Trustees

Community College of Philadelphia's 15-member Board of Trustees is appointed by the mayor.

Board officers:
George E. Davis, Chair
Varsovia Fernandez, Vice Chair
Gilbert A. Wetzel, Vice Chair
Dorothy Sumners Rush, Secretary
Thomas Hawk, Treasurer

Matthew Bergheiser
Executive Director, University City District
Mr. Bergheiser is the executive director of University City District (UCD), a nonprofit neighborhood improvement organization, with a $10 million annual budget and 85 professional and public maintenance employees. UCD assists the continuing economic and real estate development renaissance of West Philadelphia from 29th Street to 50th Street. Previously, he was regional director of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, where he oversaw a grantmaking budget of more than $6 million that funded transformational projects that helped communities reach their highest potential.

To help create employment opportunities for Philadelphians, Mr. Bergheiser co-founded the Job Opportunity Investment Network in 2008, a regional effort to advance low-skilled workers into career ladder jobs through partnerships with employers. He was recognized as one of the “40 under 40” business leaders by the Philadelphia Business Journal and as an Emerging Connector by Leadership Philadelphia.

Mr. Bergheiser earned a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Rhonda R. Cohen, Esq.
Former Partner, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP
Ms. Cohen is an exceptional advocate for the cause of higher education for Philadelphians. She has been a member of the College's board of trustees since 1992 and served as chair from 2000 to 2006. Ms. Cohen is involved in numerous organizations by serving as a board member of the Delaware Valley Friends School, the Christopher Ludwick Foundation, the Metropolitan Philadelphia Advisory Board of the Anti-Defamation League and White-Williams Scholars. She also is Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and serves on the advisory group of After School Activities Partnership.

Ms. Cohen was co-chair of the Higher Education Transition Committee with Governor Rendell's transition team in 2002-2003, and member and chairman of a hearing committee for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania from 1992-1998. As a partner with Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll from 1980-2000, she focused on federal and state security laws.

In 2005, she received a 40 Leaders award from Community College of Philadelphia for her contributions to education.

Ms. Cohen earned a B.A. from Swarthmore College and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Helen Cunningham
Executive Director, Samuel S. Fels Fund
Ms. Cunnigham manages all aspects of grantmaking and a $2.5 million budget that funds mainly community, education and art projects in the city of Philadelphia for the Samuel S. Fels Fund. She has held this position since 1992. Previously, Ms. Cunningham was the founding director of the College Access Program for the Philadelphia Education Fund.

Active in a number of organizations, Ms. Cunningham is chair of the Philadelphia Education Fund Board of Directors and a member of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Education Committee, Hispanics in Philanthropy and Esperanza. She is a former board member of the School District of Philadelphia. Ms. Cunningham is the recipient of awards from Leadership Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Women’s Way, the Girl Scouts and the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.

Ms. Cunningham earned a B.A. in Spanish and English from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., and an M.A. in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania.

George E. Davis, Chair
Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Lincoln Financial Group (retired)
Mr. Davis has been involved with several workforce and educational organizations, including serving as chairman of the board for the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, vice president of the board for Philadelphia Futures and member of the board of overseers for the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. He believes that education is necessary in order for the United States and its workers to compete in today's global economy.

Previous to his 12-year tenure at Lincoln Financial Group, Mr. Davis was the director of Corporate Executive Resources and Human Resources Strategy at Eastman Kodak.

His awards include the Liberty Bell Award from the mayor of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Futures "Hats Off" award.

Mr. Davis earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Boston College and completed the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management program.

Varsovia Fernandez, Vice Chair
President and Chief Executive Officer, Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Ms. Fernandez joined the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GPHCC) in March 2006. During her tenure, she has helped the Chamber achieve record levels of membership, revenues and member-driven activities.

Ms. Fernandez launched GPHCC's Professional Mentoring Network, a workforce development initiative to help Hispanic professionals connect with executives and with Hispanic youth. Under her leadership, the Chamber has created a voice for Hispanic business in the region by developing a programmatic strategy that helps build on the small business, professional and corporate Hispanic markets.

Prior to GPHCC, Ms. Fernandez worked with Congreso de Latinos Unidos as vice president of External Affairs. While at Congreso, she worked to maximize government and corporate relations as an advocate of the Latino community. Ms. Fernandez established strong relationships with legislators and worked with state and national organizations to introduce Workforce Investment Act, TANF, domestic violence and immigration legislation to Capitol Hill, as well as introduce domestic violence and utility protection legislation in Pennsylvania.

Actively committed to philanthropic work, she serves on various boards and coalitions, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Community College of Philadelphia Board of Trustees and the Foundation Board, the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperative Authority and Philadelphia’s Zoning Code Commission.

