Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Rev. Joyce Shin, Ph.D.
Chair
Rev. Joyce Shin, Ph.D.
Chair
Joyce Shin serves as Pastor and Head of Staff at Swarthmore Presbyterian Church in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
Joyce earned her B.A. at Rhodes, a liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee, where she majored in both Religious Studies and Classical Languages. She then studied Ethics in Germany at Tübingen University as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar. In 2000, Joyce completed her Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) at The Divinity School of The University of Chicago, with a thesis on “The Role of Music in Theological Education.” There she also received a Ph.D. in Theological Ethics, writing her dissertation on “Faith in an Age of Cultural Pluralism: An Aesthetic Approach to Transformation.”
During her graduate studies, Joyce served as Presbyterian campus minister for Yale undergraduate students and taught ministry students at Yale Divinity School, The Divinity School of The University of Chicago, and McCormick Seminary. For 10 years, Joyce served as Associate Pastor for Congregational Life at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, a large urban church whose membership numbers over 5000. She is passionate about building interfaith relationships and has served the greater church in its interfaith work, for which she received from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) the Prophetic Woman of Faith Award. She has served as a Trustee of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the world’s oldest interfaith organization, and currently serves as a Trustee on the Board of McCormick Theological Seminary and as President of Partners in Ministry, supporting the Protestant Chaplaincy at Swarthmore College.
Joyce is married to Michael David, who serves on the medical faculty of University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Infectious Diseases. Together, with their daughter, they live in Swarthmore.
Ellan Bernstein, J.D.
Secretary
Ellan Bernstein, J.D.
Secretary
Ellan Bernstein is of counsel to the Law Office of Ralph S. Pinkus located in Philadelphia. She was the secretary of the founding Board of Directors of Impact100 Philadelphia, a collective giving organization that funds high impact grants to nonprofit organizations in the Philadelphia region.
Ellan also served as co-president of Impact100 and was charged with implementing Impact100’s Founders Fellowship program which was established to offer membership to younger women interested in learning about the impact of collective giving. Ellan currently serves on the executive committee of Adath Israel and the grants committee of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.
Terry Lai
Treasurer
Terry Lai
Treasurer
Terry Lai currently serves as the Director of Audit at Independence Blue Cross where he oversees the organization’s Internal Audit function. Prior to joining Independence in July 2022, Terry held multiple leadership roles at Radian Group, Inc. where he led the Financial Operations function, overhauled their procurement and vendor management function and built out the Internal Audit function there.
Terry also spent 12 years at Ernst and Young (EY) and was a Senior Manager within their Advisory practice prior to joining Radian Group. He spent his first nine years at EY within their Assurance practice, doing external audits and spending a year on a global rotation in Munich, Germany, within their Capital Markets group. He then transitioned into the Advisory practice where he specialized in internal audit, M&A related activities, business process improvement, Sarbanes-Oxley 404 (SOX) compliance and integrations.
Terry is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame, and Bachelor of Science in Finance and Business Management from Villanova University. He was born and raised in Malaysia before moving to the United States to pursue his college education. He resides in Philadelphia with his wife, Krista, and son, Remy. He enjoys cooking and meditating in his spare time and is an avid Liverpool FC fan.
Imam Quaiser D. Abdullah, Ph.D.
Immediate Past Chair
Imam Quaiser D. Abdullah, Ph.D.
Immediate Past Chair
Quaiser Abdullah, Ph.D., is the former president/owner of Statera Coaching and Leadership Consulting, LLC. Statera Coaching is a private company that focuses on conflict resolution, leadership development, workforce training and development, professional & conflict coaching and organizational development. He is a certified Conflict Resolution in Education trainer, certified coach, Positive Discipline Educator and a trained mediator in the area of Transformative Mediation, with a focus on family, divorce and custody mediation. Quaiser is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10KSB and SBA T.H.R.I.V.E business development programs. Quaiser is the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Muslim Engagement in the City of Philadelphia. Dr. Abdullah is also an Assistant Professor in the Communication and Social Influence department and the Program Director for the Master of Science in Communication Management in Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on conflict resolution, mediation, conflict in educational systems, interpersonal communication, leadership development and organizational development and assessment. Quaiser earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Religion, with a minor in Asian Studies. He then went on to earn a Master’s degree in Adult Learning and Organizational Development and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology.
