Board Bios — Howard L. Lanier Community Development Corporation

Ethel M. Lanier - President

Ethel Lanier is a proud mother of 4 children and a wife of 44 years to Howard Lanier Jr. She loves giving back to her community and beyond. Ethel strives to make a good impression in the life of young people, along with building long lasting relationships. She has over 40 years of experience volunteering at various nonprofits throughout the City of Philadelphia.

Ethel comes from a very large family with humble beginnings and was taught to give back. My goal for this nonprofit is to give support and show concern to the many communities we serve and make an effect to help change lives. This nonprofit started to honor of my son, Howard Lenwood Lanier III, who passed away suddenly at the age of 31. He loved being able to give back to others, along with showing support to his family and many friends. He was a Big brother, mentor, tutor, and taught kids how to play the game of basketball. My son was an unselfish young man with a very big heart for all mankind.

Howard L. Lanier Jr. - Vice President of HLL3

Howard L. Lanier Jr is the son of Mrs. Vivian Lanier and the late Howard Lanier Sr. Howard was born in Philadelphia, Pa and has one brother Ronald A. Lanier. He is married to Mrs. Ethel Lanier, and the proud parents of four children, and nine grandchildren.

He graduated from Overbrook High school in Philadelphia Pa, and attended Bowie State College in Bowie Maryland.
Howard is employed by Goodwill of Southern New Jersey & Philadelphia . He over sees the day to day activities of the contracts division which is a training program for persons with some type of physical and mental disabilities . The mission for this program is to get persons employed. Howard is a member of the Board of Deacons at the White Rock Baptist church, under the leadership of Pastor William J. Shaw.

He is also the President of the Committed men which sponsor a yearly scholarship to a deserving student. Howard is deeply committed in the development and growth of the Howard L. Lanier III Community Development Corporation, for the purpose of giving back, and making a positive difference in the lives of many young people.

Najah L. Haskins - Treasurer

Najah Haskins is the daughter to Howard and Ethel Lanier Jr. Najah is married to Gary Haskins Jr. and the proud parents of 5 children and one grandchild.

She graduated from Morgan State University in 2004 with her BS in Education and received her Master of Education in School Counseling from Wilmington University in 2011.

Najah is a member of Abundant New Life Ministries located in Fieldsboro, NJ, under the leadership of Pastor Gary Haskins Sr.

She is also the founder of P.U.R.E. Girls Inc., a non-profit organization that mentors girls ages 8-18 years old. The mission is to motivate, inspire, and empower girls ages 8-18 to embrace the uniqueness within themselves, so that they may grow into who God has created them to be. Najah also enjoys home DIY’s, organizing homes and crafting.

Najah is proud of the work that has been done within the Howard L. Lanier III Community Development Corporation. Her childhood included many hours and events giving back to various communities throughout the city of Philadelphia. She believes that the work done thus far has made an everlasting impact on those who have benefited from our work.

Karen Faust Slade - Secretary

Karen Faust Slade, a life-long Philadelphian, is a graduate of Philadelphia High School for Girls and Hampton University. She is the mother of one adult son and enjoyed a fulfilling career spanning 40 years teaching language arts to teens and adults as she worked in collaborative and supervisory roles to develop and implement strategies to enhance student performance. Since retirement in 2011 she continues to support young people by volunteering to tutor reading, teach creative writing and poetry, and assist at a summer enrichment program at her church where she will also mark her 37th year as a Sunday school teacher. During retirement she has had the opportunity to work with church and community outreach programs to aid families, single parents, and senior citizens; be involved in voter registration and engagement initiatives; participate in Bible study classes, and be an avid book club member. She counts it all joy to serve as the board secretary for the HLL3 Community Development Corporation.

Yasmeen S. Thomas - Voting Board Member

Yasmeen Thomas has worked in the field of education for twenty-five years. With a Bachelor's of Science in Elementary Education from Morgan State University, a Master's of Science from Towson University, and a Supervision and Administration in Education I certificate from Johns Hopkins University, a strong foundation in education was acquired. As a lifelong learner, Ms. Thomas decided to continue learning by becoming a Fulbright Memorial Teacher Scholarship recipient which afforded her the opportunity to travel to and study the Japanese culture with a focus on education and also participant in the New Leaders for New Schools Program. She's currently working as an Assistant Principal at Arlington Elementary School in Baltimore City.

In her career, she has served as a mentor teacher to teachers in Baltimore City, an adjunct professor for Johns Hopkins University, an Assistant Site Director for the Y in Central Maryland, and an educator who has worked in grades 4th through 8th. Her philosophy in education is simple...All students can learn and achieve greatness when placed in the proper nurturing and encouraging environments. As an educator, Ms. Thomas has worked with countless stakeholders to identify and provide opportunities to help with filling in the gaps for students. It is important that each child is given the space to explore and grow beyond their current experiences. As a member of many professional learning communities, Ms. Thomas continues to use her ability to work well with others to help foster engaging discourse with other professionals to identify effective ways to educate our future leaders.

Andrew Pippett - Advisory Board Member

Andrew (AJ) Pippett is the manager of Government Markets Reporting at Independence Blue Cross, where he works on the Stars program. He graduated from Philadelphia University with a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems.

Close friends since childhood, AJ and Howard bonded over their shared love for sports and music.

AJ is excited to help contribute to continuing Howard’s legacy by serving on the advisory committee.

AJ is an avid fan of Philadelphia sports teams. He currently resides in Philadelphia with his wife, Gina, two daughters, Grace and Adeline, and their bulldog, Rosie.

