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WHO WE ARE

Board of Directors

Christina van Beelen, Chair

Good Sports Inc. Advisor

Christina van Beelen serves as Chief Operating Officer of CenterSquare and is responsible for driving operational excellence and innovation throughout the firm. Christina brings almost three decades of experience in alternative asset management, spanning hedge fund, private equity and real estate strategies at firms such as Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Citadel Investment Group, SECOR Asset Management and Magnetar Capital. Over the years, she has held numerous senior management and strategy roles, led global client-facing teams and served on management, operating and investment committees. Christina received a B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Will Whetzel, Vice Chair

Former investment advisor, Mitchell Sinkler & Starr (retired) Former board chair, Friends of the Wissahickon

Having retired amidst the March 2020 pandemic, Will Whetzel had been for 20 years a portfolio manager with the investment advisory firm of Mitchell Sinkler & Starr in Philadelphia. Will moved here in 2000 from Pittsburgh, his home town, where he had been an investment banker at Parker Hunter. Prior to that, Will had been in New York City from 1975 to 1990, beginning in the publishing industry with Foreign Policy, Outside and Rolling Stone magazines, and then subtly moving to an investment banking career specializing in the publishing and media industries, working for Bankers Trust, Henry Ansbacher, Kidder Peabody and Morgan Grenfell.

In addition to serving on the board and Executive Committee of The Collaborative, Will is a board member of The Nature Conservancy/PA&DE chapter, and recently rejoined the board of the Friends of the Wissahickon, on which he served from 2005 to 2017 (as board chair, 2014-2017).

 

Will holds a BA in English from Trinity College, Hartford.

 

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Phil Butler, Treasurer

Chief Operating Officer, MRA Group

Phillip Butler is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for MRA Group, a leading commercial real estate solutions firm in the mid-Atlantic region. With more than 20 years of experience in the real estate industry serving in various facets, Phil is responsible for sourcing and executing on real estate development opportunities. Prior to joining MRA, Mr. Butler co-founded and served as managing principal of a real estate consultancy and development firm working with corporate real estate and private developer clients, where he focused on portfolio strategy, program management and urban infill development projects.

Mr. Butler currently serves on several boards, including Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative and NAIOP Greater Philadelphia. Mr. Butler earned his B.S. in Business and Economics from Lehigh University, and obtained a Certified Public Accounting (CPA) license in Pennsylvania post-graduation. He also holds a Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Mr. Butler lives in Ambler, PA with his wife and three children.

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Amy Minniti, Secretary

Senior Vice President, Philadelphia Union

Amy Minniti joined the Philadelphia Union as its Senior Vice President & General Counsel in 2021. Amy works closely with both the business and technical sides of the organization, advising on risk management, compliance, transactional matters, and governance. Amy also oversees the Human Resources department. prior to joining the Philadelphia Union, Amy served as the Vice President & Deputy General Counsel of Spectra (now OVG 360).

 Amy started her career with the Pittsburgh Pirates – spending two years working for its General Counsel as a law student. After working as an associate in the Philadelphia office of the Reed Smith law firm after she graduated, Amy spent 10 years with the Washington Nationals Baseball Club, most recently as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. She played a major role in establishing the legal department for the team and provided a broad range of corporate legal support during her tenure.

Amy received her B.A. from Colgate University and her law degree and Masters of Public & International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. Amy teaches at Georgetown’s Sports Industry Management program, where she has taught ethics, law, and leadership courses since 2011. She also taught at the George Washington University School of Law for many years.

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Liz Brode Harris, Executive Committee

Co-Founder of B Inspired Philadelphia
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David Seltzer, Chair Emeritus

Principal, Mercator Advisors LLC

David Seltzer is a Principal at Mercator Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered municipal advisory firm he co-founded in 2001. He previously served as Senior Advisor to the Federal Highway Administrator in Washington, DC for several years, and previously worked in public finance over two decades, assembling transportation and other infrastructure financings for EF Hutton, Lazard Frères and Lehman Brothers. Mr. Seltzer has been actively involved in Philadelphia’s civic and philanthropic sector for many years. He served as chair of the board of Philadelphia Gas Works, the nation’s largest municipally-owned gas utility, from 2008 until 2016. In addition to chairing the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative, Mr. Seltzer currently serves on the boards of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, CraftNOW Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Union soccer club, and Starfinder Foundation, a soccer-based youth development organization. He holds a BA in Urban Studies from Trinity College, Hartford and an MBA from The Wharton School.

