Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce

Tina Malek, YPN Chair

Beneficial Bank

Tina (Greco) Malek is the Vice President, Director of Marketing Communications at Beneficial Bank. Ms. Malek is responsible for planning, organizing and directing all marketing and communications support functions for Beneficial. Beneficial Bank, founded in 1853, is the oldest and largest bank headquartered in Philadelphia and is a community-based, full-service financial services company. For nine years prior, Ms. Malek served as a Marketing Representative in the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust’s (PREIT) Corporate Partnership Marketing Department. PREIT owns close to 40 shopping malls along the East coast, including local malls like Cherry Hill, The Gallery at Market East, Plymouth Meeting & Willow Grove Park. Ms. Malek is an alumnus of LEADERSHIP Philadelphia’s Core Class of 2010 and currently serves as a member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s 3ci program. She is also an active participant in professional and social organizations throughout Philadelphia and is currently serving as this year’s Chair of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) Board, which she has sat on for the past four years, formerly as co-chair of the Events Committee. She served as a strong contributing member of the YPN team for the Chamber’s “On the Move” Campaign from 2007-2009.

Ms. Malek graduated from Drexel University with an MBA and from Saint Joseph’s University with an undergraduate degree.

Stephanie Balan, YPN Vice Chair

TriState REALTORS® Commercial Alliance

Stephanie Balan is the Executive Director of the TriState REALTORS® Commercial Alliance. Ms. Balan manages the day-to-day operations and marketing of the organization, a local chapter of the National Association of REALTORS®, which serves southeastern PA, NJ and DE. TriState provides for the professional needs of commercial real estate practitioners through legislative advocacy, commercial-specific education, networking opportunities and resources such as group health insurance. She was the Member Development Director, handling all internal and external communication for TriState, for three years prior to her current position as ED. Ms. Balan enjoys being actively involved with events hosted by the Greater Philadelphia chapters of the Villanova University Alumni Association and Villanova Communication Alumni Network.

Ms. Balan is beginning her fifth year as a board member for YPN, serving as the Vice-Chair of the group for the 2011-2012 year. She formerly served as a member of YPN’s Volunteer Committee and is the YPN Volunteer Committee liaison to the SERVE Philadelphia initiative of the Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteer Service. An enthusiastic participant in the Philadelphia philanthropic community, Ms. Balan is the Vice President and a committee chair on the board for Young Variety, a subgroup of Variety: The Children’s Charity, which supports children with physical and development disabilities, and volunteers with ACHIEVEability, a local non-profit that values education and accountability in breaking the cycle of poverty in families.

Ms. Balan graduated from Villanova University with a degree in Communication.

Alexis Arena

Flaster/Greenberg P.C.

Alexis Arena is an attorney at the Philadelphia office of the firm Flaster/Greenberg P.C. She specializes in litigation, counseling and prosecution in the field of trademark law. Her practice focuses on advising clients on protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights online, including the resolution of domain name disputes and matters concerning e-commerce, online speech and conduct, and associated intellectual property issues. She has experience representing companies and individuals in commercial litigation matters in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

In addition to serving as a member of YPN, Mrs. Arena also serves on the board of the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Other professional and philanthropic organizations she supports include City of Hope, the Justinian Society, WIN, and Philadelphia Cares. She is the current co-chair of YPN’s Membership Committee.

Nelly Arnold

Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Nelly G. Arnold is the Interactive Communications Manager at the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB), the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the City of Philadelphia. Ms. Arnold oversees electronic communications in order to further the PCVB’s mission. She focuses on web strategy, development and content as well as email strategy and deployment related to PCVB and PCVB’s teams – Philadelphia Sports Congress, Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress, Greater Philadelphia Life Sciences Congress, Convention Sales and Services, Tourism Sales and Services, Membership, and special events. Much of her career has been in interactive marketing and brand management, finding mentors in entrepreneurs and innovative corporations.

Ms. Arnold currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee of the Young Professionals Network (YPN) and is Vice President of Communications for the Philadelphia Suburban Alumnae Chapter of Delta Gamma. She is an active participant in various creative and travel groups.

She is a graduate of The Hill School in Pottstown, PA and The University of Montana in Missoula, MT with a degree in Business Administration. Her passion for travel, fine art and food fill her time and memories.

Joe Boxman

The Mayor’s Commission on Literacy

Joe Boxman is the Assistant Director of Adult Literacy Programs for the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy.  The mission of the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy is to ensure quality literacy education is available for all adult learners in Philadelphia.  Mr. Boxman’s responsibilities include providing technical assistance and planning professional development for adult literacy providers who are implementing workforce standards in their education programs; coordinating efforts of various stakeholders in adult literacy community; and advancing workforce literacy throughout the city of Philadelphia.  He is currently serving as a board member for the Young Professionals Network of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and is the Co-Chairperson of the Social Media and Marketing Committee.

