Maura Topper (left), Chief Financial Officer, CrossAmerica Partners, LP, newly elected Chair, Valley Youth House Board of Directors, and Tom Harrington (right), President and Executive Director, Valley Youth House

On May 15, 2025, Valley Youth House held its 2025 Annual Meeting at the Marriott Philadelphia West in Conshohocken, PA. Sponsored by Michael Fischer, President and CEO of Client 1st Financial, the event brought together board members, staff and community partners to reflect on the past year and share plans for what’s ahead.

The meeting opened with the Nominating Committee report by Kevin Greene, Nominating Chair with the election of Officers of the Board of Directors, and a welcome for new members joining the Agency’s Board of Governors.

The following individuals have been elected as new Board members:

Board of Directors Officers:

• Maura Topper, Chief Financial Officer, CrossAmerica Partners, LP, elected as Board Chair
• Travis Rhodes, Executive Vice President, Regional President PA/NJ, Truist, elected as Vice-Chair
• Scott A. Gray, Former President and CEO, Clincierge, selected to return as Secretary
• Mike Gausling, Founder, One Putt Ventures, selected to return as Treasurer

Board of Governors – Central PA:

• Patricia Higgins, Senior Vice President of Healthcare and Delivery at Capital Blue Cross, selected to return as Chair
• Nikki Adams, Senior Manager of Student Health Services, Milton Hershey School
• Kevin S. Parker, Strategic Enterprise Account Executive, Astound Business Solutions
• Dr. Kenneth M. Rogers, Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, WellSpan Health

Board of Governors – Lehigh Valley:

• Kathryn M. Brown, CFP®, ChFC®, CAP®, Founder and Principal, Morton Brown Family Wealth, LLC, selected to return as Chair
• Anne Baum, President, LVHN Reilly Children’s Hospital, selected to return as Vice-Chair
• Richard Brooks, President, Brooks Development Group
• Tom Garrity, President, Compass Point Consulting
• Dr. Kenneth Long, President, East Stroudsburg University
• Frank Mahr, Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Dorman Products
• Tara McBrearty, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Olympus Corporation of the Americas
• Vinessa Pearson, Chief of Staff/Head of Strategy and Operations, Gilead Sciences
• Vincent Poplaski, Vice President, Total Rewards, PPL
• Mike Raycher, President, Follett Products, LLC.
• Kimberly Rompilla, Executive Vice President, Crayola
• Dr. Jack P. Silva, Superintendent, Bethlehem Area School District
• Amanda Valerio, Vice President of Operations, Valley Health Partners

Board of Governors – Southeast PA:

• Adrienne Bonser, Global Head of Equity Risk, The Vanguard Group, Inc., selected to return as Chair
• Julie Bartl, President, Employee Benefits, Johnson Kendall Johnson Inc., selected to return as Vice-Chair
• Owen Barton, Business Information Security Officer, The Vanguard Group, Inc.
• Todd M. Glickman, Executive Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer, Comcast Spectacor
• Mark McGuriman, Senior Director, Marketing, CBIZ Advisors, LLC
• Pete Peterson, Vice President, Bellevue Communications Group
• Danielle Tate, Executive Vice President, Media, Publicis Health Media

Maura Topper, newly elected Board Chair, recognized the following outgoing Board of Directors Chair:

• Philip C. Jackson, CEO, Jackson Financial Strategies, LLC

The following are outgoing Board of Governors members:

• Michael J. Gigler, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo Commercial Banking
• Zachary Sivertsen, Esq., Attorney, Eastburn and Gray, P.C.
• Molly E. Russin, Owner, Triple Dove, LLC

Past chairs of the Board of Governors – Southeast PA were also recognized for their role in growing the Agency’s presence in the region, celebrating 20 years of impact in 2025.

A full list of the Valley Youth House Board of Directors and Board of Governors can be found online here.

Valley Youth House leadership and Board members presented a full program, including a review of the Agency’s 2024 Treasurer’s Report. Upcoming fundraising events were announced including this year’s Southeast Setting the Stage with Eric Clapton, Annual Southeast Golf Tournament, John E. Walson, Jr. Memorial Golf & Pickleball Tournament, Inaugural Central Region Golf Tournament, and the new Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic which is slated for Fall of 2026. The Agency also expressed deep gratitude to be the beneficiary of many third party fundraising events including the Fanatics Global Volunteer Day, People First Annual Charity Golf Classic, and the Phillies Charities Foundation.

Attendees received a snapshot of the Agency’s 2024 program outcomes, offering insight into the scope of services provided across the region. The program also looked back on two decades of work in Philadelphia, highlighting how the Agency has expanded and adapted to meet the needs of young people in the city and surrounding region.

The meeting concluded with a new honor: the first-ever Mission Impact Award, presented to Rue Cherry. Rue’s moving story of entering the foster care system, facing homelessness, and eventually connecting with Valley Youth House first as a client, and later as an employee, was shared. With support from the Agency, Rue found stability and now works full-time at VYH as an Office Manager, helping others facing similar challenges.

From left to right: Christopher J. Bernard [Director, Philadelphia Housing Services, Valley Youth House], Mackenzie Abernethy [Administrative Assistant, Valley Youth House], Rue Cherry [Office Manager, Valley Youth House, and 2025 Mission Impact Award recipient], Alyssa Weinfurtner [Director, Philadelphia Emergency Services, Valley Youth House] and Tom Harrington [President and Executive Director, Valley Youth House].

“This annual meeting gives us a chance to take stock of the year behind us and recognize the people who make our work possible,” said Tom Harrington, President and Executive Director of Valley Youth House. “It’s also an opportunity to hear directly from people like Rue, whose story reminds us why this work matters.”

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