Quaiser’s research interests center around identity and conflict, leadership and conflict management and religious identity. He authored the chapter entitled “Muslim Leader Formation and Education,” published by SAGE in the Religious Leadership: A Reference Handbook (2012). His chapter, “Daanaa Abdullah: Exemplar of Community Leadership” was published in Democratic Ethical Educational Leadership: Reclaiming School Reform, in 2015 by Routledge. He has a number of published interviews on the topic of religion and identity in public spaces in various news media. He is also a frequent guest presenter to local and national audiences on topics relating to Islam, identity and conflict.
Quaiser is a scholar with the Institute for Social Policy (ISPU) and a recipient of the Trailblazer Award from the Muslim Wellness Foundation. He currently serves as co-president at the Association for Conflict Resolution (2023-2024), the faculty advisor for the Muslim Student Association at Temple (ongoing) and board member of the Black Muslim Leadership Council. Previously, he served as board chair of the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia (2021-2024), Police Chaplain for the 18th District in the Philadelphia Police Department, co-chair of the Mayor’s Commission on Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs in Philadelphia (2021-2023), an Imam at Masjid Quba in West Philadelphia, and as an expert witness to share insights on verbal aggression and violence as it relates to police officers who were disciplined for engaging in verbally aggressive communication on social media. Quaiser’s most current project is as a co-convener of the new Muslim Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform established in 2020 in Philadelphia; which has been on hiatus since 2022. Quaiser continues to serve in other organizations locally and nationally.
Tiffenia D. Archie, Ph.D.
Executive Committee
Tiffenia D. Archie, Ph.D.
Executive Committee
Tiffenia D. Archie, Ph.D., is Associate Vice President and Chief Inclusion Officer at Temple University providing leadership to Title IX, Equal Opportunity Compliance, and Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership (IDEAL). IDEAL leads campus-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (DEI) including faculty, staff, and student engagement and retention, supplier diversity and business procurement, gender and sexuality inclusion, and education and training. Dr. Archie is a co-creator of the Certificate in Diversity Leadership, a collaboration with the College of Education and Human Development.
Dr. Archie has been involved in a number of professional organizations including the Association of Black Women in Higher Education (ABWHE), serving two terms as Philadelphia Chapter President, the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), PA-NAME, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), and the Pennsylvania Association for Liaisons and Officers of Multicultural Affairs (PALOMA). She is the current Vice Chair of the Albright College Board of Trustees, chairs the Student and Campus Life Committee, and is a member of the Investment and Governance Committees.
Dr. Archie was the 2010 Recipient of the Outstanding Leader in Education Award presented by ABWHE and the 2020 Winner of the Jacob Albright Award, the highest honor given to an Albright College graduate.
William Becker
Executive Committee
William Becker
Executive Committee
William P. Becker currently serves as a board member of Interfaith Philadelphia and New
Horizons Senior Center. He was the founding chair of the Design Advocacy Group, is a former
chair of the Foundation for Architecture, and a former board member of the American Jewish
World Service, the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Central
Philadelphia Development Corporation, Entrepreneur Works, Philadelphia Reads, the Urban
Affairs Coalition, and JEVS Human Services. He is also a past president and former building
committee chair of Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley.
Mr. Becker received a B.A. from Yale College in 1966 and an M. Arch from the University of
Pennsylvania in 1969. He worked in architectural practice for sixteen years with a variety of
firms, including the eminent architect Louis I. Kahn, followed by four years in real estate
development and property management as president of Reading Real Estate. He spent the
ensuing twenty-five years providing professional project management of design and
construction projects as the owner’s representative, including sixteen years as founding
Principal of Becker & Frondorf. Mr. Becker retired in August 2014.