Prior to working with the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy, Mr. Boxman worked for four years for Philadelphia Academies, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides support for career-related programming in Philadelphia high schools; and served in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) for 10 months, during which time he helped clean up and rebuild the Gulf Coast region following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Before serving in AmeriCorps NCCC, he held a position at Klehr, Harrison, Harvey, Branzburg and Ellers, LLC a corporate litigation and real estate law firm. Additionally, he worked on the 2004 State Representative campaign staff for Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro.

Mr. Boxman graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

Dan Brown

Johnson, Kendall, and Johnson

Dan Brown is a Commercial Insurance Account Executive at Johnson, Kendall, and Johnson (JKJ). Mr. Brown began his career in Insurance in 2004 and joined JKJ in 2008. JKJ offers a combination of personalized service, loss control capabilities, claim consulting and innovative program design in Property & Casualty and Risk Management, Group Benefits, and Personal insurance. Some industries Mr. Brown focuses on are: Technology, Manufacturing, Retail, and Non-Profit.

Mr. Brown was recognized by YPN as the 2009–2010 Volunteer of the Year for his time and services offered at numerous YPN-sponsored volunteer events. As part of the recognition, he presented a $1000 donation ($500 from YPN and $500 from JKJ) to Cradles to Crayons, a non-profit that collects and packages children’s clothing and other essentials to be distributed to families & children in need throughout the Philadelphia region. In addition to his YPN Board duties, Mr. Brown is involved in coaching St. Dorothy’s track team in Drexel Hill and enjoys running in races in the Philadelphia area.

Mr. Brown graduated with a BA from Shippensburg University.

Christopher Bryan

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Christopher Bryan, CPA, is a Financial Planning Specialist and Portfolio Manager at the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney office in Bryn Mawr, PA. Mr. Bryan has over 15 years of financial services experience, currently managing a portfolio based on a unique set of sound principles that actively mitigates risk. He has experience advising companies and individuals in developing sound asset, liability and risk management strategies. He specializes in retirement, education and estate planning. His practice focuses on advising clients on growing, protecting and distributing wealth through a sound investment philosophy, implemented in the context of a formal, written comprehensive financial plan.

In addition to serving on the Board of YPN, Mr. Bryan also serves on the International House of Philadelphia Board and the Wynnewood Civic Association Board. Other professional and philanthropic organizations he supports include AICPA, PICPA, NJCPA, Young Friends of the Philadelphia Youth Network, Turning Points for Children, and Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Mr. Bryan graduated from Rutgers University with Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Finance.

Sarah DeLaurentis

Valley Youth House

Sarah DeLaurentis is Development Officer for Valley Youth House and the Achieving Independence Center. The mission of Valley Youth House is to provide prevention and intervention services, counseling, life skills, and behavioral health services to abused, neglected, and homeless youth and their families. Her responsibilities include fundraising, event planning, board development and marketing for this growing organization. Mrs. DeLaurentis previously worked at ACE Foundation as Programs Coordinator. Prior to that, she was Development Manager at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society – Greater Delaware Valley Chapter. She has served on the YPN board since 2007 and is a co-chair of the Volunteer Committee.

Ms. DeLaurentis graduated with a BA in Business Administration in 2003 from Lynchburg College.

Chantelle Fitzgerald

American Heart Association

Chantelle Fitzgerald has extensive experience in education, healthcare and nonprofit management. She currently serves as the Director of Go Red For Women at the American Heart Association. As Director, she raises funds and educates and empowers women in the Philadelphia community to take control of their cardiovascular health and its prevention of the disease. Formerly, Ms. Fitzgerald was a pharmaceutical sales representative for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and became the number one sales representative in the entire state of New Jersey. She serves as the co-director for the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal–an online publication that highlights Philadelphia’s social impact and she serves on the board and membership committee of the Young Professionals Network (YPN).

She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with Master’s in Nonprofit/NGO Leadership and from Muhlenberg College with a BA in French with Secondary Certification.

Danielle Goffredo Moyer

Spirit of Philadelphia

Danielle Goffredo Moyer is an Account Manager at the Spirit of Philadelphia specializing in wedding and education-related events. The Spirit of Philadelphia is Philadelphia’s premier harbor dining cruise ship and sails along the Delaware River for lunch, dinner, and late night cruises.

Ms. Moyer is responsible for selling and servicing all grammar and high schools as well as all wedding and wedding-related events. In addition to selling these events, she is a coordinator for the wedding ceremonies and receptions. In 2011 alone she has increased sales in her markets by 11% in Education and 71% in Weddings.

