Philadelphia Advisory Board
Updated: November 7, 2011
Larry Solomon, COO Human Resources, Accenture, BoMF Chairman
Read more about Larry here. Announcement press release here
Sandra Stein, Partner, KPMG, BoMF Vice Chair
Sandy is a Partner in KPMG LLP’s Philadelphia Risk and Compliance practice. She leads KPMG’s IT Attestation (SAS70/SSAE16) practice for the America’s region and has over 18 years of experience in evaluating and designing information technology risks and controls. As the Americas IT Attestation leader, she is responsible for leading the innovation, market development, and operational elements of the firm’s SAS70/SSAE16 delivery across the region. Sandy’s experience is largely focused on the software and services sector.
Sandy has a BS Accounting and Business Legal Studies from George Mason University is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). Sandy is also a graduate of KPMG’s Vice Chairman’s 50 (VC50) Program, a recipient of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2008 ‘40 Under 40 Award’ and a recipient of KPMG’s Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Volunteerism in 2009 for her involvement in the community. She was recently named by SmartCEO magazine as one of the Philadelphia regions ‘Smart CPAs’.
As an avid runner and triathlete, Sandy knows first-hand how beneficial running is to your well being. She joined the Board of Back On My Feet to support this cause she is passionate about.
Elizabeth Barber, PhD, Associate Dean School of Tourism and Hospitality, Temple University
Dr. Elizabeth H. Barber is the associate dean of Temple University's School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM), the region's leading provider of management talent in tourism, hospitality, sport, and recreation.
She is one of the area's foremost educators in the development of curricula for tourism, hospitality, sport, and recreation. Since the School's inception in 1998, she has lead the program to offer the best and most comprehensive industry-specific education in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral studies. Under her leadership the school has grown from six faculty member and 120 students, to 18 faculty, 10 staff, 800 students, two internationally recognized research centers, and over one million dollars in externally funded grants and projects. Dr. Barber is a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE).
Prior to STHM, she served as an associate professor within the Department of Sport Management and Leisure Studies, part of Temple's College of Health, Physical Education and Dance (HPERD). Within HPERD, her primary responsibility was to lead the Department’s efforts in curriculum development of Commercial Recreation and Tourism. She soon took on the role of academic director and then associate dean. She came to Temple in 1989.
She completed her PhD in Instructional Design and Technology from The University of Iowa in 1987. Her areas of research have included curriculum development, instructional adequacy, teaching and learning styles, and customer and personnel satisfaction within an organization.
She is an active participant in the tourism, hospitality, sport and recreation communities. She is an executive board member of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau and a member of the Marketing and Communications Committee, vice chair for Philadelphia Hospitality, board member for Back on My Feet, past president of the regional association of CHRIE (Council for Hospitality, Restaurant, and Institutional Educators) HEMAR, and past president of the International Special Events Foundation (ISEF). For many years Dr. Barber served as chair of the student liaison committee and as a board member for the Philadelphia Chapter of HSMAI.
James B. (J. B.) Broms, Partner, Accenture
Mr. Broms is a partner in Accenture’s Philadelphia office. He is responsible for Accenture’s North American Wholesale Energy Markets practice, in which he has focused on the development of competitive electricity markets in the United States. He also works extensively within Accenture’s Smart Grid Services practice, supporting utility companies in the development of industry leading solutions. In these roles, he has worked with a number of utilities and energy companies within the United States and internationally during his career, and has extensive experience in strategic planning, process and system development, and project and program management. He is a frequent contributor and presenter at energy industry conferences.
He is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, CA, with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Mathematics.
Mr. Broms is actively involved in the Philadelphia community, also serving on the Board of Directors for the Fairmount Park Conservancy.
Mr. Broms has become an avid recreational runner within the last 10 years, and believes strongly in how running simply makes life better. He is a frequent traveler, and runs with BOMF chapters in other cities whenever possible.
Sharon Hayman, Vice President, Head of Financial Institutions Client Service, Delaware Investments
Sharon L. Hayman, CFA is a VP at Delaware Investments responsible for the client servicing team for the firm’s financial institutions business channel. She has 17 years of experience in the financial services industry. Her previous position was at Gartmore Global Investments as vice president of product development. Prior to that, she spent seven years at Delaware Investments, leaving the firm as an assistant vice president, product development. From 1989 to 1993 she was a corporate auditor for CIGNA, and she began her career in 1987 at Price Waterhouse. Hayman earned her bachelor’s degree in management from Gettysburg College and an MBA with a concentration in investment finance and marketing from Drexel University. She joined the Back on My Feet board to support the incredible work being done by the organization combined with her passion for running. She is also the Vice President of the Fairmount Community Development Corporation, and co-founder and co-president of the Women in Investing Network of Philadelphia.
