Leadership

Patrick Lemmon (he/him), Immediate Past President
Violence Prevention & Evaluation Consultant
Portland, OR

Mary Onama, LMSW (she/her) (PASAC), President
Executive Director, Victim Services Center of Montgomery County Inc.
Montgomery County, PA

Melinda previously worked as a contractor for a major technology company and in a variety of roles at a Pittsburgh-based advertising agency. She’s passionate about clear communication and meaningful collaboration. Melinda also serves on the Board of Directors for the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, a Pittsburgh-based theater that fosters bold and innovative artistry, specifically centering historically resilient folks. Melinda is dedicated to the advancement of women – focusing time and energy locally on women-focused organizations, including Strong Women, Strong Girls and United Way Women’s Leadership Council.  A native of Doylestown, PA, she attended the University of Pittsburgh. She moved to Pittsburgh permanently following her 2013 graduation with a B.A. in Economics and English Literature.

Melinda loves being outside – whether on a beach with a book, hiking a trail with her dog, or going on a long run to explore a new location.

Tony Sacco is the President of the Capital Region for First National Bank. In addition to coordinating Corporate and Business Banking and the overall business strategy in the Bank's Capital Region, Tony manages the sales integration of Business Credit, Capital Markets, Insurance, Investment Real Estate, Leasing, Private Banking, Retail Banking, Treasury Management, and Wealth Management professionals. With more than 35 years of banking experience, he previously served as the Commercial Lending Manager of Sovereign Bank's Central Pennsylvania region. Tony graduated from Albright College and also attended the Graduate School of Credit and Financial Management at Dartmouth College and the Central Atlantic School of Banking.

Katie Kade (she/her), Member-at-Large
Supervisor, Dauphin Co. Children & Youth
Harrisburg, PA

Katie graduated in 2012 from Eastern Illinois University and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science; she also minored in sociology and pre-law studies. During her undergraduate studies, she completed two legal internships—one of which focused on victim/witness advocacy in the Coles County Court System.

Katie is currently working on her MSW at Shippensburg University; after she graduates, she would like to pursue her PhD in Social Policy (with a concentration in Children, Youth, and Families) at Brandeis University and hopes to one day collaborate with legislators on policies that can help address issues in the child welfare system.

Katie has extensive work experience in the child welfare system and victim services. Most recently, she worked at a local civil law firm, where she served as a case manager and victim advocate for hundreds of sexual abuse survivors involved in the Boy Scouts of America.

In Katie’s free time she loves to spend time with her friends, write, read, learn history, travel to historical sites, shop, and listen to a panoply of music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

Susheela Varky, Member-at-Large, Governance Committee Chair
Director, Center for Family Advocacy, Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC)
Richmond, Virginia

Susheela Varky has been involved in the public interest arena for almost 30 years. In DC, she gained national and local experience in housing and women's issues at organizations such as McAuley Institute, The National Housing Trust, and Women Empowered Against Violence. In 1998, she joined the national drafting committee of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and helped write VAWA’s original housing provisions. Since moving to Richmond in 2003, Ms. Varky has worked for Legal Information Network for Cancer (LINC), the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia (OES), and is currently working for Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC). At OES, Ms. Varky worked with other state agencies to improve domestic violence protective order policies and procedures in six diverse localities in Virginia. Since September 2007, Ms. Varky has continued her work in the domestic and sexual violence arena as a staff attorney for VPLC, the statewide support organization for the local legal aid offices in Virginia, collaborating with state and local stakeholders, conducting trainings, engaging in advocacy, providing legal consultations, and taking compelling domestic and/or sexual violence, immigration-related cases through a pro bono legal clinic she started in 2009 called Legal Assistance to Victim-Immigrants of Domestic Abuse (LA VIDA). In addition to these responsibilities, Ms. Varky leads VPLC's Center for Family Advocacy, where she oversees team members' work on family law, immigration, and child welfare.

Ms. Varky's LA VIDA program focuses on serving the visa needs of low-income, undocumented, or under-documented, immigrant domestic, and/or sexual violence victims. As part of her LA VIDA work and as a resource to the community, Ms. Varky offers trainings on the remedies available to these victims of crime. Since 2009, she has been training advocates, other attorneys, law enforcement officers, and other service providers on these and other victim-related subjects.

Ms. Varky received her B.A. from Tufts University in 1986 and her J.D. from the Washington College of Law at The American University in 1993. She is licensed in VA, DC, and in PA, and lives in Richmond, VA.