Ms. Moyer is entering her third year as an Ambassador for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) and a member of the YPN events committee. In addition to her involvement with the GPCC, she is also involved with the Health & Wellness program and OSS Committees with Entertainment Cruises.

Amy Gorman

AlliedBarton Security Services

Amy Gorman joined AlliedBarton Security Services as a member of their HR Plus team in 2011 after a diverse and dedicated run in the hospitality industry. 

After spending time at Temple University in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Ms. Gorman began her first employment opportunity at the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, contributing to the international tourism, membership and marketing communications departments. She then moved to Fortune 100 company Aramark, where she honed her sales skills booking corporate conferences and large-scale meetings at the Villanova Conference Center. Ms. Gorman returned to Philadelphia as sales manager at the historic Moshulu Restaurant running wedding ceremonies, throwing lavish receptions and catering to the corporate community by running business dinners and small conferences on board. She then joined Di Bruno Bros., a Philadelphia mainstay, to work in corporate catering and learn a thing or two about fine cheeses on the side.

At AlliedBarton, she is a strategic account manager handling the top accounts at this division of the company, primarily focusing on background screening and drug testing.

Martha E. Heuser

The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church

Martha E. Heuser is a fundraiser for The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), an organization that administers pension, healthcare, death, and disability benefits as well as financial assistance to over 50,000 members of the community of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Ms. Heuser works to support the Assistance Program that helps church workers whose needs exceed the bounds of the Benefits Plan, personal resources, and other means. Ms. Heuser previously managed and wrote grant proposals for a nonprofit children’s social services agency where she also coordinated corporate volunteer days and oversaw the online communications. Prior to that, she worked as an architectural historian for a cultural resources firm, and interned with the National Park Service and New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office.

She currently serves on the YPN Volunteer Committee, the Membership Committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Class of 2002 Reunion Giving Committee at UMW, and is a writer for the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal.

She received her BA in Historic Preservation from the University of Mary Washington (UMW), a Certificate in Fundraising from Villanova University, and is working toward a MS in Nonprofit/NGO Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.

Lauren Hirshon

Penn’s Fels Institute of Government

Lauren Hirshon is the Director of Research and Consulting at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government. Fels Research & Consulting marries the rich assets of Penn and the Fels Institute of Government with the expertise of seasoned professionals and the talent and creativity of high caliber graduate students to tackle challenging and innovative projects related to public policy and public management. The group works with governments, public institutions, civic groups, and nonprofits to enhance their effectiveness and impact.
Prior to joining Fels, Ms. Hirshon worked at the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board (WIB) where she led a nationally-recognized campaign and initiative to advance adult workforce literacy, which produced compelling new data and reports (check out Help Wanted: Knowledge Workers Needed) and resulted in over $3 million in new investments. Ms. Hirshon was also responsible for directing the communications strategies of the non-profit, which translated into the greatest number of media clippings and press conferences ever experienced by the organization.

Before joining the Philadelphia WIB, Ms. Hirshon managed a volunteer office for the John Kerry and John Edwards presidential campaign in Phoenix, AZ and Albuquerque, NM and worked for several non-profits. In addition to serving on the Young Professionals Network board, she is the Recent Graduate Chair and a member of the board for the Harvard Alumni Club of Philadelphia. In 2008, Ms. Hirshon was identified as one of Philadelphia’s Emerging Connectors by Leadership Philadelphia and in April of 2010 she was selected to represent the Philadelphia Rotary Club in a Group Study Exchange to Greece. Outside of the office, she plays on four different touch football teams, a basketball team, and a softball team.

Ms. Hirshon graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and French.

Mai-Linh Hoang

Citadel

Mai-Linh Hoang is Marketing Communications Specialist for Citadel. She primarily oversees all public relations functions for all of Citadel, as well as marketing and advertising strategy. Citadel is a full service financial institution, providing a complete line of banking services, investments and insurance services, headquartered in Exton. At $1.6 billion in assets, it is one of the area’s largest credit union. Ms. Hoang comes from a background of non-profit marketing and communications, advertising and event planning. Formerly, she was an Account Manager and Senior Media Strategist for SilverFlame Communications. Prior to joining SilverFlame Communications, she was a communications associate for the John Templeton Foundation.

Ms. Hoang currently serves as a board member for Little Smiles Philadelphia, a local non-profit which attempts to fulfill the wishes of sick children in local hospitals. She also chairs the marketing committee for the Little Smiles Stars Ball, which is the annual black tie fundraising event.

She graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with an MBA in Marketing and a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

M. Erin Lavelle

Real Estate Attorney & Title Executive

M. Erin Lavelle, Esq. is a real estate attorney and title executive who advises on closing, escrow and title insurance for real estate transactions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and across the country. Ms. Lavelle’s clients include Fortune 200 companies as well as local business of the Greater Philadelphia business community. She has practiced real estate law at firms in both Philadelphia and Scranton, Pennsylvania. Ms. Lavelle is licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as the U.S. Middle District Court.

Ms. Lavelle is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association and an active member of the Real Property and Business Law sections of both. She handles Pro Bono work as a legal counselor for Judge Rizzo’s landmark Foreclosure Workout Program which seeks to attain mortgage workouts rather than foreclosures for Philadelphia residents. Ms. Lavelle sits on the Executive Board for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s YPN and chairs the YPN Events committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for Little Smiles, which attempts to fulfill the wishes of sick children in local hospitals.

She graduated from the Widener University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate and the University of Scranton with Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and English.

Derrick Monte Carlo

Loews Hotel

Derrick Monte Carlo is a Sales Manager at Loews Philadelphia Hotel where he serves as a liaison between the local community and the Loews Hotel. Mr. Monte Carlo serves on the Board of the Midtown Village Association, is a member of Rotary International, and is a member of the Philadelphia Business Travel Association. He co-chairs the Events Committee for YPN.

Mr. Monte Carlo graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, & Institutional Management.

Kevin Murphy

KPMG LLG

Kevin Murphy is a Senior Manager with the accounting firm KPMG LLP. Mr. Murphy has worked for KPMG for over 13 years, taking on increasing levels of authority, and is currently a Senior Manager in KPMG’s audit practice. Mr. Murphy is responsible for the planning and performance of financial statement audits for multinational public and private companies in a wide range of industries. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and Maryland. In addition to serving on the Board of YPN, he is a member of YPN’s Volunteer Committee.

Mr. Murphy graduated magna cum laude from Mount Saint Mary’s University with a degree in Accounting in 1997.

Denise Myers

The Star Group

Denise Myers is a Media Supervisor at The Star Group. In this capacity, she interfaces with the assigned account teams, clients, and media representatives to ensure that media objectives are met efficiently and effectively. Ms. Myers has had extensive experience with non-profit and for-profit clients. Her planning expertise ranges from a national to a local perspective including such accounts as Comcast Corporate, Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, Dover International Speedway, Delaware State Lottery, Cozen O’Connor Law Firm and Pilot Freight Services. As the media supervisor, she spearheads media research, planning and buying of traditional and non-traditional media for several local and regional accounts.

Prior to joining Star, Ms. Myers served as a media planner/buyer with MGH Advertising in Maryland. During her time with MGH Advertising, she gained extensive media buying and planning experience in the food, healthcare, education, and pharmaceutical sectors. While in Maryland, she was also a member of the Baltimore Advertising Club and is currently an active member of the Philadelphia Advertising Club. Additionally, Ms. Myers is a member of two boards through the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Young Professionals Network and Third Century Initiative (3ci). Both boards focus on enhancing the business community and future opportunities within the Philadelphia region.

Ms. Myers graduated with an MBA from Saint Joseph’s University and with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Loyola University in Maryland.

Christopher Parker

TD Bank

Christopher Parker is a Vice President at TD Bank whose responsibilities include assisting new and existing customers of TD Bank with all of their banking needs. Mr. Parker actively seeks out Business lending and deposit servicing opportunities, aiming to enable businesses to spend more time making not managing money. As a YPN member for six years, he has played on active role on the Volunteer Committee and is the most recent past Chair.

Ruben Reyes

Lyquix

Ruben Reyes is a technology consultant who helps client successfully integrate and manage information technology in their businesses. He has worked in the Internet and telecommunications industries for Fortune Global 100 companies and his own businesses since 1997. Mr. Reyes started his career as a freelance website developer, and since then he has served numerous businesses in industries such as manufacturing, retail, entertainment, professional services, and non-profit. From 1999 to 2008, Mr. Reyes worked for Lucent Technologies and Nokia performing various roles including systems deployment, operations and maintenance, technical support, project management, and sales, serving large telecommunications operators such as BellSouth, TIM, Entel, Telefonica Movistar, America Movil, Cingular, AT&T, T-Mobile and Comcast. He moved to Philadelphia in early 2005 while working for Nokia as Solution Sales Manager. In 2008, he founded Lyquix to address the need of many businesses to properly plan and manage technology as an essential part of their business strategy and operations, and harvest the benefits that technology can provide to their bottom line. Mr. Reyes is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Professional Mentoring Network of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Directors of Casa de Venezuela Delaware Valley. He currently co-chairs the YPN Social Media and Marketing Committee.

In 2000, Mr. Reyes earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering from the Universidad Simon Bolivar in Venezuela.