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Raymond Alvarez

President / CEO La Liga del Barrio
Ray Alvarez is a highly dedicated and proactive law enforcement professional with over 19 years of federal law enforcement experience and field operations talents. Alvarez is a results-driven leader with extensive experience across multiple branches of private investigations and all protective security aspects deterring terrorist attacks and other criminal acts.
Additionally, Ray brings a wealth of experience in the non-profit, public, and private sectors to his role on the PYSC board.  Alvarez is also the experienced President and CEO of PSYC member organization La Liga del Barrio, a volunteer-driven, grassroots nonprofit organization that he has led for over 23 years.
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Blair Cardinal

Vice President of Communications Oak View Group
Blair joins the PYSC board with 20 years of strategic communications, PR and marketing experience, having served in the private and nonprofit sectors.  Most recently, Blair has been with the Oak View Group, a full-service venue management company specializing in sports, live entertainment, and hospitality with a portfolio of 300+ client partners around the globe.
Blair has held several communications roles at Tierney Communications, Buchanan Public Relations, and Spectra.  She also served as Associate Director of CeaseFirePA, an Adjunct Professor of Strategic Marketing & Communications at Temple University, and a communications consultant working with several nonprofit and small business clients.
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J. Ian Downes

Partner, Dechert LLP

Ian Downes is a partner in the Philadelphia office of international law firm Dechert LLP. Ian’s practice focuses on labor and employment law, representing employers and individuals with respect to all issues affecting the workplace, including litigation and counseling concerning compliance with anti-discrimination and other laws, implementation of diversity and inclusion initiatives, and a wide variety of other employment-related matters. Ian also maintains a robust pro bono practice, working with numerous local and national non-profit clients and legal services organizations. He is a graduate of Amherst College (B.A., 1997) and Harvard Law School (J.D., 2001).

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Terry Horner, Founding Chair

Former Chairman and CEO, TAH Industries (retired)

Terry Horner’s professional career is divided into two chapters. The first chapter started in 1970 with Mr. Horner developing and patenting a unique mixing device. After its development, he started a company to manufacture and sell the device. Over the next 40 years, the company grew from Mr. Horner basement and a staff of 2, to an international company with 250 employees. In 2008, the company was sold and Mr Horner launched his second career, which involved philanthropic efforts. The cornerstone of that process, is a family foundation his wife and he founded named The Horner Foundation. The Foundation is active on two continents . Mr Horner also served as the first COB of the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative. He holds a BSChE for the University of Virginia and a Masters from New York University.

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Kenny Holdsman

President and Founder, Philadelphia Youth Basketball

Kenny Holdsman has devoted the past two decades of his career to the empowerment of young people, especially lower-income kids of color, through education, leadership and character development, coaching and mentorship, family involvement, and high-quality opportunities both in schools and in communities. He has held senior positions in the School District of Philadelphia; the Academy for Educational Development, a global non-profit; and two local sports-based youth development organizations.

Currently, Kenny is the President, CEO, and a founding board member of Philadelphia Youth Basketball, Inc. PYB is a relentless and innovative youth development and community empowerment enterprise designed to create opportunities for young people, especially those from under-resourced families and communities, to reach their full potential as students, athletes, and positive leaders..

Before initiating the establishment of Philadelphia Youth Basketball with a like-minded and diverse group of co-founders, Kenny served as the President of Legacy Youth Tennis and Education (formerly Arthur Ashe) from February, 2009 to June, 2015. Prior to joining Legacy, Kenny was a Senior Program Officer and Director of the Youth Engagement Team for the Academy for Educational Development in Washington, DC and New York City. Earlier, he was Director of Service-Learning and Freedom Schools for the School District of Philadelphia (1998-2003), an Adjunct Faculty Member at Temple University’s College of Education (2001-2002), an Associate Attorney at Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll in Philadelphia (1996-1998), and Legislative Director for U.S. Congressman Robert E. Andrews in Washington, DC (1990-1993). Kenny received his B.S. in Economics from Lehigh University in 1989, and a J.D. from Temple University Law School in 1996.

