Leadership at Project HOME

FOUNDERS

Sister Mary Scullion
President and Executive Director

Sister Mary Scullion has been involved in service work and advocacy for homeless and mentally ill persons since 1978. She was a co-founder, in 1985, of Woman of Hope, which provides permanent residential and support services for homeless, mentally ill women. In 1988, she founded the first Outreach Coordination Center in the nation, an innovative program coordinating private and public agencies doing outreach to chronically homeless persons living on the street.

In 1989, Sister Mary and Joan Dawson McConnon co-founded Project HOME, a nationally recognized organization that provides supportive housing, employment, education and health care to enable chronically homeless and low-income persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. Under their leadership, Project HOME has grown from an emergency winter shelter to nearly 1000 units of housing and two businesses that provide employment to formerly homeless persons.  Project HOME also prevents homelessness in a low-income neighborhood in North Philadelphia. This initiative includes economic development, homeownership for the working poor, and the Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs – a 38,000 square foot, state-of-the-art technology center that offers comprehensive educational and occupational programming.

In 2015 Project HOME opened the Stephen Klein Wellness Center. The Stephen Klein Wellness Center is a model for integrated health care including primary care, behavioral health, dental, a YMCA, pharmacy and wellness services.  It serves those that are homeless and is located in the second poorest zip code in Philadelphia.

Sister Mary is also a powerful voice on political issues affecting homelessness and mentally ill persons. Her advocacy efforts resulted in the right of homeless persons to vote as well as a landmark federal court decision that affects the fair housing rights of persons with disabilities.

Sister Mary has received numerous honorary doctorates for her leadership including Georgetown University and University of Pennsylvania. She was selected by Time Magazine as one of the “World’s Most Influential People in 2009”. In addition, Sister Mary and Joan Dawson McConnon received the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame. She was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship in 2002.

Sister Mary has served on the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph’s University and the Board of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. She also chaired the Hunger and Homelessness Committee for Pope Francis’s visit to Philadelphia in 2015.

Joan Dawson McConnon
Associate Executive Director

As the Associate Executive Director of Project HOME Joan Dawson McConnon is responsible for the financial leadership of the organization and its related entities. In addition, Joan collaborates with the Executive Team Leaders driving our real estate development and asset management activities, our property management services, our IT initiatives and our Legal and Human Resources functions.

McConnon earned her B.S. degree in Accounting from Penn State University and her M.S. degree in Taxation from Drexel University. She co-founded Project HOME in 1989 after working in industry and the public accounting sector for eight years.

EXECUTIVE TEAM

Yevette R. Carmichael
Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Human Resources

Carmichael has served as a leader and change agent strategist for over 15 years. Prior to joining the Project HOME community, Carmichael worked with a Head Start agency to close the opportunity gap for children and support families in interrupting the cycle of intergenerational poverty. As the VP of DEI and Human Resources, Carmichael supports the execution of the organizational strategic plan to function as an anti-racist organization. Carmichael’s strong belief in equitable policies, practices and systems, that create a sense of authentic belonging, drives her to move the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion forward at Project HOME.

Carmichael is a graduate of Stonybrook University where she received a B.A. in Sociology. Carmichael will complete a master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, December 2022. Additionally, Carmichael holds a certification in DEI from Cornell University, as well as certifications in Change Management and Organizational/Developmental Coaching.
 

Lekeisha Evans
Vice President of Education, Employment and Neighborhood Services

As the Vice President of the Education, Employment and Neighborhood Services, Evans leads a dynamic team of individuals responsible for managing day-to-day operations in the K-8 After School, College Access, Adult Education and Employment Programs at the Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs and Community Development Program at Helen Brown Community Center. Programs that work with students, families, residents and other community members to provide K-12 students access to high-quality academic, arts and technology programming as a pathway to college and career success, increase the employability and earning potential of adult learners, engages community and serves as a resource center to the North Philadelphia community.

Prior to joining Project HOME, Evans worked at the Harlem Children’s Zone for 14 years. She managed Education and Youth Development programs aimed at breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty and creating opportunities that afforded children in central Harlem access to quality educational support, continuous growth, and development. She has a B.S. in Business from Penn State University and is an alumnus of Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs Emerging Leaders in Nonprofit Management program.

Christina Fidanza
Vice President of Residential Services and Property Operations

As Vice President of Residential Services and Property Operations, Fidanza provides mission-focused leadership steeped in the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion to achieve and maintain excellence in all residential and property management services. Fidanza integrates the department’s initiatives and services within the organization’s strategic plan and is responsible for managing relationships with key internal and external stakeholders. 

Fidanza has 20 years of experience in social services, including the criminal justice system, mental health intensive case management, and 9 years in the Residential Department of Project HOME. She earned her B.S. in Criminology from Florida State University and an MBA with a concentration in Health Services Administration from Strayer University.

Cheryl Hill
Senior Vice President of Property Operations and Residential Services

As Senior Vice President of Property Management Services, Hill leads a team responsible for the day to day property management activities such as leasing, re-certifications and maintenance at the residential and commercial locations. The property management services team is also responsible for ensuring the process incorporates a mission driven approach to property management, while maintaining compliance with applicable regulatory programs and funding entities.

Prior to joining Project HOME, she worked for 15 years in the affordable housing industry, helping to establish policies, operational procedures and compliance programs. Cheryl has a B.A. from San Francisco State University and a MBA from Georgia State university. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP) and has a number of housing industry certifications.

Annette Jeffrey
Senior Vice President of Development and Communications

As Senior Vice President of Development and Communications, Annette Jeffrey leads a talented team of fundraising and communications professionals seeking to grow financial resources for Project HOME. In this role, Jeffrey works closely with Project HOME’s philanthropic partners and oversees annual and capital giving, individual and institutional giving programs, donor events, volunteer and in-kind gifts, and Project HOME communications.

Jeffrey has over 20 years of development experience providing leadership at United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, and the Philadelphia Orchestra and Academy of Music.

Jeffrey has B. M. and M. M. degrees from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music.

Kevin P. Noel 
Senior Vice President of Finance & Administration/Chief Financial Officer 

As the Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer, Kevin supplies leadership and strategic direction for the financial and administrative functions at Project HOME.  He directly oversees the finance, accounting, information technology and risk management activities of the organization. 

Kevin has over 25 years’ experience in the non-profit social services sector and has served in senior roles at the Delaware HIV Consortium, Family & Workplace Connections and Children & Families First in Delaware and, most recently, NorthEast Treatment Centers.  He holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Delaware and completed his undergraduate work at Widener University.
 

Ron Patterson
Vice President of Information Technology

As the Vice President of Information Technology, Ron leads a team focused on infrastructure, innovation, and user experience. He believes that you start with the end in mind when building scalable and sustainable solutions focused on driving an organization. Ron has 20 years of experience in management consultation, team building, professional development, strategic implementation, and company collaboration.

Prior to joining Project HOME, he worked for another mission-driven organization that supported seniors by providing Home Care services. There he led several initiatives to help seniors maintain their quality of life. Ron has a B. A from the University of Richmond, an MS, and an MBA from Grand Canyon University.

Candice Player
Vice President of Outreach and Special Initiatives

As the Vice President of Outreach and Special Initiatives, Player leads the Outreach programs to ensure quality services and meaningful engagement with people experiencing homelessness with a focus on securing housing.  In this role, Player also provides leadership to Project HOME’s work in Kensington, in conjunction with the real estate, property management, residential, education, and healthcare teams.

Prior to joining Project HOME, Candice Player was an Associate Professor of Law at Northwestern Law School, where she taught classes on health law, tort law, and bioethics. Player holds an A.B. from Harvard College, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a Ph.D. in Ethics and Health Policy from Harvard University. In 2003, Player received an M.Phil. in Criminology from the University of Cambridge.

Marianne T. Schuster
Controller

Marianne Schuster joined Project HOME in December 1993 as the Controller. She is responsible for overseeing the Accounting department and for the budget and financial reporting for Project HOME. In her role, she ensures the implementation of policies and procedures that protect assets and provide for a strong level of internal control.

Prior to her employment at Project HOME, Schuster was vice president of accounting for two years and vice president and controller for 14 years for LEAF Financial Corporation in Philadelphia where she managed both the Accounting and Investor Relations departments. She was an accounting manager for Fidelity Equities Corporation, a real estate syndication company. She began her career in public accounting attaining the level of senior accountant with Arthur Andersen and Company.

Schuster earned her B.S. in Accounting from Villanova University and achieved her Certified Public Accountant designation in Pennsylvania. She is a member of both the PICPA and the AICPA.
 

Janet Stearns
Senior Vice President, Real Estate & Asset Management

Janet Stearns has more than 30 years of experience in affordable housing and real estate and asset management. In addition to her JD, Janet has a master’s degree in Public Policy and Public Administration. Janet has been a senior leader at Project HOME since 2011, as a member of the executive team and leader of the Project HOME real estate team. Real estate and asset management at Project HOME are mission driven and focus on creating new supportive housing and space for mission related uses, as well as preserving our existing properties. Since 2011, Project HOME has completed more than ten major projects and now has more than 20 buildings used for housing, outreach, healthcare, education and employment.