Morgan Robinson
President
A highly motivated professional with a strong background in nonprofit work and a passion for civic engagement, Morgan Robinson’s experience spans various organizations, from children’s education to healthcare advocacy. Utilizing her critical strengths in program management, community outreach, communication, collaboration, and fundraising, she has executed small to large-scale programs and events, worked with diverse groups to foster community cohesion, and spearheaded multimillion-dollar contributions through capital campaigns for the Please Touch Museum, Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, and for the American Cancer Society.
Currently, she is the Associate Director of Foundation Relations at American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), directing nationwide efforts with disease specific foundations to support cancer research. She recently served as President for Young Involved Philadelphia, a member of the 2022-2023 Buchholz Fellowship cohort, as well as the 2024 PEW Emerging Leaders Cohort. Morgan has dual degrees from Temple University: a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Fox School of Business and a Master of Science from The School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management.
She resides in the Germantown area of Philadelphia and enjoys dining at new restaurants, traveling to new countries, and spending time with family and friends.
Miriam Lipschutz
1st Vice President and Budget Chair
Miriam Lipschutz has lived in Philadelphia since 2018 and is proud to now call this city home. She currently works as a Senior Policy Analyst at Transform Health, a women and minority owned health policy consulting firm with a mission to drive systems change to create healthy communities. In her role, she supports the firm and clients in advancing health policy initiatives, with expertise in Medicaid policy. Previously, she worked as a policy manager at Benefits Data Trust, assisting state and federal agencies, as well as community partners, to create policies and processes to streamline access to benefits such as SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid. She also 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 University, 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 husband, dog, and cat.
Jane Grabias
2nd Vice President
2ndVicePresident@lwvphilly.org
Jane Grabias is currently the Director of Programs for PHILADELPHIA250, the nonprofit helping to create a “people’s commemoration” for the 250th anniversary of the country in 2026. Its mission is to engage Philadelphia’s diverse communities in the commemoration, help make connections between the spirit and ideals of the Declaration of Independence, and the challenges, debates, and opportunities communities experience today. In this role, Jane oversees the development and execution of a suite of program partnerships and events, anchored in neighborhood gateways around the city, focused on civic engagement, storytelling, and legacy projects. Previously, she was the Director of Corporate Partnerships for United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and Director of Fellowship Programs at Eisenhower Fellowships. A third-generation Philadelphian, Jane has a BA from Swarthmore College and an MPA from Columbia University.
Aiyana Pellegrino
Secretary
Aiyana Pellegrino is the Associate Director of Foundation Relations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), where she manages relationships with disease specific nonprofit organizations and private foundations to raise funds and awareness for cancer research. Prior to working at AACR, Aiyana worked for the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Development and Alumni Relations, working five and half years for Penn Medicine’s major gifts program. During her tenure at Penn Medicine, she helped manage and steward relationships with Penn Medicine faculty and their donors, raising seven to eight figures in philanthropic gifts annually. Aiyana also worked diligently to manage special, departmental, and institutional events, as well as highlight cancer survivor stories in Penn’s numerous print and e-newsletters, design proposals, vision pieces, e-campaigns, creative communications, and impact reports that highlighted Penn Medicine’s diverse clinical and scientific initiatives aimed to save patients’ lives.
Aiyana attended La Salle University for her undergraduate and graduate studies in Strategic Communication. During her time at La Salle, she become deeply involved in the Lasallian Immersion and Volunteer Experience Program, working as a Fundraising Coordinator to raise philanthropic funding and obtain nonprofit partnerships for students wishing to attend domestic and international service trips. During her undergraduate years, Aiyana also interned at the Lupus Foundation of America and was an active member of the Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Honor Society. During her senior year, she was recognized as one of La Salle’s Outstanding Seniors in Service by the Lasallian Christian Brothers. Additionally, during her graduate studies, Aiyana received the Department of Communication’s Outstanding Graduate Student Award for her research and contributions to La Salle’s Communication program.
Excitingly, Aiyana’s intercultural communication research about her family’s Native American roots will be featured in a textbook about interethnic, interracial, and co-cultural communication being written by Marianne Dainton, PhD, a nationally known Communication researcher and Aiyana’s favorite college professor.
