Jonette Marcus
PresidentJonette Marcus is the Chief Empathy Officer of The Equity Firm where she specializes in leadership and educational development rooted in the core values of empathy, equity, and excellence. Jonette brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the education and nonprofit sectors.
Jonette holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, a Masters of Education degree in Elementary Education from West Chester University, and a Masters of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Cabrini University. Jonette grew up in Coatesville and currently resides in Chester County. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. “Service is my rent for living here on Earth.” (Representative Alma Adams) |
Mary Lawrence
Secretary
Mary Lawrence is a Criminal Defense Attorney at MacElree Harvey, Ltd., where she handles cases involving violent crimes, sex crimes, drug crimes, juvenile allegations, as well as representing victims involved in the criminal justice system.
Mary was born and raised in West Chester, PA and attended Penn State University earning dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sociology and Criminology. At Penn State, she worked as a research assistant in the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center optimizing the Penn State Athletes Take Action program, a bully and dating violence prevention program implemented in middle schools. Mary received her law degree from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law where she served as the Director of the School Discipline Advocacy Service advocating for middle and high school students facing disciplinary transfers and expulsion. Mary also competed nationally on behalf of Drexel’s trial team. Mary is a board member of the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce where she is the Vice Chair of the NextGen Committee. Mary resides in Oaks with her fiancé and three cats. |
Deb Dart
TreasurerDeb Dart has twenty years of experience working with nonprofits to develop healthy fiscal management. Building strong internal controls to reduce the risk of fraud and understandable financial reports are stressed so that nonprofit boards can make informed decisions. She prioritizes accuracy and precision as her mantra is to be audit ready.
She worked with AHHAH in its early days helping to set up its first accounting system as well as applying to the IRS for its 501 c 3 exempt status. Other clients include The Garage Community and Youth Center, YoungMoms, AHHAH, Transformation Yoga Project, Historic Kennett Square, and Unionville Presbyterian Church. She continues to work with MacIntyre Associates, a for-profit company that does nonprofit consulting. Debbie served as Treasurer for The Health & Welfare Foundation of Southern Chester County for five years. After retiring from her business, she began to serve on nonprofit boards, often as Treasurer. She has been on the boards of YoungMoms, Rotary Club of Kennett Square, and Kennett Area Senior Center. She volunteers for Family Promise of Chester County currently. Debbie applauds the mission of AHHAH to give Chester County children hope and opportunities to develop into thriving adults. She looks forward to serving on this board and supporting AHHAH’s work. |
Susan Hankin
Susan Hankin is a retired Law Professor whose areas of specialty included Legal Writing, Animal Law. And Public Health Law. She taught at the University of Maryland School of Law and Georgetown University Law Center and spent a visiting semester at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland. OR. Before entering teaching, Susan worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Collins J. Seitz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and as a staff attorney for the Whitman Walker Clinic AIDS Program in Washington, DC. Susan is a former member of the Advisory Board of Makom Kadosh: The Jewish Fellowship of Chester County; she currently serves as a member of the Kennett Square Human Relations Commission and volunteers at Lamancha Animal Rescue. She is married to Rob Sigafoos, a former farrier and current metal artist. Susan describes herself as an outdoors enthusiast who has truly internalized the “it’s too nice to be indoors” refrain that she heard throughout her childhood. Among other activities, she enjoys hiking around their rural property outside of Kennett Square with her husband Rob and their three dogs.
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Mikaila Szkil
Mikaila Szkil is the sales manager for Citadel Federal Credit Union. She has worked for the credit union since June 2013 in various positions within their branches ranging from teller to branch manager. She has worked in different offices in Chester, Montgomery, and Bucks County over the years.
Mikaila was born and raised in West Chester, PA and graduated from Bishop Shanahan High School. Starting in kindergarten until graduating from college, Mikaila took weekly piano classes and is classically trained. She attended the State University of New York at Fredonia after high school where she earned a degree in Music Business and Communications. After graduation, she moved back home to West Chester where she worked in some customer service jobs before joining Citadel. She earned her MBA in Marketing in July 2018 from Southern New Hampshire University while working full time. Since 2021, she has been a board member of the Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce and was the Board President in 2024. Mikaila lives in Coatesville, PA with her husband and three cats. Her and her husband enjoy traveling and are slowly checking off their long list of places they want to visit. When they aren’t traveling, they enjoy spending time with family and friends. |
Yazzy Alston
Wife, Mother of four, REALTOR®️ with Coldwell Banker Realty, LLC, Collections Lead for an Oxygen Therapy Company, MCHC’s PPOR Project Coordinator, podcast host, advocate and MC; Yazzy Alston is purpose driven in all things.