Denise Jefferson - Advisory Board Member

Denise Jefferson has over twenty five years of mortgage lending, housing counseling and administrative experience in the non-profit sector. Currently, she provides administrative assistance to the executive staff of Beech Companies where she oversees the management of the office along with working on projects focused on economic development. Prior to joining Beech Companies,

Richard Johnson - Advisory Board Member

Richard Johnson has dedicated his life to service in the community. Presently in his position with the Commonwealth of PA, he diligently works to provide residents with heating assistance through the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). With more than 20 years of community service in positions ranging from Deputy Sheriff and City Councilman to Sunday School Teacher and Trustee Board Member, his focus has always been to follow the principles of Christianity through encouraging others and standing up for those who need a helping hand. Richard strives to live in obedience to the commands of scripture that call believers to “Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the poor and needy.” He is grateful for the opportunity to serve on the advisory board of the Howard L. Lanier, III Community Development Corporation.

CLAYTON D. SHELDON - Advisory Board Member

Clayton is a member of the White Rock Baptist Church of Philadelphia . He is a former member of the Trustee Board, and a member of the Committed Men.

Clayton served in the military as a Marine. He is now retired , but worked as the Purchasing Director for twenty-three years at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania . He served for many years as president of the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army in Chester. For many years he was a mentor for children and youth giving many hours to building character. Clayton is a father image to many. He helped many young teens to serve as Ballboys for the 76ers.

He is married to Oteria and together they are parents to five children and six grandchildren.

OTERIA G. SHELDON - Advisory Board Member

Oteria is a member of the White Rock Baptist Church of Philadelphia .She is a former member of the Trustee Board and served as the first female Chairlady.

She is a lifelong learner, a graduate of Cheyney University B.S. and Philadelphia University M.S. For thirty-eight years Oteria served as Mathematics and

Computer Science teacher. She taught in the Philadelphia School System and also Chester Youth Build Program. She has designed and organized two computer labs, served on many committees and led many workshops for teachers and parents. Oteria enjoys reading and loves to travel.

She is married to Clayton and together they are parents to five children and six grandchildren.

Jonathan Webb - Advisory Board Member

Jonathan Webb is the chief executive officer for the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). During his time at AMCHP, he’s led the organization in developing a long term strategic plan, a vision for the organization’s future, which included a focus on equity, has increased the organization’s visibility and strengthened organizational partnerships. Additionally, he’s successfully increased the organization’s budget and built a strong organizational culture that has set the organization up for continued success.

Webb has 18 years of public health and association leadership experience with a focus on health equity initiatives, development, and strategic planning. His work in this space includes the meaningful engagement of stakeholders with an emphasis on prioritizing lived experiences. This approach has resulted in the development of comprehensive and sustainable solutions, upon which a solutions-focused action plan can be built. Webb has worked for 3 local health departments, the McGaw YMCA, Feed the Children, the American Osteopathic Association and the American Diabetes Association.

Webb is a native of Philadelphia, PA. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration from University of Notre Dame and a Master’s in Public Health from George Washington University. He is on the Steering Committee of the Equitable Maternal Health Coalition, co-Chair for March of Dimes’ Mom Baby Action Network Racism & Unequal Treatment work group, and on the Steering Committee for Pritzker’s Prenatal to Three Initiative (PN3). He lives in Virginia with his wife and two children.

Jim Ruffins - Advisory Board Member

Jim Ruffins is currently an Associate Professor in the Counseling Department at the Community College of Philadelphia and his responsibilities include teaching and counseling developmental students. Upon earning a B.A. degree from the Coe College he taught at the elementary and high school levels in the Chicago Public School system. His first graduate degree was completed in biology at Northern Illinois University and volunteer work with economically disadvantaged high school seniors set the stage for a transition from the natural to the behavioral sciences.

Following a teaching position at Seton Hill College, he continued graduate studies in counselor education at the University of Pittsburgh where he earned Masters and Doctorate degrees. The five years at Pittsburgh were pivotal in preparing hi for working with developmental students and classroom interaction combined with field studies taught him the value of theory based on experimental learning. His interests including consulting with private organizations and educational institution personnel to help strengthen communication and conflict resolution skills and providing developmental college students access to higher education.

Denise Jefferson-Bailey - Advisory Board Member

Denise Jefferson-Bailey has over twenty five years of mortgage lending, housing counseling and administrative experience in the non-profit sector. Currently, she provides administrative assistance to the executive staff of Beech Companies where she oversees the management of the office along with working on projects focused on economic development. Prior to joining Beech Companies,

Ms. Jefferson-Bailey served as the Loan Office and Housing Counselor for Philadelphia Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. In the Loan Office position, she provided affordable home improvement loans with grant subsidies to homeowners that may have not have been eligible to obtain a loan based on the condition of their property. As the Housing Counselor, she provided the education and coaching to individuals needed to fulfill the American dream of becoming a homeowner. She is a Mentor in the Connection Training Services Youth Mentoring Prevention Program, a member of the Fifty Second Street Community Development Corporation Board of Directors and serves on the Advisory Committee for the Howard L. Lanier III Community Development Corporation. She is a native of Philadelphia and holds a BA in Industrial Relations and Organization Behavior from Temple University.

Robert Davis - Advisory Board Member

As a representative of the Hartford Funds, I work on Corporate Governance matters as they relate to the mutual fund and exchange-traded fund investment management businesses. I also work on the preparation of Federal regulatory filings required by the Securities and Exchange Commission. I hold a BS in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration in Management. I am a member of Delta Mu Delta International Business Honor Society. I’ve been a Board member of Octavia Hill Association for over 10 years. (a property management company in Philadelphia founded by Quakers in 1896). Along with the Lanier family, a member of White Rock Baptist Church, where I serve on multiple ministries, including but not limited to the Men Usher Board and the Board of Trustees.

HOWARD L. LANIER III COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION