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 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.

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.

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.

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.

 Yolanda Edrington Ex-Officio
Respect Together

Yolanda Edrington became the Chief Executive Officer of Respect Together in December 2023. Prior to this, Ms. Edrington served as the Chief Operating Officer of Respect Together’s national division, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), for six years. Ms. Edrington brings over two decades of professional experience in leadership, human services, and health promotion to the national movement to prevent sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.  As a leader, Ms. Edrington seeks to foster a trauma-informed organizational culture, striving to build trust, promote respect, and advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. She is a bridge-builder who is proud to have supported Respect Together’s mission through expanding partnerships, increasing funding, and working alongside Fortune 500 companies like Uber, Lyft, and the NFL.

Yolanda Edrington, Chief Executive Officer, Respect Together

Yolanda Edrington became the Chief Executive Officer of Respect Together in December 2023. Prior to this, Ms. Edrington served as the Chief Operating Officer of Respect Together’s national division, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), for six years. Ms. Edrington brings over two decades of professional experience in leadership, human services, and health promotion to the national movement to prevent sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.  As a leader, Ms. Edrington seeks to foster a trauma-informed organizational culture, striving to build trust, promote respect, and advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. She is a bridge-builder who is proud to have supported Respect Together’s mission through expanding partnerships, increasing funding, and working alongside Fortune 500 companies like Uber, Lyft, and the NFL.

Joyce Lukima, Chief Operating Officer

Joyce Lukima currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect. 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.