gender, age,
and cultural lines. Commissioner Camarda accompanied Governor Tom
Wolf with a host of delegates from the Philadelphia area and Unidos
Pa'PR to visit The Salvation Army in Puerto Rico to learn more
about the long-term recovery of the island in the wake of Hurricane
Maria. Upon her return, she received a Citation from the
Philadelphia City Council as Honorary Puerto Rico Citizen of the
Year in 2018, selected for her outstanding work for all Puerto
Rican citizens recovering from Hurricane Maria, especially those
transitioning to Philadelphia. Along with serving on the PHA
Board, Commissioner Camarda is also a Board member of Esperanza,
Philadelphia School Partnership, and Einstein Hospital.
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Asia Coney is one of two
Resident Commissioners who were elected in April of 2014 by PHA
residents, pursuant to a process created under the Pennsylvania
Housing Authorities Law, Act 130. Commissioner Coney is the
President of PHA's Resident Advisory Board. A Philadelphia native,
her dedicated community activism over the last thirty-six years has
included: advocating for public and assisted housing safety,
greater resident input into PHA decision-making, and improvement of
existing public housing conditions; conducting local and national
workshops; ensuring compliance with federal and state directives
regarding the quality of resident life; and working closely with
PHA in its creation and implementation of resident programs.
She has served on numerous City Boards, including the Redevelopment
Authority and the Malt and Beverage Board, and was the Director of
Tenant Support Services, Inc., which terminated operations in 2012.
Her community activism has included the following marches: being
one of two Chairs for the 1997 historic Million Woman March; Chair
of the "Sistahs of the Million Woman March" in 2007; and serving as
a key organizer of the 1997 Grays Ferry March, to reduce violence
and race riots.
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Belinda Mayo is a seasoned housing and
community development professional with over 36 years of
experience, devoted to public service-oriented functions with an
emphasis on research, planning, the coordination of programs and
services, training and the direction of urban housing policy. Ms.
Mayo served as the Director of Neighborhood Program Coordination
and Community Development at the City of Philadelphia Office of
Housing and Community Development from 1987 through 2016,
responsible for the development and implementation of technical
assistance programs for non-profit community-based development
corporations, the review of nonprofit financial and organizational
systems, project planning, feasibility and development,
management of community-based service programs, and coordinating
educational and job training programs for at risk youth and
families transitioning from welfare-to-work. In 2016 Ms. Mayo
retired from her position with the City of Philadelphia but has
remained actively engaged in the field of housing and community
development as a member of the Board of Directors of the National
Low Income Housing Coalition Leadership Council and a member
of Oversight Board of Rebuild Philadelphia, an Advisory Board
responsible for reviewing and providing guidance and feedback on
the implementation and programmatic direction of the multi-million
dollar fund for revitalizing city parks, libraries, and recreation
centers throughout the City of Philadelphia.
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Frederick S. Purnell, Sr. is the former Deputy
Director for Housing and Community Development for the City of
Philadelphia and former Executive Director of Wilmington Housing
Authority, where he served for 16 years. He was also a key
executive and a long time employee within PHA for several
years. He has been instrumental in several multimillion
dollar mixed income and low income developments, and is a
recognized leader in community development in this region. Mr.
Purnell is a native of Philadelphia and a graduate of Central High
School and Pennsylvania State University. He has received several
certifications, commendations, and board appointments relevant to
housing and community development, and is a proud life member of
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He is also a licensed
realtor in the state of Delaware and resides in the Overbrook
section of Philadelphia.
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Ethel Wise is one of two
Resident Commissioners who were elected in April of 2014 by PHA
residents, pursuant to a process created under the Pennsylvania
Housing Authorities Law, Act 130. Commissioner Wise is President of
the Wilson Park Family Resident Council, a native of Philadelphia
and has a personal history of involvement, community engagement and
commitment to bettering the lives of those in public housing for
over 40 years. As President of the PHA housing development at
Martin Luther King for approximately 32 years, Commissioner Wise
developed an effective job bank, a food bank and a town watch
program that was recognized as one of the best in the country, and,
in 1993, she received the Mayor's Community Service Award.
Commissioner Wise also created and managed PHA's Lobby Monitor
Program, which promoted resident safety and resident employment
with a well-defined career path. She has been a leader in providing
national and local training for Resident Councils on HUD
regulations and also has served as a Democratic Party
Committeewoman for the last 25 years.
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Ismail A. Shahid brings a strong
background in innovation and finance to the Philadelphia Housing
Authority, as he has extensive experience in accounting,
management, and business. He is a founding partner of SUPRA Office
Solutions, Inc., a national supplier of business, school and
janitorial products, which is a Philadelphia-based, 100%
minority-owned business that is certified MBE, DBE and as a HUBZone
business. Commissioner Shahid is the company's Executive Vice
President of Sales and Government Affairs, overseeing the company's
community relations and customer support efforts. Further, he
holds the same position and supervisory responsibilities with EMSCO
Scientific Enterprises, Inc., an affiliate that sells laboratory
supplies, equipment, and chemicals. A Philadelphia resident, Mr.
Shahid earned business law and accounting degrees from Pierce
College. He serves on the boards of various non-profit
organizations as well as that of the Delaware River Joint Toll
Bridge Commission, as appointed by Governor Tom Wolf.
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