Sheila Hess, Manager, Social Missions Programs, Independence Blue Cross
Jordan Hyatt, Senior Research Coordinator, Jerry Lee Center of Criminology, University of Pennsylvania
Jordan been involved with Back on my Feet since 2008, when he began running with Team Ridge the week after it was founded. Shorty thereafter, Jordan began as Team Leader, a position he held for over a year. Since then, Jordan has remained active within BoMF, taking on a variety of different roles within the Philadelphia Chapter.
Professionally, Jordan holds a law degree from Villanova University School of Law, where he was a Public Interest Scholar, and a MS in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania. Currently, Jordan is employed at the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology at Penn, where his research largely focuses on risk-assessment and sentencing.
Over the past few years, and against his better judgment, Jordan has become an ultra-runner. He regularly runs awfully long races and is looking forward to the 20in24 this year. He also runs as part of the Brooks Sports P.A.C.E. Team.
Melanie Johnson, City Representative, City of Philadelphia
Matthew J. Maguire, Attorney, Pepper Hamilton LLP
Matthew J. Maguire is of counsel in the Labor and Employment Group of Pepper Hamilton LLP, resident in the Berwyn office. Mr. Maguire represents management in a variety of labor and employment matters. He counsels employers on labor and employment aspects of corporate transactions, and on avoiding and addressing union organizing campaigns.
Mr. Maguire defends employers before state and federal administrative agencies and courts in claims involving age, race, gender, disability and national origin discrimination and claims of unlawful workplace harassment. He also defends claims involving the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Equal Pay Act, wage payment disputes, unfair labor practices before the National Labor Relations Board, and claims involving the enforceability of restrictive covenant agreements.
He frequently counsels employers on a variety of human resources issues, employment policies, employee handbooks, executive employment agreements and employee misconduct, including employee drug and alcohol abuse.
Matt became interested in joining BoMF when he saw Anne Mahlum receive her CNN Hero of the Year Award. He saw BoMF as the perfect organization to become part of because it took an important idea from inception to implementation and remained focused on its mission of helping others help themselves. Matt admits, “The people I've met through BoMF are truly inspiring."
Jim Marino, Director of Blue Cross Broad Street Run, City of Philadelphia Department of Parks Recreation
Life long resident of the East Falls and Roxborough sections of Philadelphia with 33 years of experience with the Philadelphia Department of Parks & Recreation.
Resides in Upper Roxborough with his wife Gerri and their two children, Allison age 13 and Christopher age 9.
Marino currently serves as the Assistant Athletic Program Coordinator for the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Department and in that capacity he serves as Race Director of the Internationally recognized Blue Cross Broad Street Run 10 Miler, Marino after serving as Assistant Race Director in 1996 and 1997 became the Race Director of the Blue Cross Broad Street Run in 1998 and has worked in some capacity on the race staff since 1984. And under his direction the race has grown from 5,410 entrants in 1995 to over 30,000 in 2010.
In 2006 he was named Assistant Parade Director for the Philadelphia Mummers Parade and as the Emergency Preparedness coordinator for the Recreation Department.
Other prominent events over the years that he has worked on include logistics for the Army/Navy football game, the Presidential Summit, Olympic Torch Relay, Philadelphia Distance Run, and numerous other special events. For the Philadelphia Marathon, he served as Volunteer coordinator from 1994 to 2005 and in 2009 returned to coordinate the Start Corrals of the Marathon, ½ Marathon and Rothman 8K events with close to 20,000 participating. In 2010, Marino also coordinated the Finish Area for those events.
Marino also serves on numerous committees and boards on a national and local level such as Mid-Atlantic USA Track and Field, Road Runners Club of America, Suzanna DeLaurentis Charitable Foundation, Roman Catholic High School Alumni Association Board of Trustees, and Back on My Feet.
I was drawn to be on the Board of Back on My Feet because of the tremendous, dedicated work of the BOMF staff and the endless possibilities and opportunities it is giving the members every day.
Jill Michal, President and CEO, United Way of Southeastern PA
In addition to spearheading the annual fund raising campaign and leading an organization of 100 employees, Jill leads a community wide effort of volunteers to focus United Way efforts on Education for Children, Income for Families and Health for Seniors while putting in place metrics for funding that deliver measurable change and measurable results.
Under Jill’s leadership, United Way has shifted from an organization that simply made grants to one that truly makes change. With a value proposition that challenges United Way to become a change agent that brings together community, business, government and labor, Jill believes we need to break the cycle of broken systems in this region by focusing on the root causes of our most serious challenges. By defining ourselves more by the problems we are trying to solve than the organization or constituency we represent, Jill looks to make United Way the table around which the community gathers to make it happen.
