GET INVOLVEDDean’s Alumni Advisory Board

Halcyon Francis is the lead therapist and owner of H.F. & Associates, LLC, a mental health private practice operating out of Ellicott City, MD. Dr. Francis provides mental health therapy services for clients ages 17 and over. This includes individual and family sessions. She has expertise in working with clients who have a history of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem due to experiencing various traumas. She also specializes in working with women who have been diagnosed with Pre-menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Dr. Francis is a certified Brainspotting therapist and offers this treatment modality to all patients.

With over a decade of experience, Dominika conducts social policy and longevity research which integrates socioeconomic factors affecting diverse segments of the U.S. population. She is currently the director of research at a nonprofit organization and has previously worked in research and as a practitioner at Stanford and the Wharton School. Dominika earned her MS in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania in addition to a bachelor’s degree in political science from McGill University. She is a partner at the Mothers’ Day Movement and a team leader at PennPAC.

Elizabeth Abel is a thought leader in philanthropy and an expert in fundraising. She has led capital campaigns and development initiatives that have collectively raised nearly one billion dollars for Jewish education, health care, arts and culture, and advocacy organizations. She is a senior vice president at CCS Fundraising, a global fundraising consulting firm for nonprofits. Since joining CCS in 2013, Elizabeth has partnered with institutions to plan and implement large-scale fundraising campaigns with revenue goals ranging from $5 million to more than $1 billion. In this role, she provides counsel on strategic planning, major gifts fundraising, and board engagement. Elizabeth has directed campaign planning (feasibility) studies, served in interim development roles, and managed annual campaigns and special fundraising events. 
 
Since 2019, Elizabeth has been an instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches “Fundraising & Philanthropy: The Donor Journey” to graduate students in the Nonprofit Leadership Program. In 2020, she was inducted into the School of Social Policy & Practice Alumni Hall of Fame for her work with mission-driven organizations. In 2022, Elizabeth was recognized by BELLA Magazine as a “Woman of Influence in Philanthropy.” She is a board member at the Association of Fundraising Professionals NYC Chapter, where she also serves on the Mentorship Committee, and is a regular contributor to NonProfit PRO. Elizabeth holds a MS in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University. She lives in New York with her husband and their two daughters and is an avid hiker and tea drinker. 

With a career spanning over two decades in both the public and private sectors, Wendy Aguirre Graham is a seasoned professional with expertise in fundraising, strategic planning, and operations. In 2019, Wendy founded We Write Consulting, a firm dedicated to elevating small and mid-size nonprofit organizations through expert grant writing and fundraising support. Her entrepreneurial spirit is underscored by an impressive fundraising track record, boasting over $10 million secured through grant submissions between 2020 and 2023. 
 
Wendy’s leadership abilities have been showcased in pivotal roles at The Wardrobe, Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Philadelphia, and Wordsworth Academy, where she fine-tuned her skills in staff leadership, volunteer management, and Board of Directors engagement. Wendy holds a master’s in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s in history from San Jose State University. A native Southern Californian who has proudly called the Philadelphia region home for over two decades, Wendy has no plans of trading the vibrant East Coast for the allure of the left coast. Her passion for making a positive impact on communities continues to drive her inspiring journey. 

Susan Bowden (née Wolfson) received her Master of Social Work in 1975. Her Penn education well prepared her for a varied and long career in social work. She retired from the Michigan State University School of Social Work in 2016 after 37 years teaching in the MSW program and for the last 20 years directing the BSW program. She also worked for almost 30 years as an outpatient mental health therapist specializing in geriatric clients. Serving on the Dean’s Advisory Board is her opportunity to give back to Penn for the excellent education it provided.

An award-winning nonprofit executive, lobbyist, and public speaker, Terri Broussard Williams has transformed public and community service into a professional art form, positively impacting the lives of millions of people. Over the course of her two-decade career as a government relations executive for a large international nonprofit and Fortune 5 corporation, Terri realized her dream of creating significant, community-shifting outcomes and made clear her commitment to creating meaningful, groundbreaking, and systemic change.Her most distinguished accomplishments include the passage of key pieces of legislation, such as The Louisiana Smoke-Free Air Act. Terri is the founder of the Movement Maker platform and serves on multiple advisory boards, including the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Engagement, the Louisiana State University Diversity Advisory Board, and the LBJ School of Public Policy – Women’s Campaign School Advisory Board, among others. She was named one of Austin Business Journal’s Most Influential Women in Central Texas.