Rabbi Jill Maderer
Executive Committee
Rabbi Jill Maderer
Executive Committee
Rabbi Jill L. Maderer has served Congregation Rodeph Shalom since her ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2001. In 2017, Rabbi Maderer became Senior Rabbi. In partnership with senior staff, professional team, Board of Trustees and many involved congregants, she works passionately to build community, and pursue the Congregation’s vision: creating profound connections.
Rodeph Shalom’s connections exist both within and beyond the walls of the synagogue. The one stipulation Jewish law provides for the building of a sanctuary is the presence of windows to the outside. With that relationship to the world around us, the words of our prayers are influenced by the life of our city and our experience of prayer inspires us to go forth into the world empowered by Jewish values.
That perspective leads Rabbi Maderer to partner with other organizations throughout our Jewish, multi-faith and Philadelphia communities. Rabbi Maderer serves on the Board of the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia, the Executive Board and is the immediate past president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia, and she serves as a member of the Jewish Federation Board of Trustees. She has served as a chairperson of the Center City Kehillah, a member of the Religious Leaders Council (multi-faith) of Greater Philadelphia, as a Mussar Institute instructor. Rabbi Maderer serves on the faculty at URJ Camp Harlam where she interacts with many of our students.
Rabbi Maderer’s early life was shaped by her involvement in the Reform youth movement and in her hometown Reform congregation in Westfield, New Jersey. She graduated from Brandeis University with a major in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and minors in Women’s Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies.
Rabbi Maderer, her husband Len Lipkin and their two children reside in Philadelphia.
Rabbi David Straus
Executive Committee
Rabbi David Straus
Executive Committee
David Straus is Rabbi Emeritus at Main Line Reform Temple. He was appointed in July, 1998. He is only the fourth rabbi to serve in this position at Main Line Reform Temple. Rabbi Straus is active in the Jewish and non-Jewish community. He is a past president of the VAAD: The Philadelphia Board of Rabbis, and served as chair of the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Community Relations Council from 2010-2014. He is a co-convener of the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia.
He is the chair of the National Council of Synagogues which meets regularly with members of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops, National Council of Churches, and the Evangelical Community. He has served on the board of Philabundance, the advisory committee of Eldernet of Lower Merion, and the Jewish Community Federation of Philadelphia.
Prior to coming to Main Line Reform Temple, Rabbi Straus served congregations in Trenton, NJ (Har Sinai Temple), Cleveland, OH (Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple) and Washington, DC (Washington Hebrew Congregation). He was ordained in 1983 at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, OH, and earned his BA from Northwestern University. He is married to Lynne Breslau, and they are the proud parents of Julia and Max, who are both in graduate school.
Rev. Betty White
Executive Committee
Rev. Betty White
Executive Committee
Chaplain White began her Clinical Pastoral Educational training in 2009 at Overlook Hospital, Summit, NJ. After being employed as an Executive for twenty-four years by a major retailer, she decided to make a transition that would allow her to work toward the call and passion of Specialized Ministry (Chaplaincy).
She trained as a Chaplain Resident for two years at New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY. Reverend White was ordained in May 2011 to go forth and provide emotional and spiritual support to humanity. At the completion of her Residency, she was accepted into a three-year Supervisory Education Fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where she trained to become an Educator by Rev. Ralph Ciampa.
Betty joined the Department of Pastoral Care in January 2017, as the Coordinator of Clinical Pastoral Education for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She is an Association of Clinical Pastoral Education Certified Educator and Board Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains. She provides supervision for Chaplain Residents, the Certified Educator Candidate and Chaplain Externs. Throughout her clinical and supervisory training, Rev. White has been a servant leader offering workshops on Death and Dying, End of Life Decision-making and Multiculturalism and Spirituality to name a few.