Christine Zaccarelli is a 1992 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and a 1997 graduate of the Widener University School of Law. On November 1, 2017, after a long career at Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (LASP), she took over as Chief Executive Officer of The Crime Victims' Center of Chester County, Inc. At LASP, she started in legal service in 2002, left and enter in private family law practice from 2006-2007, and then returned to LASP in early 2008. As of January 1, 2015, Mrs. Zaccarelli began as Pro Bono Director for LASP. Prior to her time with LASP, Mrs. Zaccarelli was an Assistant District Attorney with the Chester County District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 2000.

In 2005 she was awarded the inaugural Civil Legal Services Award from the PBA’s Legal Services to the Poor Committee and was recognized in 2005 by the Chester County Bar Association Board of Directors for her commitment and dedication to providing high quality legal representation to the citizens of Chester County. Mrs. Zaccarelli is a Past President of the Chester County Bar Association and has served as a Delegate from Zone 9 in the PBA House of Delegates. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce.

She resides in Downingtown, PA with her husband John. She’s grateful her son, Jake, a graduate of California University of PA, and daughter, Jess, a graduate of West Chester University, live close by in West Chester.

Audia J. Boyles has over 25 years in leadership positions in public, private, for-profit, and non-profit platforms. She is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she attained her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and her Master of Arts in Industrial Labor Relations/Human Resources.

Audia is an active member of the following organizations:

• Association of American University Women as a Board Member, the Policy Committee Co-Chair, and a Scholarship Committee Member
• CARE Center of Indiana County as a Board Member
• Child Advocacy Center of Indiana County as an Advisory Board Member
• Crime Victims’ Alliance of Pennsylvania as an Executive Committee Member, a Vice Chair, the Leadership Development Co-Chair, and a Legislation & Policy Committee Member
• Keystone Crisis Intervention Team (KCIT) as an Advisory Board Member and a KCIT Team Member
• Office of Victim Advocate Victim Offender Dialogue Facilitator
• Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) as the Delegation Secretary, a Steering Committee Member, a Public Policy Committee Member, and a Membership Committee Member

Audia resides in Ebensburg, PA with her husband and daughter.

Dr. Hyde holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Service with a specialization in Organizational Management from Capella University. Dr. Hyde has been in the Human Service field for the past 28 years with much of that time being spent in victim services.

Dr. Hyde has one published work entitled: Staff Perceptions on Leadership Style Influence of Services to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Domestic Violence Victims: A Case Study.

Dr. Hyde is active both at the county and state level where he sits on several boards and committees.

Amber Morningstar is the Program Director for the YWCA Northcentral PA. At the YWCA, she operates Lycoming County's only victim service provider, as well as a homeless program for women and children suffering from disabling conditions. During her tenure she established Lycoming County's first Custody Exchange Center, which provides safe custody exchanges to families so that children transitioning from one parent to the other can do so in a safe, stress-free, and peaceful environment.

Amber also operates a homeless program for women and children suffering from disabling conditions.

Believing in providing the best possible service to the most vulnerable individuals within the community, Amber partners with local educators, medical professionals, attorneys, courts, law enforcement, social service agencies, and many others in various capacities. She has leveraged millions of dollars in federal, state, and local grant funds to support programs and positively impact individuals within Lycoming County.

Amber is the member of several community task forces and teams, including the Lycoming County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, Criminal Justice Advisory Board, Domestic Violence Task Force, Sexual Assault Response Team, Multi-Disciplinary Team for Children & Youth, the Human Services and Restorative Justice Advisory Committee for Penn College, the Northcentral PA Human Trafficking Response Team, and the Lycoming County Law Enforcement Association, among others.

As an adjunct professor for the Human Services and Restorative Justice program at Penn College, she shares her experiences and expertise from the field with future leaders.

By dedicating her career to bettering the lives of individuals and the system which they rely upon, she gained extensive knowledge of the court system and providing safety through the obtainment of Protection from Orders.

She attributes her success thus far to her ability to network, partner, and support other professionals, encouraging all entities to work together for the greater good.

George M. Fernandez is the Founder and CEO of Latino Connection and is the leader and visionary behind the CATE COVID-19 Mobile Response Initiative.

In March 2020, on the very first day the U.S. announced a national state of emergency, Fernandez began to forge a strategic partnership with the PA Department of Health and leading community health organizations to ensure the Commonwealth’s underserved communities would be provided with essential resources and education during this unprecedented time. Months of hard work and planning later, the CATE (Community-Accessible Testing & Education) initiative was born.