In addition to his formal responsibilities with PYB, Kenny is a co-founder and board member of the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative and for eight years served as a volunteer coach and program founder/coordinator of Rise Up Basketball in Mt. Airy. Kenny also has spent many seasons coaching young people in the Mt. Airy Baseball program and the Phillies Reviving Baseball in the Inner City program.

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Tim Massaquoi

Clinical Director of Counseling Services, The Ladipo Group

Tim Massaquoi is currently the Clinical Director of Counseling Services at The Ladipo Group. Under Tim’s leadership is the Counseling Department where he oversees the day-to-day operations of the clinical staff as well as develops and delivers strategic goals in alignment with company objectives. He has 10+ years of extensive experience in Counseling, Program Development, Process Improvement, Public Relations, and Mental Health. Tim is also a retired NFL player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills. Tim is a licensed professional counselor in Pennsylvania and owns a private therapy practice in the region. Tim uses a diverse set of therapeutic approaches, such as Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive-behavior therapy, and Dialectical Behavior-Therapy, all to support clients to actualize their whole selves. For the past five years, Tim has served as the Director at Youth Emergency Service, a homeless youth shelter in Philadelphia, Pa. He has worked in the child welfare and social service industry for over ten years providing supportive services to youth who experience homelessness and case management.

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Jamila Harris-Morrison

Executive Director, ACHIEVEability

Jamila Harris-Morrison is executive director of ACHIEVEability, a nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for single-parent families. Her work at ACHIEVEability focuses on increasing the independence of families who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and preparing them for self-sufficiency. Harris-Morrison joined the agency in 2006 and previously held roles as deputy director and director of self-sufficiency. Her 15 years of nonprofit experience includes community and economic development, counseling, and educational and evaluative services for children and adults. Harris-Morrison volunteers as a mentor for Philadelphia Futures and is a member of the Women’s Way – Young Women Initiative and the National Association of Black Social Workers. She earned an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice and a BA in psychology from Clark University.

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Dr. Alexander Poor, MD

General Surgeon

Dr. Alexander E. Poor is a board-certified general surgeon.

Dr. Poor earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College and completed his residency in General Surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine under core injury expert Dr. William C. Meyers.

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Heather Lewis-Weber

Senior Coordinator of Community Engagement, Temple University's College of Liberal Arts.

Heather Lewis-Weber currently serves as the Senior Coordinator of Community Engagement for Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts. A proponent of asset-based, community-centric, and trauma-informed frameworks, Heather has a decade of experience supporting community and youth development in historically disinvested communities. Through various roles in the nonprofit sector, she has facilitated school-community partnerships, led the design and implementation of in- and out-of-school time youth programs, and provided coaching for nonprofit staff and volunteers on a variety of topics related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Heather is a graduate of Haverford College with a B.A. in Political Science, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Education Leadership and Policy at Temple University.

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Keva White, LSW

President/CEO VIP Community Services, Corp.

Mr. Keva White is an educator by profession and an entrepreneur by nature. With a master’s degree in social work, he spent several years working for community-based organizations before founding his own company, VIP Community Services in 2006. Since then, his company continues to provide high quality training and consulting services for social service providers, schools, behavioral health agencies, philanthropic foundations, and healthcare organizations. He is a nationally sought after racial equity consultant and keynote speaker, who has presented to and supported the PYSC membership, board, and staff over the past several years.

Keva received formal training as a certified cultural and linguistic competence trainer from the National Multicultural Institute (NMCI) out of Washington, D.C. Mr. White is a fellow of Brwn Mawr’s School of Social Work’s Non-profit Executive Leadership Institute (NELI) and serves as a Part-time Lecturer at Rutgers University, School of Social Work.
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