Board Members
John Braceland
Chair, Term III
B.S. in Science/Printing from Rochester Institute of Technology. Retired executive. Served as President of JB Solutions, LLC., and served as Managing Director of Graphic Arts Alliance for 20 years. Served for 25 years in varying positions up to President and Owner of Braceland Brothers. A $30 million dollar family printing company started in 1899. Former Board member of the Graphic Arts Association and facilitator for Forum Groups for the Young Presidents Organization. Past President of the Board of Trustees for Friends Association for the Care and Protection of Children and served as an active Board member for nine years. Completed the Chester County Leadership Connection course in 2007. A Member of Birmingham Friends Monthly Meeting.
John Spangler
Chair, Term I
B.A. Philosophy, Hamilton College, NY. Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Retired lawyer after thirty-seven years of general practice law specializing in municipal law, real estate, and estate planning. Community involvement includes active member of the Board of Directors of Friends Association, East Bradford Township Park and Recreation Commission and serves as the chairperson on the Trails committee and member of the West Chester Oldtimers Ice Hockey Club. Former service on the following organizations, Board of Directors for The Hickman, General Committee for Westtown School, Brandywine Ballet Company, the Streitwieser Trumpet Foundation, & Countrywide Abstract.
Cendrine Gemberling
Chair, Term I
Principal of Greenville Partners LLC, with over thirty years of experience in acquisitions and asset management in the Tri-State real estate community. Currently serving on the board of directors for the Marshallton Conservation Trust (MCT) since its inception in 2009 and serves as Chair of the Events and Marketing & Communications committees. Acting President of the Marshalton Triathlon Fundraiser and a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. A Member of Bradford Friends Meeting.
Duane M. Davis
Treasurer, Secretary Term III
Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and is a tax manager at a local accounting firm. Professional memberships included American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Ellen C. Gilbert
Vice Chair, Term II
M.B.A. in Marketing & Finance from Villanova University, PA, and B.A. in History from Colgate University, NY. Graduate of Westtown School. Retired executive experienced in marketing, sales and fundraising. Former Director of Advancement at Westtown School, Group Product Director at Johnson & Johnson, and Sales Manager at Procter & Gamble. Currently serving on the Board of Managers for the Kirk Plumstock Trust at Willistown Friends Meeting. A Member of Willistown Friends Meeting.
Susan Cusack
Term II
Ph.D. from University of the Sciences, M.B.A. and B.S.N. from West Chester University. Retired from Mercy Health System with extensive experience hospital management and clinical nursing leadership, project management and nurse academics. Former Board of Trustee for School of the Holy Child and Together for West Philadelphia. Advisory Board, St. Joseph’s University, West Chester University Advisory Board, Executive Committee and Senior Scholar Thomas Jefferson Dept. of Health Policy. Currently serving on an adjunct faculty at St. Joseph’s University and Advisory Board for Widener University School of Nursing.
John S. Cigler
Term III
M.B.A. from Villanova University and completed his degree in International Marketing at Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. B.S. from Widener University School of Business, PA. Currently serving as an executive for a major healthcare system. Former Director of Development for Children’s Beach House, Inc. Former Chairman of West Chester Human Relations Commission.
Matt Davis
Term I
B.A. in Architecture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Currently employed in banking as a Branch Leader. Presently serving on the Planning Committee for Plein Air Brandywine Valley. Former secretary at West Chester Historic & Architectural Review Board.
Sony P. John
Term II
Doctor of Medicine from Medical University of Silesia, Poland, M.H.A. from St. Joseph’s University, and B.A. in Biology, Franklin and Marshall College, PA. Currently serves as a family physician for Pentahealth Family Practice, West Chester, PA. Former clinical instructor at Drexel Family Medicine.
Jolie B. Karp
Term I
Bachelor of B.A. in Accounting from Bryant College (Bryant University), Rhode Island. Currently a partner at a regional accounting firm including diversified client experience with privately held businesses in industries including distribution, manufacturing, non-for-profit, automobile dealerships, construction, employee benefit plan audits and professional service companies. An active member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center, and Chairperson for the Women Influencing Business Committee of the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry. Serves on the Board of Directors of the Wanda Bilec Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research since 2013 and has been the organization’s treasurer since 2015.
Angela Lavery
Term II
Ph.D. from the University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work, M.S.W. from the University of Wyoming and B.S. from the Pennsylvania State University, Currently an Associate Professor in the Graduate Social Work Department and the Graduate Coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology at West Chester University of PA. She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has researched and published articles and research in the areas of Gerontology, Aging, Disability and Social Work. Former Assistant Director of the Wyoming Geriatric Education Center at the University of Wyoming.
Ron M. Madden
Term III
B.S. at Drexel University and an M.B.A. from Temple University. Retired from water treatment industry; former partner at General Water Services & Res-Kem Corp. Currently a trustee at the West Chester Friends School. Past non-profit board experience includes Brandywine Valley Association, Marshallton Conservation Trust, and the Bachelor’s Barge Foundation. Outside interests include gardening, Chinese porcelain, and amateur rowing. A member of Bradford Monthly Meeting currently serving as clerk.
Marianne Pessognelli
Term I
Serving as the Business Manager of FSA since December 2021 and has 30+ years in health care financial management. Ms. Pessognelli came to FSA from The Highlands at Wyomissing, a CCRC located in Berks County, where she held the position as CFO for eight and half years. Prior to that, Ms. Pessognelli was the Director of Finance for Barclay Friends, a Kendal Affiliate. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania. Ms. Pessognelli participated in the Fellows in Leadership Program sponsored by LeadingAgePA, Class of 2015 and is currently on the Board of Directors of Barclay Friends, West Chester and Helping Harvest, Reading.
Serita Spadoni
Term II
B.A. Political Science and Spanish, Dickinson College. M.A. Spanish, Middlebury College graduate program in Madrid, Spain. ABD Language Learning, The Ohio State University. Other graduate studies in Spain, also Italy. Briefly taught Spanish in the US and abroad (secondary and college levels), project management experience in the area of Communications: marketing communications, also as an interpreter and translator, editor, writer, instructor, event planner, various H.R. functions. for international corporations. Lived and studied abroad (both undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate), mostly in Spain but also Italy, did volunteer service in Mexico. Served on a number of local and national boards, the most recent being Friends for Care and Protection of Children serving on the Executive, Marketing and Development, and Governance Committees, also served on West Chester Friends School, also Right Sharing of World Resources, the Scattergood Foundation, PA Extension Service. Numerous volunteer activities in the Southeastern PA Region, including Philadelphia Yearly Meeting: Alternate Clerk (Chair); Advisory Committee, Clerk (Chair) of Nominating (300-400 appointments annually), Publications, Adult Religious Education, RSWR Committees, Ministry and Pastoral Care Collaborative, and serve as Meeting’s representative to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and other Quaker organizations. One of the founding members of Habitat for Humanity in Chester Country, served on Concordville Rotary. Completed Delaware Country Leadership Conference Program 2002. Currently serving as Clerk (chair) of the Oversight & Pastoral Care Committee and have chaired the Worship & Ministry, Peace & Social Concerns, Nominating and Religious Education Committees. A Member of Birmingham Friends Monthly Meeting
Nelson Wicas
Term II
Ph.D. in Economics, and B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania, PA. Currently a Partner and Co-Founder of Redpoint Investment Management located in Newtown Square and offices in Australia. Former teacher and instructor at Haverford College, PA (finance and international finance) and University of Pennsylvania, PA (intermediate micro and macro- economics). Management experience is real estate properties. A Member of the Willistown Friends Monthly Meeting.