This initiative quite literally put wheels in motion to deliver essential COVID-19 resources and education into communities severely impacted by major social, economic, and health disparities (race & ethnicity; gender; sexual identity & orientation; disability or special health care needs; geographic location—specifically urban). All resources were given at no-cost, regardless of health insurance, documentation, language, employment, or other barrier.

Latino Connection is a strategic communications firm that connects clients with their Latino stakeholders and delivers high quality translation/interpretation services to the Latino Community.

Background, Inspiration, & Vision for Impact

At eight years old, Fernandez emigrated from the Dominican Republic to Harrisburg, PA. His mother spoke no English and George quickly learned to navigate American life and overcome the language barrier that made daily living a challenge.

“I’m a product of a single mother of three, victim of domestic violence, whose family never qualified for social assistance programs. My inspiration in creating Latino Connection is to ensure Latino and non-white communities never experience what my family did and always have adequate access to social assistance programs, education, and resources which are the backbone of the services we offer today.”

George Fernandez, pillar in the Latino community, has been recognized with many prestigious honors including the Jefferson Award, Forty Under 40, and Game Changers Award for the most-loved CEO.

It is Fernandez’s original inception of this modern healthcare concept that remains the nucleus of inspiration – in order to effectively reach critically underserved populations, we must meet people where they are, break down all barriers, and maintain an authentic and trustworthy approach. Radically different from the current healthcare landscape we know, these concepts will change the world of healthcare for our diverse communities.

“My unrelenting goal is to help people who look like me, and speak my language, and to help give them every opportunity to access resources and education that elevate their quality of life. This underscores a common theme in my life. In addition to proudly representing the Latino community, I also represent LGBTQ communities, where I not only recognize the unique challenges the members of these communities’ face but seek ways to elevate their voices so they are heard, included, and given a seat at the table.”

Angie began her career as an Administrative Assistant in the YWCA Lancaster’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Counseling Center and served as a hotline volunteer with the center for five years. She later forged a new career path, then returned to the YWCA and served as the Chief Financial Officer for over 10 years. She currently serves as Chief Financial Officer for Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County, an anti-poverty organization with an operating budget of over $40 million annually.

Angie holds a B.A. in Behavioral Science from Drew University, certificates in Business Management from Penn State and in Business Analytics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, and is currently pursuing her Certified Public Accountant license.

Angie is passionate about social justice. She is the mother of a teenage girl, a vegetarian, a certified yoga teacher, and an unabashed crazy cat lady. Her guilty pleasures are crime novels, Netflix thrillers, and Swedish Fish candy.

Jodi Maxfield is a physician practicing OB/GYN for the last 20 years in the community of Meadville, PA. After graduating from Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, she completed her residency program in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. She then relocated to Meadville, PA where she has practiced general Obstetrics and Gynecology since 2002.

She is currently the President and principal owner of Meadville OB/GYN Associates. Dr. Maxfield also serves Meadville Medical Center—one of the few remaining independent community hospitals in PA—as the current Chief of the Surgical Department, former Chief of the Obstetrics Department for a period of 10 years, and former President of the Medical/Dental Staff. In 2017, Dr. Maxfield took on a larger role with the hospital as a member of the Meadville Medical Center Board of Directors where she is able to advocate for programs that support ease of access to health care services for women.

Accessible health care for women has always been a passion of Dr. Maxfield's. She worked as a volunteer in her local Family Planning Clinic in Columbia/Montour County throughout her college years and served as the Medical Director of both Crawford County and Mercer County Family Planning Clinics for a total of 9 years. She is also dedicated to sharing her knowledge of women's health by participating in the education of Resident Physicians in the Meadville Medical Center Family Practice Residency program. She was voted Teacher of the Year for the 2017-2018 program year.

Jodi married her high school sweetheart, Aaron, in 1998. They enjoy traveling and spending time with their dogs and cat.

Don McPherson is the 2021 recipient of the William Pearson Tolley Medal for Distinguished Leadership in Lifelong Learning, presented by Syracuse University’s School of Education and the 2020 National Football Foundation’s Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football. These honors signify his lifelong mission to use his unique social position to serve the greater good.

In 2019 McPherson published You Throw Like a Girl: The Blind Spot of Masculinity, which chronicles 37 years of harnessing the power and appeal of sport to address complex social issues and focuses on a quarter century of work on gender-based violence prevention.

