10,000 Friends Names Schwank New President & CEO
10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania has chosen Berks County Commissioner Chairwoman Judy Schwank as its new President and CEO.
"Judy's appointment comes at a critical time for 10,000 Friends, and we are delighted to appoint Judy to the helm," said Eric Menzer, Chairman of the Board of 10,000 Friends, and Vice-President of Wagman Construction, Inc., in York. "Her work as a County Commissioner, leading efforts for farmland preservation and smart growth in Berks County, and her leadership at the state level, as Chair of the State Planning Board, clearly give her the blend of experience, integrity and policy knowledge that will ensure the success of our mission."
"Judy's experience will be invaluable, especially with our Campaign to Renew Pennsylvania," said Menzer. "We're looking forward to her efforts to advance our goal to create a climate for systemic policy reform in Pennsylvania to improve government effectiveness, community quality of life and economic competitiveness."
"The experience I gained and the relationships I built in Berks County have afforded me the opportunity to provide leadership on the issues that really matter to Pennsylvania residents," said Schwank. "I'm looking forward to working with citizens, local and state officials, and civic and business leaders throughout the Commonwealth."
Schwank was elected to the Berks County Board of Commissioners in 1999 and re-elected in 2003. Prior to that, she served more than 18 years with the Pennsylvania State Cooperative Extension, and is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University. As President of 10,000 Friends, she succeeds Janet Milkman, who resigned in May 2007. Schwank will begin work January 2008.
Staff Biographies - 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania and the Campaign to Renew Pennsylvania
Judy Schwank’s energy and interest in Berks have taken her to the top of the county’s leadership ranks. Commissioner Schwank‘s educational credentials include both a bachelor and master degrees from Penn State University. She has also studied at Harvard University. Judy has long been a familiar face on the Berks scene-she served as county extension director from August 1991 to December 1999 and county agent concurrently. Her focus in Berks County government has been the improvement of service to Berks County taxpayers with a focus on regional cooperation. She was appointed by Governor Edward Rendell as chair of the PA State Planning Board in 2004 and also serves on many key local boards as well. Judy has been the recipient of numerous awards and has led many volunteer activities in both the City of Reading and County of Berks.
Todd Vonderheid joined RenewPA as its part-time Director of Strategy. He has served as a majority Luzerne County Commissioner since January 2004. Since then, the new majority has lowered taxes, reduced the county's payroll by over 300 positions and created a five-year financial recovery plan for the county. Prior to becoming commissioner, Todd served as the Vice President for Economic Development and Member Services for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry. He joined the chamber in 1995 as its Marketing Director, focusing on community development issues as well as company outreach and retention. Todd is a 1991 graduate of Salisbury State University with a degree in political science and minors in history and English. After 18 months as a legislative staffer for Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA), Vonderheid spent three years working and running political campaigns in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Those campaigns ranged from the 1992 presidential campaign to county judicial races and the Arena Yes referendum, which culminated in the construction of the Wachovia Center at Casey Plaza. Todd also served on the boards of the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, Leadership Wilkes-Barre, the Luzerne County Community College Foundation, the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Residents Association, Junior Achievement, and the Osterhout Free Library.
Marilyn Wood, Director, Southeast Pennsylvania Metropolitan Development Caucus
Marilyn Wood has a wide range of professional expertise as a senior-level entrepreneur with experience in governmental, academic and non profit sectors. As the Regional Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs, she worked closely with the Governor's Office, the Chamber of Commerce, corporate executives, and public officials to create the Philadelphia Plan, a public private partnership that leveraged $2.5 million for community development in its first year with tax credits from the Commonwealth. She awarded $5 million in government contracts in five areas of community development: weatherization, housing, local government, planning, and human resources; promoted the Governor’s initiatives regionally; and resolved issues with local governmental and political officials. She also participated in policy development for affordable housing, community development and local government at the state level and assisted the state Department of Commerce in attracting new businesses. In addition, Marilyn has held executive leadership positions at the Community Women’s Education Project, the Center for Intergenerational Learning at Temple University, and New Threads, inc., a not-for-profit business she founded in 1995. She has a masters degree from Cornell University in Communication.
Michelle Last, Administrative Assistant (Philadelphia)
Michelle Last joined 10,000 Friend of Pennsylvania in August 2005 as Administrative Assistant for the Philadelphia office. She is at home in the non-profit environment, as she previously worked for eight years in a nationally recognized arts organization. Michelle earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting from the University of the Arts.
Julie Lalo, Vice President for Communications and Advocacy (Harrisburg)
At 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania Julie directs legislative policy efforts and manages communications including newsletters, the website, action alerts and the media. Previously, she was Vice President of Public Affairs at Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, where she managed WPC's public policy and communications programs, led the development of WPC's web presence, and created a branding program to consistently communicate the message of the organization. She has been a Team Pennsylvania Foundation Ambassador since 2001, and represented the Southwest Region as co-chair. In the last 20 years, Julie has been involved with communications efforts at Penn State University, Pa. Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and the Pa. State Association of Township Supervisors. She has a B.A. in journalism from Penn State.
Ed Wilson joined 10,000 Friends in 2006 with nearly 25 years of experience in applied research, evaluation and strategic planning for public, non-profit and philanthropic organizations. For more than 12 years he worked as a consultant, providing services in program evaluation and strategy development to public interest organizations working in a broad range of fields, including smart growth advocacy, environmental protection, forest conservation, sustainable agriculture, and urban revitalization. His clients included the Heinz Endowments, the William Penn Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Surdna Foundation, the Beldon Fund, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Heifer International, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Between 1997 and 2006 he operated an independent consulting practice based in south-central Pennsylvania. Prior to that he was a Senior Project Manager at the OMG Center, a nonprofit consulting firm in Philadelphia; a Program Officer in Evaluation at the Pew Charitable Trusts in Philadelphia; and an Assistant Professor of Urban Planning at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Ed has B.A. in Anthropology from Franklin and Marshall College, an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Social Systems Sciences from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow.
Andrea McCormick joined 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania in September 2005 as administrative assistant for the Harrisburg office. She comes to the organization from a varied background, including hazardous waste remediation, local government and industrial real estate. She has a B.S. in Geology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
Grant Ervin comes to 10,000 Friends from the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG) where served as Program Manager overseeing the operation of the organization’s community and governmental affairs programs. He has focused on community legislative work, program development and the recycling of tax delinquent real estate. Grant is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he obtained a Masters Degree in Public and International Affairs and Washington and Jefferson College where he earned degrees in political science and history.