Terri holds an MS in Nonprofit Leadership from Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice, where she was honored as the student commencement speaker and winner of the Excellence in Social Impact Award. Previously, Terri graduated from the Penn’s Social Impact Strategy Executive Education Program, in which she served as a teaching fellow, and received a Graduate Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. Currently, Terri serves as the inaugural instructor for the Social Justice Graduate Certificate Program at The Bush School and Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy at Texas A&M. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University.

Julie Cederbaum is an associate professor in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Her work focuses on the impact of childhood adversity and family processes on the well-being of youth. Using a dyad and family systems lens, her research explores the strengths and challenges experienced by diverse families, and ways in which parenting processes and behaviors (i.e. parent–child communication, parental monitoring, parent–child relationship, and parental role modeling) positively influence mental health, reproductive health, and substance use behaviors in children, adolescents, and young adults.

Liane Friedberg is originally from Houston, Texas, but has lived in Philadelphia since 2016. Liane currently works for JFCS of Greater Philadelphia working with adults in a case management setting. Previously, she has worked with people with disabilities and people living with HIV/AIDS. One thing she loves about SP2 is that the School helped her network and meet new people and made her fall in love with Philly.

Renee Garnick is the managing director of philanthropy at Tech Impact where she leads the development team and manages a robust grants portfolio to support workforce development programs and nonprofit capacity building projects. Renee joined Tech Impact in 2020 after earning her MS in Nonprofit Leadership from Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice, where she currently serves on the Dean’s Alumni Advisory Council. 

Previously, Renee was the director of development at the Delaware College of Art and Design where she developed annual appeal campaign strategy, managed all components of the grant lifecycle, bolstered alumni relations, solicited major gifts, increased community engagement, implemented strategic planning, and managed volunteers. She brings over twenty years of experience in fundraising, technical writing, design thinking, and volunteer engagement to Tech Impact. In addition to her MS from the University of Pennsylvania, Renee holds a BFA in Fine Arts from Boston University and completed her portfolio for Art Direction in Advertising from Chicago Portfolio School. Outside of work, she enjoys playing tennis, painting, and volunteering.

Kaci L. Griffin, a Philadelphia native, boasts substantial expertise in child and family therapy, life coaching, grant writing, and the establishment of a charter school. She received her BS in criminal justice and sociology with a minor in human services from Lincoln University in 1994, and her MS in social work from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. Presently, she is pursuing her EdD in higher education with a specialization in leadership at Gwynedd Mercy University.

Her career includes positions at Temple University, Saint Joseph University, and LaSalle University, where she earned the Part-time Faculty of Excellence Award in 2019. She has also contributed her expertise to institutions such as Lincoln University, Peirce College, and Manor College, and serves as the Race Equity Facilitator at the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Center.

Dedicated to mentoring fellow social workers, Ms. Griffin supports social workers new to the profession in comprehending their roles and delivering exceptional services. Ms. Griffin actively participates in various boards and committees, including the Archbishop John Carroll High School and ASAP Board of Directors, Christian Street YMCA Advisory Board, and Waldron Mercy Academy Advancement Committee. She was recognized as Volunteer of the Year at Waldron Mercy Academy in 2017 and has held leadership positions at institutions like General Birney Charter School.

Ms. Griffin is committed to community service through Mount Carmel Baptist Church, notably in the Mentor Ministry, D. W Hoggard Scholarship Guild, and Youth Council. A dedicated member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, she volunteers at shelters and enjoys traveling, visiting spas, and shopping in her leisure time. As a proud mother to Keenan Jared, an accomplished scholar-athlete at Howard University, she is deeply committed to making a positive impact on everyone she encounters, especially young people, aspiring to be a guiding light in their lives.

Rachel Heyman is a licensed clinical social worker based in New York City. After graduating from SP2, Rachel spent her time working as a clinician and then director of Behavioral Health & Addiction Services for a community-based integrated health care organization in Harlem. After 13 years of learning, leading, and growth, Rachel began a new chapter engaging in clinical private practice work. Rachel is grateful to have this time to reset, spend time with family and friends, and take on the exciting adventure of figuring out how she wants to next utilize her MSW from SP2.