Professionally, her career started as a medical assistant in 2008, where she worked under a physician for 7 years, gaining invaluable knowledge and experience that catapulted her medical career in other capacities. Eventually, she landed in her latest and current position, for which she was recently awarded the “Make a Difference “ Award by her company. As a REALTOR®️, Yazzy hosts first time home buyer workshops and seminars, working with several organizations in the community to increase and advance the accessibility to homeownership. As PPOR Coordinator for MCHC, Yazzy aims to alleviate disparities in black maternal health and increase health equity in her community. |
Amy Sortino
Amy brings a unique and deeply personal perspective to the field of restorative justice, having experienced the legal system from multiple vantage points. This lived experience fuels Amy's unwavering commitment to transformative change and community healing. As the founder of a community restorative justice program, "Reentry Ready," focuses on incarcerated adults, Amy works tirelessly to support individuals serving long or life sentences. The program emphasizes restoring communities, advocating for second chances, and empowering individuals to not only survive post-incarceration but to thrive.
Guided by the belief that no one is defined by the worst thing they have ever done, Amy collaborates with system-impacted individuals to foster pathways for redemption, reintegration, and meaningful contributions to society. This approach ensures that restorative practices address both the harm caused and the underlying circumstances that led to incarceration. Understanding that many challenges begin in childhood, Amy is also dedicated to preventive work with juveniles. Through collaborations with organizations like AHHAH (Arts Holding Hands and Hearts), Amy engages in initiatives that use arts, mindfulness, and mentorship to equip young people with the tools they need to overcome systemic barriers and realize their potential. Amy's work represents a holistic vision of justice—one that sees the humanity in every person, prioritizes healing over punishment, and focuses on building stronger, more resilient communities. |
Community Advisory board
Richard Dowgun
Before retiring Richard was the Chief Information Officer--responsible for all aspects of information technology and telecommunications--for St Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. Before that he was the Director of Information and Telecommunication Systems for Temple University Hospital Episcopal Division. Richard holds both a Ph.D. in English Literature from University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School, with a Health Care Systems Major. Richard connected with AHHAH through RSVP's VEC (Retired Senior Volunteer Program - Volunteer Executive Consultants) program.
Kathy Hrenko
Kathy D. Hrenko, MCAT, ATR-BC is a master’s level, board certified art therapist with 30 years of experience in the field of art therapy. She has worked with children, teens, and adults in a variety of settings including in-patient psychiatry, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, therapeutic camps, nursing homes, youth detention, art studios, and wellness centers. Kathy has published several articles on her art therapy work and has presented on various mental health and art therapy topics both locally and nationally. In addition to her work as an art therapist, Kathy has served in non-profit leadership as the Executive Director for the Kennett After-School Association-a free after-school program serving middle school students, and she previously served as the Operations Director of Project C.U.R.E. - the largest distributor, worldwide of donated medical supplies and equipment to developing countries. She also served as a part of the AHHAH Advisory Board for over 5 years.
Joe Pomorski
Joe Pomorski is a Relationship Manager for Presence Bank. In his role as an RM Joe focuses on small business and commercial banking. He attended Bishop Shanahan High School, Millersville University, and earned his BS in Political Science from West Chester University. He is a past member of the East Fallowfield Board of Supervisors (Chair 2014-2015) and is a board member with the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce, A Haven, Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance, and the Pope John Paul II Board of Limited Jurisdiction. Joe also volunteers on several councils for the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce and the Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce and enjoys volunteering for the IM ABLE Foundation in Wyomissing. Joe and his wife Amanda are the proud parents of Kayla (Trace) Pardoe and Henry and reside in Coatesville.
Paul Salvo
Paul Salvo worked in the financial services industry for twenty-seven years before retiring in 2010. As a Vice President at J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc., Paul held managerial positions in technology and operations. Work and educational credentials include:
- Financial and Operations Principal, Series 27 certification from the National Association of Securities Dealers
- Trained in various process re-engineering and data modelling methodologies, including Six Sigma (Black Belt)
- Computer programming certificate from New York University (3rd and 4th generation languages)
- Graduate Studies in Philosophy at the Graduate Center, CUNY
- BA in English Literature from Hunter College, CUNY