Partners in Progress
Promoting and advancing sustainable development in rural Haiti
Meet our Board of Directors
| Barbara Finch - Board President |
Barbara
Finch has been a Sister of St. Joseph for 31 years. She holds a degree
in nursing from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA and is a graduate
of the Sewickley Hospital School of Nursing. Currently, she works as a
nurse in the Allegheny County Jail. She has demonstrated a lifelong
commitment to justice, peace and the promotion of systemic change to
oppression. She is a long time member of the Pittsburgh Haiti Solidarity
Committee. She has also been involved with Pax Christi USA, Just
Harvest and the Coalition Against Violence.
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| Rosemary Edwards - Board Vice President |
Rosemary is currently a practicing pathologist from the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area. Most recently she served as Executive Director for the US-based non profit organization Hospice St Joseph (2007-2008), which operates and supports education, healthcare and international visitors programs in Port au Prince Haiti.
In 2006, she lived and volunteered in Fondwa Haiti as Interim Director and Professor at the University of Fondwa. During this time, she also worked with community members and healthcare workers to design and implement a small medical laboratory and Community HIV/AIDS Program. Current research activities include collaborating with Family Health Ministries from North Carolina to evaluate and develop options for cervical cancer screening in the Leogane area. Rosemary has been involved with healthcare and higher education initiatives in Haiti since 2001 and has been member of the Partners in Progress Board of Directors since 2002. |
| Leslie Nettleman - Board Secretary |
Leslie is new to the PIP Board, joining in 2011, and comes with great passion for the collaborative work in which PIP is engaged in Haiti. Leslie spent the past twenty-five years in administration at Allegheny General Hospital and served as a vice-president of operations for thirteen of those years. She has a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, a M.S. in Leadership and Business Ethics from Duquesne University, and is certified by the Protocol School of Washington. Leslie now serves as a corporate consultant in business etiquette and international protocol. She is looking forward to visiting Haiti in 2012 and contributing to the important work of PIP.
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| Paul Whiteside - Board Treasurer |
Paul has earned Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Psychology from Saint Vincent College and a Masters in Business Administration from Duquesne University. He has worked in various capacities including as a Mechanical Engineer at Schneider Consulting Engineers, Project Manager and Business Manager at Cash Management (Mellon Bank) and Director of Development and Adjunct Professor at Saint Vincent College.
In addition to serving on the PiP Board, Paul serves as faculty advisory for Best Buddies International at Saint Vincent, board member for Saint Benedict Education Foundation and is a past board member of Upper St. Clair Athletic Association. |
| Katie Harrison - Board Member |
Katie joined the PIP board in 2011. She is an attorney at the law firm
of Campbell & Levine, LLC in downtown Pittsburgh. Her practice is
focused on commercial bankruptcy and insolvency matters. Katie received a
bachelors degree in philosophy and religious studies from Saint Mary's
College in South Bend, IN and her Juris Doctorate degree from Duquesne
University School of Law. In addition to serving on PIP's board, Katie
is the secretary of the Board of Directors of the YWCA of Butler County.
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| Kathleen Mullaney - Board Member |
Kathleen
joined the PiP Board in 2011. Currently in research administration
at Dominican University in River Forest, IL, Kathleen is also a
part-time humanities professor. She earned her PhD in comparative
literature from the University of Chicago and has taught extensively on
the literature and culture of the francophone world, including Haiti. In
Chicago she is very involved in service to resettled refugees and
served most recently as Chair of the Governing Board of Exodus World
Service (www.e-w-s.org).
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| Rona Nesbit - Board Member |
Biography coming soon!
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| Joyce Rothermel - Board Member |
Joyce Rothermel is the Co-Founder and recently retired Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the region’s largest charitable hunger-relief organization.
Ms. Rothermel was the Associate Director for the Thomas Merton Center’s Ministry for Justice and Peace when, as part of the Hunger Action Coalition, she helped start both the Jubilee Kitchen (1979) (which later, in turn, inspired the Rainbow Kitchen) and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in 1980.
Ms. Rothermel served as Coordinator of the City of Pittsburgh’s Hunger Task Force from 1986 until she moved from the board of the Food Bank to take up the reins as its Executive Director in 1987. She continued working with Jubilee Kitchen as its weekend coordinator through 1990.
Before joining the Merton Center in 1977, Ms. Rothermel taught, as a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, at several elementary schools in Pittsburgh & Ohio. A native of Canton, Ohio, she graduated from its Central Catholic High School and then earned her B.S. in Education from St. John’s College (Cleveland) in 1970, followed by her M.S., also in Education, from the University of Dayton in 1977.
Joyce currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer for the Pittsburgh Haiti Solidarity Committee, and is the Chair of the Church Renewal Committee of the Association of Pittsburgh Priests, Chair of the St. James Social Justice and Peace Committee, and Co-Chair of the SW PA Food Security Partnership. She is also an active member of Just Harvest, Bread for the World, Amnesty International, and the Thomas Merton Center.
In 2007, Ms. Rothermel was named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania and in 2008, she received the Frieda Shapira Medal for excellence in non-profit leadership. |
| Remembering Anne Mullaney - An Inspiring Friend and Board Member |
The staff and board of Partners in Progress are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and board member, Anne Mullaney. We feel immensely fortunate to have had the gift of her friendship and her involvement in our organization. Anne was a truly special person who had a natural way of inspiring others. Dedicated to leveraging her passion and skills to make a difference, she was eager to help bring about positive outcomes in rural Haiti and was focused upon advancing the school construction project in Deslandes – one of our partner communities. We will remain grateful for the time, talents and energy that she shared with us and the people of Haiti.
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Interested in becoming a Board Member?
We are always looking for team oriented individuals who exhibit leadership, vision and passion for work in Haiti to serve on our Board of Directors. Experience in grant writing, fundraising, law, finance and accounting would be preferred but not mandatory. If you are interested in learning more about this service opportunity, please contact us using the online form.