Sandy Vogel
Treasurer
Sandy Vogel is the Director of Student Engagement at Campus Philly, serving as the partnership manager for college and university stakeholders while overseeing student-facing programming. Sandy fell in love with Philly while attending Temple University as an undergrad and has since worked at the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania in student programming and advising roles. Her leadership on voter engagement during the 2018 midterm election garnered Drexel’s designation as a Voter Friendly Campus and a “Best in Class” award from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
Sandy has served as an adjunct instructor at Drexel University since 2020 and Southern New Hampshire University since 2024, teaching courses focused on civic engagement and active citizenship. She was also selected as a 2020-2021 Buchholz Fellow with the Committee of Seventy, an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening democracy in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.
Beyond her professional work, Sandy volunteers with the League of Women Voters, Bucks County 4-H, and Impact100 Philadelphia. She 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.
Shannon Connell
Communications Chair
Shannon moved to Philadelphia shortly after graduating from Chestnut Hill College in 2011 with a 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 graduated from Temple in 2021 with a Masters Degree in Public Policy and a Certificate in Geospatial Information System (GIS). She also serves on the Board of Young Involved Philadelphia. She is passionate about civic engagement and community organizing.
Elizabeth Burdett
Voter Services Chair
Elizabeth Burdett is an Account Executive in Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies’ Strategic Communications practice. In this role, she helps coordinate cross‑functional projects from ideation through implementation. She executes integrated communications and advocacy strategies centered on message development, stakeholder engagement, and content planning to raise client profiles and proactively manage reputations.
Previously, Elizabeth supported the firm’s Pennsylvania team as a legislative analyst, researching policy and tracking legislation and regulatory actions at the city and state levels. During this time, she also served as a part-time lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, assisting former Governor Ed Rendell in teaching the perennially popular political science course, “Who Gets Elected & Why?”
Prior to joining Cozen O’Connor, Elizabeth worked at a Philadelphia-based full‑service marketing and communications agency serving the nonprofit sector, where she provided editorial, design, and production services for mission‑driven clients and conducted research and competitive analyses to inform media and brand strategy. She launched her career as community organizer with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
Elizabeth graduated cum laude from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Arts in history and earned her Master of Public Administration from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, where she served on the Women of Fels board. She is a 2026 Buchholz Fellow with the Committee of Seventy and an alumna of the WeLead Campaign Training Program at American University’s Women & Politics Institute.
Outside of work, Elizabeth is an enthusiastic participant in Philadelphia civic life and enjoys trivia, live music, reading, and watching women’s basketball.
Shannon McLaughlin
Membership Chair
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 at Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy, where she developed multifaceted communications, digital, and advocacy campaigns. She graduated from Temple University.
Ann Vuong
Nominating Committee Chair
Ann currently serves as the Director of Investor Relations at LLR Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm that invests in technology and healthcare businesses. In her role, she acts as the intermediary between the investment funds and a diverse range of investors, from high net-worth individuals to institutions. Previously, Ann worked as an Internal Auditor for Aramark Sports and Entertainment and earned her BA in Accounting from Rutgers University. She also serves on the board for Moonstone Preschool and Arts.
Ann grew up in the tri-state area and now resides in the Washington Square West neighborhood with her husband, two kids, Kieran and Remi, and two cats. She has a deep love for food, the arts, and community engagement, reflecting her inclusive and well-rounded personality.
Genevieve Greene
Policy Co-Chair
Genevieve Greene (she/her) is a longtime Philadelphia resident with a passion for building trust between the public and their government. Genevieve has spent nearly eight years working in government and politics with expertise in communications, operations, and administration. Most recently, Genevieve served as Operations Director for Rebecca Rhynhart’s campaign for Mayor of Philadelphia. In this role, she was responsible for the day-to-day operations and core functions of the campaign. Genevieve also served as the point person for all large projects and helped streamline communication, manage competing timelines and priorities, and overcome roadblocks to reach campaign goals.
From 2018 to 2022, Genevieve worked in Communications for the City of Philadelphia – Office of the City Controller. Using thoughtful communication, she worked to make government information more accessible to the public, prioritized reaching diverse audiences, and positioned the office as a champion for change. During her time with the Controller’s Office, Genevieve led high-profile report releases, including investigations into the city’s response to civil unrest in 2020 and the Sheriff’s Office gun inventory. Prior to joining the Controller’s Office, Genevieve was an Account Coordinator for a healthcare public relations agency and held several positions with the City of Philadelphia.