It was during her early days at United Way that Jill caught the passion of the staff and the mission. Prior to taking on the top spot, Jill served as United Way’s Director of Finance, Vice President of Finance and Operations and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. She oversaw Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources, Building and Administration as well as certain aspects of Community Impact, Donor Research and Information Services. In addition, she has been an important figure on the national scene as a leader with the United Way WorldWide Financial Issues Committee, a group of senior financial staff from United Ways across the country that develop financial standards and guidelines for United Way in all 50 states.
Jill began her career with Arthur Andersen, LLP, and was with the firm for approximately eight years focusing on healthcare and nonprofits, leaving to join United Way in December 2001. Jill is a graduate of Penn State University, a proud Nittany Lion with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and a member of the AICPA and PICPA. Jill serves as a Board Member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia Council for College and Career Success and the nationally recognized Back on My Feet. She also serves on the Audit Committee of the Philadelphia Jewish Federation, the Advisory Board of Graduate!Philadelphia and the Finance Committee of the Delaware Valley Grantmaker. Jill is the personification of what it means to LIVE UNITED.
Gina Montana, Private Wealth Manager, Goldman Sachs
Gina is a Vice President and a Private Wealth Advisor at Goldman Sachs. Gina advises family groups, endowments, foundations, tax-exempt entities, and private companies on
tax-efficient investment strategies, diversification of concentrated positions and generational wealth transfer strategies. Prior to joining the Private Wealth Management group of
Goldman Sachs, Gina was a Macroeconomist and Director of Investment Communications for SEI Investments, an institutional asset management company.
Gina received her MBA from Vanderbilt University and her Bachelor of Science in Management, Summa Cum Laude from Lehigh University. She is active in the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Business and Professional Women Foundation, and the Association of Corporate Growth in Pittsburgh. Gina is a published poet. Gina has also completed the Goldman Sachs Certified Wealth Advisor training program which focused on various wealth planning topics including the use of retirement accounts, income, estate and gift taxes, and business succession matters.
Deborah O'Brien, VP and Market Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility, Bank of America
Debbie O’Brien is Senior Vice President and Market Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility at Bank of America. In this role, she manages with the Market President and leadership team the bank’s philanthropic resources for Pennsylvania, including community development, foundation grants, sponsorships and volunteerism. Her focus is to develop and manage a strategic approach that maximizes the bank's ability to leverage its philanthropic and business resources for maximum impact throughout the state. Debbie has been with Bank of America since 2002. Prior to moving to the Pennsylvania market, she held various roles in Corporate Social Responsibility in the New Jersey market for the past four years. She began her career working for a United Way chapter in Northern New Jersey after graduating from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. She holds a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Organization Management from Seton Hall University. Debbie runs with the Brotherhood Mission team and is a resident of Old City, Philadelphia.
Ami Shah, Senior Director of Benefits, Bimbo Bakeries, USA
Ami Shah is the Senior Director of Benefits for Bimbo Bakeries USA where she is responsible for the strategy and administration of the company’s Retirement, Healthcare, and Wellness programs for its 30,000 associates. Bimbo Bakeries USA is a division of Grupo Bimbo, the largest bakery in the world. In the United States Bimbo Bakeries USA operates over 30 bakeries and distributes leading brands such as Arnold®, Boboli®, Brownberry®, Entenmann's®, Francisco®, Freihofer's®, Marinela®, Mrs Baird's®, Old Country Bread®, Oroweat®, Stroehmann®, Thomas'®, Tia Rosa®. Stroehmann is the key sponsor for Back on my Feet’s 20 in 24 race. BoMF’s views on social responsibility and wellness are in complete alignment with Bimbo Bakeries USA’s initiatives on health and wellness.
“A relationship with BoMF made sense to me because Stroehmann’s commitment to health and wellness and making a difference every day aligns so well with BoMF’s commitment to assisting their members every day through activities that improve health and build discipline.”
Pankaj Talwar, Chief Marketing Officer, Ebro Foods
Pankaj Talwar is a seasoned executive with almost twenty years of consumer packaged goods experience in marketing and strategic planning. Pankaj is currently Chief Marketing Office for Ebro North America working on some of America’s favorite pasta and rice brands such as Ronzoni, San Giorgio, Creamette, Minute Rice, and Success Rice. Pankaj also worked in a variety of leadership positions managing brands at Bimbo Bakeries, who is a proud sponsor of Back On My Feet. He began his career with Procter & Gamble where he started out in manufacturing and then switched to marketing. Pankaj graduated with distinction from Cornell University in Mechanical Engineering and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Outside of work, Pankaj is married to Jyoti and they have a beautiful toddler, Anika, who keeps them on their toes. Anika loves when her Dad takes her running in the joggling stroller along the scenic Delaware River at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia.
Pankaj describes why he became involved with BoMF: “Back On My Feet drew me in immediately because this organization is so intimately involved in building up its members and actually makes a real difference in people’s lives. This is so special and rare in today’s world.”
Bill Walsh, General Manager, Philadelphia Marriott