Sage Heyman, MSW’12, is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) born and raised in New York City currently residing in Philadelphia. Sage recently stepped back from direct practice social work and transitioned from her long-term position as a pediatric oncology social worker to a position within the Department of Family Relations -Office of Feedback at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). In addition, Sage provides LCSW supervision and co-facilitates the Social Work Intern Group at CHOP. When not at work, Sage spends much of her free time going on adventures with her two-year-old son and adorable labradoodle Goldie. 

Walter Anthony Jean-Jacques is the assistant general counsel of the National Urban League. Mr. Jean- Jacques is a former litigation fellow at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. where he focused on racial justice litigation. Additionally, he is a former judicial law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. Mr. Jean-Jacques earned his BA in political science and African American studies with honors from Columbia University, MS in social policy from the University of Pennsylvania, and JD from the University of Notre Dame.

Jim Leonard, LCSW, MBA, is the CEO of Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania, Inc., leading the organization’s statewide behavioral health Medicaid operations. In this role, he provides management to over 120 multi-disciplinary employees, guides the implementation of innovative, new programs, and manages relationships with County customers, members, providers, and community partners. He has 25 years of experience at Magellan and 19 years of experience with the Pennsylvania Medicaid Behavioral Health program. As a licensed clinical social worker, Jim has a strong clinical perspective and focus on inclusivity, which allow him to partner effectively with local stakeholders to ensure the program reflects the vision and evolving priorities of the communities he serves. His professional experience also includes work in employee assistance programming, account management, inpatient treatment, outpatient behavioral health care, and foster care. Jim earned his Master of Business Administration from Temple University, his Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, and his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The College of William and Mary.

Celine Mactaggart is a nonprofit founder, data privacy activist, and skin cancer prevention advocate. She is the co-founder of Californians for Consumer Privacy, the advocacy organization that created the country’s first comprehensive data privacy law, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which passed unanimously in the state legislature in 2018. To give Californian consumers even stronger rights, her organization created a statewide ballot initiative in 2020, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)/Proposition 24, and nearly 9.4 million people voted to pass the groundbreaking law, giving Californians the strongest data privacy law ever enacted in the United States. She is also the founder of Shine Safe, an advocacy nonprofit founded to raise awareness for skin cancer prevention. 

Celine has over 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience that centers on expanding health care access and strengthening education, including serving as the former chair of Women in Leadership and Philanthropy at the University of San Francisco, a trustee at Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, and a regent of St. Mary’s College of California. She is the chair of the Governance Committee for the Forward Party. Celine received an MS in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. A native of Oakland, Celine lives in the Bay Area with her husband and three children.

Lori Margolin is currently the associate vice president for the Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Hudson County Community College. Lori has created transformational programs that create equitable access for students and a diverse talent pipeline for employers. She has partnered with leaders in business, government, nonprofit, higher education, and labor unions. Recent examples of programs include Gateway to Innovation, a comprehensive workforce development program funded by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation; the Hudson County Workforce Leadership Academy sponsored by The Aspen Institute; Holz Technik, a high-quality advanced manufacturing registered apprenticeship program; and nationally distinctive degree and workforce programs for justice-involved individuals.

Lori’s entrepreneurial approach to noncredit programming and workforce development has resulted in a 100% increase in enrollment and a 280% increase in revenue. Under her leadership, the division has moved from a cost center to profit center. She has presented her work at national conferences including the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association of Community College Trustees, the International Economic Development Council, and the National Council of Workforce Education, and is a subject matter expert on scaling and sustaining programs. Lori holds a Bachelor of Science from Brooklyn College, CUNY, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania.

Liz Mehaffey Wade has done extensive research on foster care, domestic, and international adoption and has presented and published her findings at various conferences. She graduated from Union College with degrees in political science and philosophy and earned her Master of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania. Liz has won various awards for her adoption work, including the Dr. Ruth Smalley Award for her work in international adoption, and Emerging Leaders in Adoption. Presently, Liz heads an adoption consultation business, where she lends her experience to families interested in adoption and foster care.