Board Members
John Braceland
Chair, Term II
Currently employed as President of JB Solutions, LLC., and serves as Managing Director of Graphic Arts Alliance. 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. Member of Birmingham Friends Monthly Meeting.
Ellen Barron
Vice-Chair, Term II
M.A., Bradley University and B.A. California State University. Retired from University of Iowa Health Care as an Associate Vice President, Marketing and Communications; other senior management, strategy and consulting positions at other large, multi-site health systems and academic health centers. Numerous publications in various healthcare magazines and national presentations to industry groups. Past member of and Vice Chair, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health Services Corporation. Past Board member, Academy of Health Services Marketing, American Marketing Association and past member of Finance and Membership committees, Catholic Health Association. Former member, Editorial Advisory Board, American Hospital Publishing Co.
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.
Susan Cusack
Term I
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. Currently serves on the Board of Trustees, School of the Holy Child, Advisory Board, St. Joseph’s University, West Chester University Advisory Board, Together for West Philadelphia Board and Executive Committee and Senior Scholar Thomas Jefferson Dept. of Health Policy.
John S. Cigler
Term II
B.S. from Widener University School of Business, PA. Currently serving as Director, Development, Children’s Beach House, Inc. Currently serves as a Board Member of Delaware County Workforce Development and member of Plein Air Brandywine Valley. Former Chairman of West Chester Human Relations Commission and currently serving as a volunteer.
Matt Davis
Term I
B.Arch from Virginia Tech and graduate of United Way of Chester County’s Leadership Chester County program. Cluster Branch Leader for Truist Bank in West Chester and Newtown Square. Former Secretary for the West Chester Historic and Architectural Review Board.”
Ellen C. Gilbert
Term I
M.B.A. in Marketing & Finance from Villanova University, PA, and B.A.in History from Colgate University, NY. Retired from education, Westtown School, West Chester, Pa. Former Marketing and Communications at Johnson & Johnson and former Product Director at Personal Products Company, NJ. Vast retail and sales experience with various pharmaceutical organizations. Currently serving on the Board of Directors for Westtown School.
Elizabeth C. Guman
Term III
Currently a Partner at Strategy Arts, West Chester, PA, consulting in strategic planning and leadership development for nonprofits. Currently a Member of Sustainable Business Network, a Founding Advisory Board Member of the Leadership Connection; (United Way of Chester County), and former Board Member and Chair of Community Grants Committee for the Rotary Club of West Chester. Also held various positons at First Presbyterian Church of West Chester as a Chair for the Long-Range Planning Committee, Deacon, and Elder. Former Advisory Board member for the 3E Institute at West Chester University and United Way Allocations Committee Chair.
Sony P. John
Term I
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 Penn Medicine, Kennett Square, PA. Former clinical instructor at Drexel Family Medicine. Former EMT with Good Fellowship Ambulance Company, West Chester.
Angela Lavery
Term II
Currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Graduate Social Work Department and the Graduate Coordinator of the Certificate in Gerontology at West Chester University of PA. Memberships include the Council on Social Work Education, National Association of Social Workers, the Gerontological Society of America and the Association of Death Education and Counseling.
Ron M. Madden
Term II
Retired executive experienced in the design and marketing of industrial water treatment systems. Currently a trustee at the West Chester Friends School. Past board memberships include the Brandywine Valley Association and the Bachelors Barge Foundation and the Marshallton Conservation Trust. Hobbies include field sports, gardening, and amateur rowing. Memberships include the Ardrossan Beagles and the Men’s Garden Club of Philadelphia. Member of Bradford Friends Monthly Meeting currently serving as clerk.
Marianne Pessognelli
Term I
M.B.A. at West Chester University and a B.S. from University of Delaware. Current role as a CFO executive for a Continuing Care Retirement Community located in Berks County, Pa. A former staff member of Barclay Friends who served as Controller before departing in 2013. Member and Treasurer for the Helping Harvest Food Bank.
Serita Spadoni
Term I
Serita briefly taught Spanish in the US and abroad, at both a college and secondary level. She also has project management experience in marketing communications as an interpreter and translator, editor, writer, instructor, event planner, various H.R. functions for international corporations. She served on a number of local and national boards, the most recent being Friends for Care and Protection of Children on the Executive, Marketing and Development, and Governance Committees. She is one of the founding members of Habitat for Humanity in Chester Country and served on Concordville Rotary. Completed Delaware Country Leadership Conference Program 2002. Currently serving as Clerk (chair) of the Meeting, chaired Oversight & Pastoral Care, Worship & Ministry, Peace & Social Concerns, Nominating and Religious Education Committees. Member of Birmingham Friends Monthly Meeting.
Nelson Wicas
Term I
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. Member of the Willistown Friends Monthly Meeting.