Melissa Wright
President
Melissa is currently an Associate Director at Econsult Solutions, Inc. where she primarily works in their Government & Public Policy and Economic Development practice areas. She has spent many years working in K-12 education at both Teach for America as a Director of Performance Measurement and Evaluation and Project Manager for the School District of Philadelphia in the Superintendent’s office focused on building a System of Great Schools for all children close to where they live. She is passionate about quality public education and advocating for marginalized groups. Melissa served in many roles in the District including as an Associate in the District Performance Office for her Education Pioneers Fellowship placement and Data Analyst for their Pregnant and Parenting Student Program, ELECT. Before joining the School District, she worked at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s PolicyLab as a Study Coordinator investigating programs designed to promote minority faculty persistence in academic medicine.
A strong proponent of democratic participation, Melissa has served the League in many capacities including the Philadelphia League as Treasurer from 2018 to 2020. She also serves at the state level as Treasurer for the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. In her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, she is also an active member of the Connections and Social Action Committee which works to promote sound public policy, voting rights, and social justice.
Melissa is a proud Fordham Ram, earning her Bachelors in Economics. She also holders a Master of Education from Penn’s Graduate School of Education in Education Policy and a Master of Public Administration from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. In her spare time, she is an avid reader, runner, and baker. She has one cat, named Cupcake, as an ode to her love of baking.
Keshema Davidson
Vice President
2ndVicePresident@lwvphilly.org
Keshema is the Manager of Community Affairs at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School. Cristo Rey combines a rigorous college prep curriculum with an innovative Work-Study model to serve students and families from under-resourced neighborhoods all Keshema is the Manager of Community Affairs at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School. Cristo Rey combines a rigorous college prep curriculum with an innovative Work-Study model to serve students and families from under-resourced neighborhoods all across the Philadelphia region. She manages special projects for the school and works closely with the neighborhood, the Tioga section of North Philadelphia, to ensure that Cristo Rey serves not only its students but also its community. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs from Drexel University and holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Temple University. Previous to Cristo Rey, she was the Program Director for a legal education company based in Philadelphia called LawMeets. She has also worked at Drexel Law School, the National Education Association, and Street Law Inc. Keshema was born in Jamaica and immigrated to Beltsville, Maryland in high school before making her way to Philadelphia. She serves on the board of Neighbors Investing in Childs Elementary (NICE), a volunteer led effort to support the GW Childs Elementary School in Point Breeze. Keshema is also a current Buchholz Fellow with the Committee of Seventy.
Jasmine Lamb
Treasurer
Jasmine earned her Master of Public Policy from Temple University, where she received the Academic Excellence Award. She completed her graduate capstone project for the Philadelphia City Council, assessing the impact of the Philadelphia Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement and evaluating the policy options available after the agreement’s expiration. While pursuing her studies, Jasmine served as a Legislative Fellow for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where she worked alongside the Finance Committee’s Minority Chairman, Representative Jake Wheatley, Jr. After serving her fellowship, Jasmine practiced local government management and budget consulting as an intern for Public Financial Management.
Prior to moving to Philadelphia, Jasmine served three terms as a JusticeCorps-AmeriCorps public servant for the Los Angeles County Superior Courts of California. During her tenure, she ensured every litigant received equal access to the justice system, regardless of their income, ability or language. Jasmine received her bachelor’s degree in economics from California State University of Long Beach. Jasmine lives in West Philadelphia with her two cats, Snot and Gritty.
Miriam Lipschutz
Secretary
Miriam Lipschutz has lived in Philadelphia since 2018 and is proud to now call this city home. She currently works as a policy manager at Benefits Data Trust, a nonprofit that harnesses the power of data, technology, and policy to streamline public benefits systems and provide efficient and dignified access to assistance. In her role, she works directly with state and federal agencies, as well as community partners, to create policies and processes that will streamline access to benefits such as SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid. Previously, Miriam worked at Challah for Hunger as the Director of Advocacy, working to mobilize students and communities to end hunger on college campuses. She completed a year of service with Repair the World where she mobilized people to volunteer with food justice organizations in Central Brooklyn. She is a proud alum of both Temple, where she earned her Master’s in Public Policy, and the University of Vermont, where she earned her Bachelor’s in Animal Science. She resides in South Philadelphia with her partner and cat.
During her time on the board, Miriam hopes to continue the legacy of her grandmother, Helen Heumann, who served on the League of Women Voters of Roselle, New Jersey for several decades and inspired Miriam’s commitment to be civically engaged and never miss an election.
Renee Androckitis
Program Chair
Renee Androckitis is a Coordinator for the Economic Competitiveness Department at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. In this role, Renee manages several efforts to encourage inclusive and equitable economic growth for the Greater Philadelphia region. Her scope of work includes providing opportunities for higher education leaders to develop a strong higher education ecosystem through the work of the Regional College & University Presidents’ Alliance; supporting regional practices and advocating for federal policies that help make Greater Philadelphia a global first-tier 21st-century innovation economy via the CEO Council for Growth; and implementing solutions for an inclusive economic recovery through the Recharge & Recover PHL Initiative.
Renee also sits on the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Regional Technical Committee, and leads the Instagram content development for the Young Philanthropists cohort of Impact100 Philly, a women’s collective giving organization that addresses unmet needs in the Philadelphia region to make our community more just, equitable, and healthy for everyone.
Renee received her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology & Sociology from Drexel University in 2017 and her master’s degree in Political Management from The George Washington University in 2021. Outside of work, Renee enjoys spending time with her amazing friends and family, attempting to build picture-worthy charcuterie boards, and watching Jeopardy! on a nightly basis.
Shannon Connell
Communications Chair
Shannon moved to Philadelphia shortly after graduating from Chestnut Hill College in 2011 with.BA in political science. While she attended Chestnut Hill she was an intern for former Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz and the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition.
After graduating Shannon worked as a paralegal in the office of Children and Youth in Montgomery County. She currently works at White and Williams and is attending Temple University and is expected to graduate with a Masters in Public Policy in the Fall of 2020. While at Temple, Shannon served as a Research Assistant for the Alliance of Philadelphia Public Schools. Shannon maintains an interest in child welfare and immigration policy.
Cori Daggett
Voter Services Chair Emeritus
Cori is a practicing lawyer in the financial services industry, and has worked at law firms and in house in New York City and Philadelphia. She graduated from Colgate University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and received her law degree from Fordham University Law School.
As a member of the League of Women Voters of Philadelphia, Cori has actively supported the League’s voter registration, education and engagement efforts, managing GOTV projects for the region and serving as a liaison with elected officials and the community. She also served on the Election Protection team of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights in the 2020 general election.
Cori is a director on the board of the Pennsylvania SPCA, a 150 year-old animal welfare organization based in Pennsylvania. She chairs the board’s Finance Committee, and is a member of the Executive Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee.
Cori lives in Philadelphia with her husband Jon and their rescue dog Dottie.
Cassidy Martin
Board Member At-Large
I am so excited to begin working with the League of Women Voters! I think the League is doing amazing things, and my career and personal interests led me to a place where I think I am someone who can bring something to the table for this organization.
I grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (my parents still live on a dairy farm there!) and moved to Pittsburgh to attend the University of Pittsburgh for my undergraduate studies in 2014. I went into my undergraduate studies thinking I would go to law school and immediately began work in Political Science and English Literature. At Pitt, I was a tour guide, an undergraduate teaching assistant, and was a member of the pre-law fraternity.
I was able to graduate a semester early but was not yet committed to going to law school. My first job out of college was at a corporate law firm which showed me very quickly law was not for me! During my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to intern with Councilman Corey O’Connor, and while I was trying to decide my next steps post undergrad, my mind kept going back to this internship and how much I enjoyed it. I did a lot of constituent work with the Councilman but also had the opportunity to do research on free menstrual products in public restrooms, advocate for bike lanes, and work on getting sidewalks and streetlights repaired. I also worked on the Councilman’s reelection campaign during this time and decided I wanted to focus my next steps on local politics.
I was an Urban Planning and Analysis major at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Policy and International Affairs, which heavily focused on local policy. I knew after finishing my degree I was ready to move to Philadelphia and was extremely fortunate to work with the Committee of Seventy as a Policy and Program Fellow during my last semester of graduate school. Lauren Cristella was and is an incredible colleague and friend who introduced me to Philadelphia and helped me navigate moving and applying for jobs, and for that I am forever grateful to her! I started with the Old City District in June 2021 and love the work I am fortunate enough to do. I continue to assist Committee of Seventy with staffing polling places on Election Day!
I am extremely interested in policy and creating equitable, impactful change for all. Voting and involvement in community is so important to me, and I think the work the League does in policy advocacy and voter interests is incredible. I also appreciate how the League is bipartisan. I look forward to working with the League and am committed to do whatever I can bring to the table.
Morgan Robinson
Voter Services Chair
Morgan is born and bred in Philadelphia. A lifer and graduate of Friends’ Central School, she decided to stay in Philadelphia for college. Following graduating high school Morgan attended Temple University for undergrad and graduate work with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Fox School of Business and Master of Science from The School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management.
During her time in college and postgraduate Morgan has worked in nonprofits in varying capacities. Beginning with Please Touch Museum, she found her love of working with others and bringing forth the mission of an organization. Morgan has also worked at Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania focusing her efforts on an important program that caters to girls whose mothers are currently and previously incarcerated and bringing them the Girl Scout mission. Morgan worked for the American Cancer Society working diligently in the greater Philadelphia area community in the fight against cancer. Currently Morgan is working at American Association for Cancer Research working nationwide with family foundations to support cancer research.
In her spare time Morgan enjoys time with family and friends, traveling to new countries and trying new restaurants in Philly. Having always been civically focused, Morgan has served as President for Young Involved Philadelphia and is currently in the 2022-2023 Buchholz Fellowship cohort.
Emily Schulman
Budget Chair
I am thrilled to be considered for the role of Membership Chair Position with the League of Women Voters Philadelphia. I am currently a resident of the Bella Vista neighborhood where I am on the neighborhood association board. I work as a management consultant for North Highland where I support state and city agencies, primarily in the transportation and HHS space.
I moved to Philadelphia four years ago to pursue a Masters in Public Administration and Masters in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to moving to Philadelphia, I lived in D.C. where I served a year with AmeriCorps at DC SCORES, and worked for three years doing family engagement work with DC Public Schools at the Flamboyan Foundation. I grew up in NY and attended the College of William and Mary as an undergraduate. I am a civic engagement, Philly and food enthusiast.
Michelle Sonsino
Nominating Chair
Michelle has over 18 years of diverse community affairs, government relations, communications, and fundraising experience.
Michelle currently serves as the Director of Institutional Giving and Government Relations at University of the Arts. Prior, she was the Director of Communications and Marketing at Germantown Friends School. Michelle has also held various non-profit administration roles, including: Director of Development at Career Wardrobe, Public Relations Specialist for the City of Philadelphia, Communications Manager for Chubb Insurance, and Manager of Institutional Giving at Women’s Way. Michelle interned for Philly.com when the site was in its infancy, and continued on as a part-time employee for two years after graduating from college. She remains obsessed with the news, specifically physical newspapers.
Michelle has her BS in Journalism from Boston University, a certificate in Nonprofit Administration from the Fels School of Government, as well as a Masters of Public Administration – also from Fels. She served as President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association from 2021-2022 where she increased their savings from just $10 to $55,000, bringing in sponsors and offering appealing and relevant events. She also created strong partnerships with the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and The Asian American Journalists Association.
Michelle volunteers with Saved Me animal rescue and has two sweet dogs, Crouton and Gretel. Michelle lives in Bella Vista with her husband, son Max, and daughter Sammy. She spends a lot of time in the Italian Market, eating, drinking coffee, mingling with neighbors, and taking Sammy to music class.
Sandy Vogel
Membership Chair
Sandy Vogel is an Administrative Specialist at Aspen Leadership Group, an executive search firm supporting nonprofit organizations across the United States. Before joining Aspen Leadership Group, Sandy worked at the University of Pennsylvania focused on project management, office administration, and event execution for diverse audiences in the School of Arts and Sciences. Prior to Penn, she worked at Drexel University at the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement, where she connected students to volunteer opportunities with Philadelphia non-profit organizations and managed the university’s voter engagement efforts. Sandy’s leadership on voter engagement during the 2018 midterms garnered Drexel’s designation as a Voter Friendly Campus and a “Best in Class” award from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. Since April 2020, she has taught Civic 101: Introduction to Civic Engagement as an adjunct instructor with the Lindy Center. Sandy previously served as a Buchholz Fellow (2020-21) with the Committee of Seventy, an independent and nonpartisan organization for better government in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Sandy holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in sociology from Temple University and a master’s degree in urban strategy from Drexel University.
Lauren Cristella
Board Member At-Large
It was Lauren’s passion for active citizenship, strong public leadership and practical policy-making that led her to Broad Street and the organization that shares her dedication. As the Chief of Staff & Chief Program Officer of the Committee of Seventy, Lauren is responsible for board development, external affairs, youth civic engagement, the election program, the Buchholz Fellowship Program, and events.
Prior to joining C70, Lauren was the Director of Student Affairs & Strategic Operations at Penn’s Fels Institute of Government. She spent seven years ensuring that students had excellent internships and job prospects in government, nonprofits, and private firms that serve the public interest. She also secured a number of record-breaking gifts to Fels, in addition to overseeing dozens of events each year and general operations.
Before joining Fels, Lauren spent five fun years at the National Constitution Center. During her tenure there, Lauren worked in the education department, where she first began to wish that people would celebrate Constitution Day (September 17th) without being legally obligated to do so. She later joined the Center’s senior management team as the Director of Special Projects for the CEO. In that position, Lauren led the team that created the Center’s blog, Constitution Daily, and facilitated the creation and adoption of a new five- year strategic plan. Lauren was also a member of the Center’s international team, which was responsible for the creation of the Being We the People exhibition and website, as well as a guide to voting in national elections for Afghan citizens, created in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme.
Lauren received her bachelor’s degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where she majored in politics, and interned at the International Center for Terrorism Studies. She went on to receive her master’s degree from the University of Essex in Colchester, England in Ethics, Politics and Public Policy.
Lauren, her husband Doug, children Theo and Penelope, and their dog, Utley, reside in South Philadelphia so they can easily feed their love of the Philly sports and good food.
Shannon McLaughlin
Board Member At-Large
Shannon McLaughlin is the Communications Manager at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia where she promotes inclusive growth and champions businesses who have chosen to make Philadelphia their home.
She previously worked as a Senior Account Executive at Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy, where she developed multi-faceted communications, digital and advocacy campaigns, and as Executive Administrator for Montgomery County Commissioner Ken Lawrence, a position that gave her insight into the inner workings of local government and election administration.
She graduated from Temple University in 2015 with a double major in political science and strategic communications and a concentration in public relations. On campus, Shannon led student voter registration and GOTV efforts.
Shannon lives in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia.