About
Local Advisors
Below are profiles of the OSTRC's Local Advisors:
| Vicki Ellis | Dr. Cheryl Oakman |
| David Fair | Thomas Sheaffer |
| Martin Friedman | Kelly Woodland |
| Leigh Hopkins |
Vicki Ellis
City Liaison Coordinator,
Office of Non-School Hours Services
School District of Philadelphia
Vicki Ellis works for the School District of Philadelphia in the Deputy Chief Academic Office. She serves as a liaison between the School District and afterschool program agencies, seeking to strengthen working relationships between schools and out-of-school time activities. She is also the President of Bainbridge House, a community organization that supports its neighborhood school through one-on-one mentoring for students and through the development of a unique cultural arts program.
Previously, Ms. Ellis worked on the District's initiatives to establish more mentoring and intergenerational programs for youth, as well as faith/community partnerships. She also worked as the Educational Coordinator at Youth Services, Inc., and was the first social worker on the HIV/AIDS multidisciplinary team at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Vicki Ellis received her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania.
David Fair
Vice President, Community Impact
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
David Fair is Vice-President for Community Impact at United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania. In that role, he is responsible for direct oversight of United Way’s Community Impact Fund, which supports a wide variety of health and human services. Mr. Fair also oversees the United Way’s public policy advocacy activities, and represents the United Way on many boards and committees throughout the region.
Prior to coming to United Way, David Fair was Director of the Division of Community-Based Prevention Services of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services. Previously, Mr. Fair served as the director of the School-Linked Behavioral Health Project, as Assistant Director for Child Policy for the City of Philadelphia's Division of Social Services, as Director of the Philadelphia AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, and in many roles serving homeless adults and people with AIDS. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Martin Friedman
Executive Director
EducationWorks
Dr. Martin Friedman is the founder and Executive Director of the National School and Community Corps (NSCC), an AmeriCorps program; and EducationWorks, a nonprofit organization he established to house the NSCC and develop new programs. Earlier, he served with the New Jersey Department of Higher Education as Director of the Offices of Teacher Education, College-School Collaboration, Inter-Agency Programs, and Executive Director of the Office of Community Service and Special Programs. Dr. Friedman has a B. A. from Antioch College (Ohio) and a Ph.D. from Cornell University.
Leigh Hopkins
National Network Director
National Center on Time & Learning
Leigh Hopkins is the National Network Director for the National Center on Time and Learning, an organization dedicated to expanding learning time to improve student achievement and enable a well-rounded education for all children. Leigh leads the Center’s technical assistance and public policy strategies to support state and district-wide initiatives to redesign and expand the school day.
Throughout her career, Leigh Hopkins has been committed to ensuring that all children have access to a quality education. She has been a teacher, a youth program director, and was most recently Vice President for Education at Public/Private Ventures.
Dr. Cheryl Oakman
Associate Director, Center for Youth Development
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Dr. Cheryl Oakman is the Director of the Center for Youth Development (CYD), an initiative of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania that she helped to establish in 1998. CYD advances the Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach, mentoring, and other research-based exemplary practices. It also strengthens the capacity of neighborhoods and communities to support PYD and the coordination of quality youth development opportunities.
Dr. Oakman has over 28 years of professional experience in the youth services field. She is a licensed clinical social worker and a certified employability life skills educator. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Welfare from the Pennsylvania State University; a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Temple University; a Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College in Social Work and Social Research, with an emphasis on policy formation and program development, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Executive Leadership from Bryn Mawr College.
Thomas Sheaffer
Director of Program Evaluation and Fiscal Operations
Office of Health and Opportunity, City of Philadelphia
Tom Sheaffer has worked for the City of Philadelphia since 1976, most recently in the Managing Director's Office. As the Deputy Director for Financial Policy in the Social Services Division, he has been involved with the finances of all social service departments and has direct oversight of the Children's Budget and several facets of the Children's Investment Strategy. He holds a B.S. in Business & Administration fro Drexel University and a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning from the Pennsylvania State University (Harrisburg). Tom and his wife Linda's two sons are graduates of the Philadelphia public school system.
Kelly Woodland
Program Officer, Children, Youth & Families Division
William Penn Foundation
Kelly Woodland is a Program Officer for Children, Youth and Families (CYF) at the William Penn Foundation. CYF funds work in Greater Philadelphia to promote a better early care and education system, more effective and equitable public education policies, and the coordination of quality development opportunities for older youth. Prior to joining the William Penn Foundation, Mr. Woodland held multiple prominent positions in the Philadelphia region, and has had extensive direct-service and administrative experience with youth programs and community-based organizations.