Genevieve attended community college in Massachusetts, her home state, before transferring to Temple University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication. Genevieve has lived in Philadelphia for more than ten years. In her free time, she enjoys live music, board games, and spending time outdoors biking and hiking.
Cassidy Martin
Policy Co-Chair
Cassidy Martin is an enthusiastic and experienced professional in the nonprofit and neighborhood organization sector, with a strong background in strategic planning, establishing performance metrics, data analysis, and research. She most recently worked as the Executive Director for the Northern Liberties Business Improvement District, where she pushed forward several policies and projects from the organization’s streetscape vision plan and collaborated across city agencies, elected officials, and community stakeholders. In this role, she also conducted surveys to receive feedback from small businesses and other stakeholders and created reports to put forth data-driven decisions. Previously, she worked at the Old City District, where she worked on the neighborhood’s Vision 2026 plan to move forward key projects and goals leading up to the Semiquincentennial, and conducted various research projects for the 15 business improvement districts throughout Philadelphia.
Cassidy is a member of Young Involved Philadelphia. She holds an MPA in Urban Affairs and Planning and a BA in Political Science and History from the University of Pittsburgh. She resides in South Philadelphia and is an avid cyclist around the city.
Michelle Sonsino
Programs Chair
Michelle has over 18 years of diverse community affairs, government relations, communications, and fundraising experience.
Michelle served 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 nonprofit 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.
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. In 2018, Lauren began her career at C70 as the Chief Program Officer, and in June 2023, she was named President & CEO, the first woman to serve in that role in the organization’s 120-year history.
Lauren has been named to the steering committee of Innovate Chester County, an initiative to generate ideas from the public to explore new ways to tackle challenges in Chester County. She also serves on the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Judicial Commission.
Under Lauren’s leadership, the Committee of Seventy received the American Bar Association’s Unsung Heroes of Democracy Award in 2024. Lauren was also recently recognized as the 2024 Rad Girl Nonprofit Leader of the Year and was featured in Philadelphia Magazine’s list of the 150 most influential Philadelphians in 2023 and 2024.
Lauren has previously served as the President of the League of Women Voters of Philadelphia, where she focused on rebuilding the organization and equipping volunteers to have a positive impact on elections at the grassroot level.
Additionally, Lauren currently serves on the Board of the Forum of Executive Women.
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, their two kids, and their dog Kelce, recently moved uptown to Mt. Airy after nearly twenty years in South Philadelphia.
Lauren Tilghman
Board Member At-Large
Lauren Tilghman has spent more than a decade amplifying the voices of nonprofits advancing equity in human services, with a focus on disability inclusion and community empowerment. As Director of Strategic Communications at Inglis, she leads messaging and public engagement strategies that elevate people with physical disabilities and older adults across Pennsylvania.
Lauren is a passionate advocate for accessible design, inclusive communication, and culturally responsive engagement. In the Greater Philadelphia region, she partners with nonprofit and corporate leaders to help build welcoming, inclusive communities.
A committed civic leader, Lauren has volunteered with organizations including Impact 100, Mt. Airy CDC, and the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services’ Public Awareness Committee. She currently serves as Secretary of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association, board member for the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, and is a member of the Forum of Executive Women. In 2025, she was selected as a Buchholz Fellow by the Committee of Seventy, joining a cohort dedicated to strengthening democracy.
Lauren is a graduate of Drexel University, holds a Six Sigma Black Belt, and is an alum of both the National IDD Leadership Consortium and the ANCOR Leadership Academy.
Zoraida Cordero
Board Member At-Large
Zoraida Cordero is an equity-driven leader with more than a decade of experience advancing shared opportunity across government, nonprofit, and community-based sectors. Her work spans program development, community revitalization, civic education, and systems-building that expands access and strengthens institutions for long-term impact.
She is the founder of Impactful Solutions, a consulting firm that partners with nonprofits, small businesses, and community leaders to build organizational capacity, advance civic leadership, and design equitable, community-centered programs. Zoraida holds a Master of Social Work from Temple University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Muhlenberg College. She teaches Civic Engagement at Drexel University, serves on the Montgomery County Commission for Women, and is a former Buchholz Fellow with the Committee of Seventy.
A U.S. Army veteran, Zoraida leads with integrity, accountability, and a people-centered approach shaped by her background in human resources and public service. As Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, she approaches her work with an equity lens to help build a just and green economy where sustainability, opportunity, and shared prosperity move forward together.