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HealthSpark Foundation Welcomes Dr. Warren Hilton as New Chair of Board of Directors

HealthSpark Foundation is proud to announce the election of its new Board officers and to welcome the class of community volunteers for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Dr. Warren Hilton, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Kutztown University, is the Foundation’s new Board Chair. He follows Chinwe Onyekere, System Director, Health Equity and Graduate Medical Education at Main Line Health whose leadership over the past two years has been exemplary and inspiring.  

Dr. Hilton has led an esteemed career in academia, with a special focus on increasing student diversity in post-secondary education and spearheading programs that provide wraparound support for college students. This past January, the Wissahickon Faith Community honored Dr. Hilton with the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day “Keeper of the Dream” award for his contributions to Black and underprivileged communities. Dr. Hilton had previously served as the HealthSpark Foundation Board of Director’s Vice Chair.

“Now is a critical time for HealthSpark; and the organizations we invest in,” Dr. Hilton shared. “I am encouraged and inspired by HealthSpark’s new mission statement that states our commitment to invest in nonprofit organizations, networks, and coalitions promoting a more just and healthy community.  Along with our refreshed guiding principles HealthSpark continues to invest in opportunities to strengthen the safety net system in Montgomery County, respond to the unmet needs of organizations needing additional resources during the global pandemic, and to address racial inequality as we build back together.”

In looking forward, Dr. Hilton shared that, “In light of the needs in the County, I see HealthSpark playing a more prominent role in 1) analyzing, and using data in decision making (and encouraging the organizations we invest in to do the same), and 2) addressing racial inequality.”

Joining Dr. Hilton on the board’s leadership team is Joel A. Johnson serving as Vice Chair, Courtney McCormick in the position of Secretary, and David Sherman, CPA as the Foundation’s Treasurer. Mr. J. Johnson is the Executive Director of the Montgomery County Housing Authority. Ms. McCormick is the Manager of Clinical Research and Nutrition at Tivity Health, Inc. Mr. Sherman is the Chief Financial Officer of Hansen Properties, Inc.

The Foundation also welcomes new members to its Community Volunteer program, which is a unique program designed to provide community members with opportunities to contribute to the board’s processes and gain exposure to the foundation’s philanthropic efforts in the community. Joining this year’s class of community volunteers are Lisa Auberbach, Chief Financial Officer of Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc.; Joel Port, Senior Vice President of Business and Network Development at Delaware Valley ACO; and Dr. Nathaniel Williams, President/ CEO of ChildPromise, Inc. Due to the pandemic’s impact on the number of in-person board meetings during this year, HealthSpark offered current Community Volunteers the opportunity to serve for another year in this capacity. The Foundation is pleased that Ray Solomon, Ann St. Clair, and Anthony Celantano are continuing in the volunteer program. Grace Kim has also graciously volunteered to continue her role on the Audit Committee.

HealthSpark’s board and staff are enormously grateful for the contributions of the former officers including Ms. Onyekere, and Mr. Nicholas Bucci, CFP, who served as Treasurer. During her tenure as Chair, Ms. Onyekere led the Foundation’s work to embrace a stronger racial and social justice mission in staff development, grantmaking activities, and through a year-long process to revise the board’s mission, vision, and guiding principles. Mr. Bucci lead the effort to secure investment services from a new firm, monitor the investment portfolio performance and to oversee the development of the foundation’s annual budget. Finally, HealthSpark would like to thank Nancy Walsh, Owner of tbd Now, LLC, for her service on the Community Volunteer program and wishes her the best of luck in her new business venture.

Community members interested in learning more about the Board and community volunteer program are encouraged to contact info@healthspark.org for more information.