GET INVOLVEDDean’s Alumni Advisory Board

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Melissa Bruno, MSW, LSW, is the Vice Present of Operations for Beacon Specilized living in PA. In this role, Melissa leads all operational activities for over 70 residential homes. Beacon provides housing for adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities and Autism. Melissa has a collective 20 years’ experience working with people with disabilities.

Before her role at Beacon, Melissa worked at Kaleidoscope Family Solutions where she led quality management, and training, initiatives and oversaw clinical programming. Prior to her role at Kaleidoscope Melissa held multiple leadership roles at the National MS Society and developed, led and managed a national case management program for people living with MS. Melissa earned a BA with a concentration in Women’s Studies and History from Temple University in 2005 and went on to earn her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania in 2007.

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.

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.

Andrew Gillis, MS is the director of innovation and learning at the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). As a director, Andrew supports CSWE’s Division of Education in the development and implementation of the annual survey of social work programs, curricular & teaching guides, data management, professional development academies, research, and webinars. Andrew credits his education at SP2 with his ability to provide leadership on a broad range of projects.

Prior to joining CSWE, Andrew was a professional development associate at the National Association of Social Workers. While at NASW, he worked on credentialing, continuing education, and professional development projects for social workers. During his time at NASW, he also provided support to the credentialing committee and served as the co-chair of the NASW union. Additionally, Andrew has previously worked in electoral politics for two cycles in grassroots and voter engagement.

Andrew received his BA in political science and religious studies from Stonehill College and an MS in social policy and certificate in the study of law from the University of Pennsylvania.

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.

With a career spanning over two decades in nonprofit sectors, Jordan Inselmann is a seasoned professional with expertise in health care performance and compliance, risk mitigation and quality improvement. Jordan has worked in the area of health care since 1998 with focus on sexual assault, HIV/AIDS, and mental health. Additional work experience includes outpatient community mental health center supervision, hospital and clinical social work. Since 2005 Jordan has worked at Planned Parenthood and is currently Senior Director of Affiliate Evaluation overseeing the administration of the national accreditation program. A large part of the work includes developing and managing a geographically dispersed team, driving continuous quality improvements to ensure risk mitigation in multiple areas including, but not limited to governance, fiduciary responsibility, risk and quality management, human resources, and operations.

Jordan holds a master’s in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor of science in psychology and women’s studies from James Madison University. She currently lives in Culver City, California with her husband and two sons.

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.

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.

Jessica Aldrich Strassman, DSW, LCSW is a clinical social worker, researcher, and educator with nearly 20 years of experience. She is the founder of a private practice in the Bay Area, where she provides therapy to adolescents and adults managing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and complex trauma. Prior to her academic and clinical work, she worked in the nonprofit child welfare sector, developing permanency programs for adolescents in care. Dr. Strassman is Assistant Professor in the Master of Social Work program at Samuel Merritt University, where she is helping to build a new MSW program focused on integrated healthcare in the Bay Area. Her research centers on under-researched groups, with a specialization in forced displacement both domestically and internationally. She regularly presents her work at conferences across the United States and abroad.

Dr. Strassman earned her Doctor of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice in 2024 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies at the University of London (expected 2026).

Yibo Zhou is a dual master’s student in Nonprofit Leadership and Law at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves as President of the SP2 Student Government and Co-President of the Penn Quakers Venture Capital Club, leading initiatives to strengthen student engagement and cross-sector collaboration. Drawing on experience in finance, nonprofit governance, and entrepreneurship, Yibo is passionate about advancing equity and sustainable social impact within the SP2 community and beyond.