Ms. Fernandez was born in the Dominican Republic, attended Temple University and graduated from Rosemont College.

Sallie A. Glickman
Chief Executive Officer, Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board
Ms. Glickman is responsible for the overall management and direction of the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, which was established in 1999. PWIB is a nonprofit corporation with the mission to build Philadelphia's competitive workforce advantage. Previously, she was vice president of Institutional Advancement at the Private Industry Council of Philadelphia, where she was responsible for developing the city's Workforce Investment Act that was signed into law in August 1998.

Ms. Glickman is actively engaged in creating opportunities to benefit the city and its residents. She is first vice president in the U.S. Conference of Mayor Workforce Development Council; an appointed member of the city's Gaming Taskforce; co-founder and co-chair of Graduate! Philadelphia; founder of Excel Philadelphia, an initiative to increase adult literacy rates; co-founder and board member of Life Science Career Alliance; and a volunteer with the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Ms. Glickman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Master of Education degree from Temple University.

Lydia Hernández Vélez, Esq.
Consultant
Ms. Hernández Vélez has significant experience in finance, government and nonprofit enterprises. Most recently, she served as head of the regional chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphona Society, which is dedicated to blood cancer research, education and patient services. Previously she was senior vice president of Community Relations, Atlantic Region, for Wachovia Bank.

Involved with youth education and leadership for the Latino community, Ms. Hernández Vélez has been a member of Aspira, Inc. of Pennsylvania for nearly 30 years and currently serves as chair of their board of directors. In 2007, she was named one of the Most Influential Latino Leaders in the Delaware Valley by Impacto Latin Newspaper.

Ms. Hernández Vélez earned a B.A. from Barnard College and a J.D. from the School of Law at Hofstra University. She also received certificates in Management of Critical Resources from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and in Corporate Responsibility from the School of Business at Harvard University.

Stacy E. Holland
Co-President and Chief Operations Officer, Philadelphia Youth Network
Ms. Holland co-founded Philadelphia Youth Network in 1999 and is responsible for establishing partnerships with agencies and managing youth workforce development programs that serve approximately 19,000 students. Formerly, she served as chief of staff at the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation.

Active in community organizations, Ms. Holland served as chair of The College of New Jersey’s Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2007 and vice chair of the New Jersey Association for Colleges and Universities from 2006 to 2007. Currently, she is board chair of the Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School and vice chair of the executive board of the Intermediary Network. A graduate of Leadership Philadelphia, her honors include recognition by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of the “40 under 40” young leaders in 2005 and winning the Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of New Jersey.

Ms. Holland earned a B.S. in Marketing from the College of New Jersey and an M.A. in Student Personnel Administration for Higher Education from the Teachers College at Columbia University.

Harold A. Honickman
Chairman, Canada Dry Delaware Valley Bottling Company
Mr. Honickman’s career started in 1957 when he bought what was then a Pepsi plant in Pennsauken, New Jersey. He acquired Canada Dry Bottling Company of Philadelphia in 1969, followed by Canada Dry operations in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and New York. Today, the combined businesses are one of the nation’s largest privately owned bottling and distribution organizations.

Involved in many community organizations, Mr. Honickman is a board member of the Kimmel Center and is chair of the Development Committee, as well as a member of the Executive Committee. He also serves on the board of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia’s Children First Fund and Cutting Edge Beverages. In addition, he is an advisory board member of The Honickman Foundation, established in 1989 by his wife Lynne, which funds programs that benefit underserved populations and focuses on the arts, health care, education and social change.

Mr. Honickman earned a B.S. from Pennsylvania Military Academy, now Widener University.

The Honorable James F. Kenney
Councilman-at-Large, City of Philadelphia
A lifelong resident of South Philadelphia, Councilman Kenney has served on City Council since January 1992. Previously, he was director of Business Development at Vitteta Architecture and Engineering.

Councilman Kenney has been a longtime promoter of education and a supporter of accessibility to higher education. His current focus includes environmental issues, such as recycling and green roofs. Councilman Kenney presently serves as chairman of the Legislative Oversight Committee and the Committee of the Environment. He is vice chairman of the Committee on Rules, the Committee on Law and Government and the Committee on Public Property and Public Works. He is also a member of the Whole, Finance, Fiscal Stability, Technology, Public Health and Human Services, Labor and Civil Service, Public Safety and Ethics committees.

Actively involved in civic organizations, Councilman Kenney also serves on the boards of Independence Blue Cross, Penn’s Landing Corporation, Keystone Health Plan East, Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, the Lincoln Foundation and the O.V. Catto Memorial Fund. In addition, he teaches a weekly class at the Fels Center of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, educating students on local politics.

Councilman Kenney earned a B.A. in Political Science from La Salle University.