McPherson was an All-American quarterback at Syracuse University and is a veteran of the NFL (having been drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles after college) and of the Canadian Football League. As captain of the undefeated 1987 Syracuse football team, McPherson set 22 school records, led the nation in passing yards, and won more than 18 national “player of the year” awards—including the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best player, the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, and the inaugural Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. In 2008 McPherson was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Upon retiring from pro football in 1994, Don joined Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society as National Director of Athletes in Service to America. There, he focused his work on the issue of “men’s violence against women”. By conducting workshops and lectures for more than 375 college campuses, community organizations, and national sports and violence prevention organizations, he emerged as a national leader and advocate for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence.

Don has twice testified before the United States Congress and has worked closely with the U.S. Departments of Education and Defense on issues of sexual violence in education and the military, respectively. He has provided commentary on numerous national news programs, was featured in O Magazine, and appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Don also created and hosted “Training for Life” on MSG Varsity, a life-skills TV show that examined a myriad of social issues and sports. In 2012, Training for Life's episode on "Sports Parenting" was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Don previously served as a board member for several national organizations including the Ms. Foundation for Women, the US National Committee for UN Women, and the National Football Foundation. He was also a member of the NCAA Task Force on Sexual Violence and the NCAA Board of Governors Commission to Combat Sexual Violence.

He received several honors in recognition of his service, including the Frederick Douglas Men of Strength Award, given by Men Can Stop Rape, Champions for Change, presented by Lifetime Television, the Creative Vision for Women’s Justice, presented by the Pace University Women’s Justice Center, and a Leadership Award from the National Center for Victims of Crime. Most recently Don received the George Arents Award, Syracuse University's highest alumni honor, and “Letter Winner of Distinction,” the highest honor bestowed a former student-athlete.

Currently he serves on the board of directors of the NYC Chapter of the National Football Foundation and, is a member of the advisory board of Press Forward and the Vital Voices Solidarity Council. His vision for PCAR is engaging men in preventing sexual violence.

Kimberley Russell has been in banking for more than 30 years in the local market. Starting her career in sales and management at Commerce Bank, she stayed for 15 years managing various branches. In 2003, she left to be one of the founding members of the Senior Management team at Integrity Bank where she took pride in being part of the growth and development of Integrity’s success and culture. She was Vice President of Branch Administration and later Vice President of Cash Management for the bank.

Kimberley moved to Pennsylvania in 1988 from East Tennessee and spent most of her childhood as a “military brat” living in many places, including Hawaii, Florida, Rhode Island, and Virginia. She now lives in Derry Township and loves it! She is the proud mother of three children. She enjoys singing and currently sings in several bands. In her spare time, she likes to garden and travel but loves knowing she won’t be moving from Central PA any time soon!

Shaylene Scheib is a capital and estate giving officer for The Hill School, a family boarding school located in the greater Philadelphia area. Prior to this role, she served as a gift officer for Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center & Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, WellSpan Philhaven, and Lebanon Valley College. She also served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA for the United Way of Lebanon County.

Due to being surrounded by strong female role models from a young age, Shaylene has become an advocate for women’s rights, sexual assault victims and their loved ones, and eliminating violence against women and children.

In addition to her involvement as a board member with PCAR, Shaylene enjoys volunteering her time with the United Way of Lebanon County and Lebanon County Christian Ministries. Shaylene is a proud member of the Class of 2017 (best class ever!) of Leadership Lancaster. She also runs her own dog training business and serves as a volunteer firefighter for her local community.

Shaylene holds a B.S. in health science and a minor in sociology from Lebanon Valley College.

Kathi Simpson is a civil litigator with a broad practice. Her first job out of law school was with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office where she was an appellate attorney and then a drug & homicide prosecutor. After seven years, she left the DA’s Office to join a Pittsburgh law firm and embarked on a career in civil practice. She came to Harrisburg in 1999 when her husband, Barry, became the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

During her career, Kathi has been selected for membership in the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. She has been honored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association for her service as Chair of its Professional Liability Committee and the Federal Practice Committee. She has also been named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer and has been similarly recognized by several local publications.

Kathi is a former president of the William W. Lipsitt Chapter of the American Inns of Court where she continues to serve on its executive committee. A frequent presenter of continuing legal education programs for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the National Business Institute, Kathi has spoken on topics including lawyers' professional liability, employment law, and the right-to-know law.

Kathi and Barry have two children and four grandchildren. Her hobbies include dog training, at which she confesses (and her two dogs and grand dog will attest) she is mediocre at best. She also enjoys reading and gardening.