The Honorable James R. Roebuck Jr.
State Representative, 188th Legislative District
Rep. Roebuck has served in the state House of Representatives since 1985. He has been a board member since 1993 and served as vice chairman from 2003 to 2006. His legislative committee service and appointments include first vice chairman of the Democratic Ward Executive Committee, a member of the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency and member of the Legislative Office for Research Liaison. He is also the Democratic chair of the state Education Committee. For 14 years, he taught in the History/Politics department at Drexel University.

Active in the community, Rep. Roebuck is on the board of managers for the Alumni Association of Central High School, a member of the board of overseers for University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, a member of the board of trustees of the Garden Court Community Organization and member of the board of directors for the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP.

His honors and awards include a citation from the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education and the Dr. William Ross Jr. Scholarship Fund Service award.

Rep. Roebuck earned a B.A. from Virginia Union University and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. He also completed the University of Virginia—Darden School State Legislative Leaders Foundation's Advanced Management program and the John F. Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University.

Dorothy Sumners Rush, Secretary
Vice President, Philadelphia Board of Education
Dorothy Sumners Rush was vice president of the Philadelphia Board of Education. Dorothy Sumners Rush served as an educator for 19 years in elementary, middle and high schools teaching mathematics, science and reading. She has been a member of the board since 2002 and secretary since 2006. While a teacher and administrator, she wrote curricula, developed standards and conducted staff development for fellow educators. She then served as vice principal of Ada H.H. Lewis Middle School for 11 years and as principal for eight years.

For her contributions to education and the community, Mrs. Sumners Rush has been recognized by former Philadelphia Mayor Edward G. Rendell, former Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Casey and Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street. She was appointed to the Board of Education for the School District of Philadelphia for a six-year term, then appointed to a second term. She was elected vice president. In 1999, she was appointed as co-chair of the five-person transition team to restructure city government by then mayor-elect Street.

Active in the community, Mrs. Sumners Rush is a fund-raiser and volunteer for the Southwest Belmont branch of the Y.M.C.A. She is the former treasurer of the Philadelphia Y.M.C.A. board of directors and vice chair of the Southwest Belmont Y.M.C.A. She is also a member of the Support Child Adult Network (SCAN) board of directors, an organization specializing in the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect and member of the Scholarship Endowment Foundation.

Mrs. Sumners Rush earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Science from The College of New Jersey and a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Temple University.

Gilbert A. Wetzel, Vice Chair
Partner, Mayer Leadership Group
Mr. Wetzel is a partner in Mayer Leadership Group, a human resources consulting firm. He is former chairman and CEO of Verizon of Pennsylvania and Delaware and former chairman and CEO of Geographic Business Publishers, Inc., the publisher of Business Philadelphia Magazine. A member of the College’s Trustees since 1993, Mr. Wetzel is also a founding member of the College’s Foundation board, on which he continues to serve.

Mr. Wetzel is past chairman of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, former board member of the Franklin Institute and a former trustee at The Pennsylvania State University. He is the recipient of several awards, including Distinguished Alumni of Pennsylvania State University, Distinguished Honoree award from the American Lung Association, Distinguished Service award from the Franklin Institute and a 40 Leaders award from Community College of Philadelphia for contributions to education.

Mr. Wetzel earned a B.S. in Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University.

Jeremiah J. White
Chairman, Osiris Group, Inc.
Mr. White is chairman of Osiris Group, Inc., a communications and business strategy firm. Through Osiris, he helped Congressman Chaka Fattah develop the CORE Philly scholarships.

Mr. White has spearheaded a number of initiatives and projects that have had citywide and regional impact. He is the founder of the Pathways Project, a program that examines the reasons why African-Americans are underrepresented in the life sciences. He also designed and secured funding for iNSPIRE, a partnership with the School District of Philadelphia that brings scientists and other life science professionals to schools to speak to and mentor students. Mr. White is board secretary of Community Capital Works, Inc. and board member of St. Christopher's Foundation and the White Dog Café Foundation.

His awards include a citation from Philadelphia City Council for years of service to Philadelphia Development Partnership and the city.

Mr. White earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Arts in Planning and Administration in Health Services from Antioch College.

Marcellette Wise Ellison
Busines Partner, New Products, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Ms. Wise Ellison is business partner, New Products, at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Throughout her career, she has been involved in marketing efforts in the education, telecommunications, banking and transportation industries.

Her professional affiliations include the American Marketing Association and the Association of National Advertisers. Active in the community, she is a member of the Green Street Friends School Development Committee and the foundation chair and executive member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Philadelphia chapter.

Ms. Wise Ellison earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Norfolk State University and a Master of Science degree in Research, Measurement and Design from New York University.