A believer in planting seeds of kindness and knowledge through hands-on experiences, Jill is a three-time recipient of the Reader’s Choice Award from Harrisburg Magazine for Best Place to Volunteer and recipient of the Lancaster County Citizen of the Year Award and the Governor's Award for Outstanding Community Service. She is a member of three non-profit boards, two of which she chairs a committee for and joined the advisory council for the third.

Professionally, Jill has over 20 years’ experience in non-profit at local, state, regional, and national levels (including the Humane Society of Harrisburg, Girl Scouts of PA, Salvation Army Eastern Division, and American Red Cross headquarters). Her experience includes creating/implementing comprehensive development plans; cultivating new/existing donors and leveraging strategic partnerships with individuals, corporations, and foundations (resulting in 1.75 million in donations); and designing communications and marketing plans for rebranding.

Karen Baker, Ex-Officio
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape

Karen Baker, LMSW, became the Chief Executive Officer of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape in March, 2018. Prior to her role as CEO of PCAR, Karen served as the Chief Operating Officer of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) since its inception in 2000. Areas of interest include social justice, primary prevention, systems advocacy and effective messaging. She is the primary liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a primary funder; and to the NSVRC’s National Advisory Council. Ms. Baker is the 2014 President of the National Coalition for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and co-chairs the Prevention Committee for the Board of Directors of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA).

Receiving her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas in 1988, Ms. Baker formerly worked with children and families and assisted the State of Kansas in privatizing its foster care, adoption and family preservation services in the 1990s.

Karen Baker, Chief Executive Officer, PCAR

Karen Baker, LMSW, became the Chief Executive Officer of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape in March, 2018. Prior to her role as CEO of PCAR, Karen served as the Chief Operating Officer of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) since its inception in 2000. Areas of interest include social justice, primary prevention, systems advocacy and effective messaging. She is the primary liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a primary funder; and to the NSVRC’s National Advisory Council. Ms. Baker is the 2014 President of the National Coalition for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and co-chairs the Prevention Committee for the Board of Directors of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA).

Receiving her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas in 1988, Ms. Baker formerly worked with children and families and assisted the State of Kansas in privatizing its foster care, adoption and family preservation services in the 1990s.

Yolanda Edrington, Chief Operating Officer, National Resource Center & NSVRC Director

Yolanda Edrington is the Chief Operating Officer serving as the leading nonprofit's Director of NSVRC. She manages the operations of the national center in its mission to provide leadership in preventing and responding to sexual violence through collaborating, sharing and creating resources and promoting research. This includes collaborating with a variety of national partners and funders including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). Yolanda has over 15 years of experience in navigating different helping systems to afford clients treatment from a strengths-based perspective. Professionally and personally she works for social change. Yolanda serves as the 1st Vice President of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women--Harrisburg Chapter; which advocates for black women and girls to live in a world where socio-economic inequity does not exist. She also advocates for HIV/AIDS awareness through volunteering for community-based programs in Central PA.

Joyce Lukima, Chief Operating Officer

Joyce Lukima currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. In this role, Ms. Lukima oversees the coalition's grants & contracts, legal, communications and training and technical assistance departments. The work of the coalition includes resource development, prevention, advocacy, ensuring quality services for survivors and supporting allied professionals involved in both prevention and intervention. 

Ms. Lukima is a licensed clinical social worker experienced in individual and group counseling as well as the supervision of counselors. She has worked with victims of violence and sexual assault for more than 30 years. Ms. Lukima is a volunteer with the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team (KCIT), participating in community crisis response to violence. 

Ms. Lukima also has extensive experience in both developing and providing trainings and conferences. She has acted as a faculty member for the National Institute on the Prosecution of Sexual Violence a project of AEquitas: the Prosecutors Resource on Violence Against Women. Ms. Lukima has experience working with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections in the implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).

She also participated on the planning committee for the National Judicial College's PREA education project and has co-authored Circle of Support: A basic resource guide for support groups responsive to sexual violence. Ms. Lukima has been appointed to Pennsylvania's Victim Services Advisory Committee, chairs the Access to Services Sub-committee and the Keystone Crisis Intervention Advisory Committee. Ms. Lukima holds a Master's Degree in Psychology from Angelo State University and a Masters of Social Work from Temple University. 

Heather Pachkoski, Chief Financial Officer

Heather Pachkoski received her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Bloomsburg University. She has 20 years of experience in the accounting field. Before joining PCAR in January 2005, she served as Controller for a non-profit organization for four years. Prior to that, she worked in public accounting for six years conducting audits of non-profit organizations. Pachkoski also was a finalist for the Central Penn Business Journal’s 2012 CFO of the Year award for a large non-profit organization.