Betty serves on the Professional Ethics and Accreditation Commission for the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education. She is a Resilience Coach and a facilitator for Spaces of Color at Penn. She is a Board member of Interfaith Philadelphia, and serves on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force. Betty has a BA in Biological Science from Rutgers University where she attended Douglass College and a Masters of Divinity from New York Theological Seminary. She is a mother of two adult children and enjoys spending time with her family.
Board Members
Rachel Aucott
Board Member
Rachel Aucott
Board Member
Rachel grew up in a Quaker family in New Jersey, attending Princeton Friends Monthly Meeting. After graduating from a Quaker high school and earning a BA in Religion from Swarthmore College, she worked for more than a decade in a variety of leadership roles in the nonprofit sector, including strategic planning, program evaluation, organizational learning and change management, fundraising, and business development. Rachel currently works as a Human Services Strategy Analyst for Mathematica, an international policy research and evaluation firm, providing impact and strategy advising for programs serving children, youth, and families.
Rachel holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and certifications in nonprofit fundraising and human-centered design. In addition to serving on the Interfaith Philadelphia board, she serves on the board of Lifecycle WomanCare in Bryn Mawr, PA. Outside of work and service, Rachel enjoys detective stories, cooking, Scrabble, crossword puzzles, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.
Bridgett M. Battles
Board Member
Bridgett M. Battles
Board Member
Rachel grew up in a Quaker family in New Jersey, attending Princeton Friends Monthly Meeting. After graduating from a Quaker high school and earning a BA in Religion from Swarthmore College, she worked for more than a decade in a variety of leadership roles in the nonprofit sector, including strategic planning, program evaluation, organizational learning and change management, fundraising, and business development. Rachel currently works as a Human Services Strategy Analyst for Mathematica, an international policy research and evaluation firm, providing impact and strategy advising for programs serving children, youth, and families.
Rachel holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and certifications in nonprofit fundraising and human-centered design. In addition to serving on the Interfaith Philadelphia board, she serves on the board of Lifecycle WomanCare in Bryn Mawr, PA. Outside of work and service, Rachel enjoys detective stories, cooking, Scrabble, crossword puzzles, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.
Ed Beckett
Board Member
Ed Beckett
Board Member
Rachel grew up in a Quaker family in New Jersey, attending Princeton Friends Monthly Meeting. After graduating from a Quaker high school and earning a BA in Religion from Swarthmore College, she worked for more than a decade in a variety of leadership roles in the nonprofit sector, including strategic planning, program evaluation, organizational learning and change management, fundraising, and business development. Rachel currently works as a Human Services Strategy Analyst for Mathematica, an international policy research and evaluation firm, providing impact and strategy advising for programs serving children, youth, and families.
Rachel holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and certifications in nonprofit fundraising and human-centered design. In addition to serving on the Interfaith Philadelphia board, she serves on the board of Lifecycle WomanCare in Bryn Mawr, PA. Outside of work and service, Rachel enjoys detective stories, cooking, Scrabble, crossword puzzles, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.
Megan Briggs
Board Member
Megan Briggs
Board Member
Megan Briggs, M.A., holds degrees in Psychology, Counseling & Human Services and has spent significant time studying and serving outside of the United States. Megan worked as a Mobile Therapist/Behavior Specialist with families and in schools before her role as Program Coordinator with Girls on the Run. She now works as Program Director of Story Powerhouse: Listen Courageously, a company offering unique professional development trainings to foster human connection and understanding.
Megan serves on several Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees in her local school district and non-profit organizations including Girls on the Run International and Interfaith Philadelphia. Since 2016 she has initiated and facilitated several civil conversations around emotionally charged topics in her local community. Megan lives in Lansdale, PA with her husband and two sons.
Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness
Board Member
Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness
Board Member
Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness, a native of Newark, NJ, is the pastor of Bethel AME Church of Ardmore, the first woman in the church’s 120 year history. A graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary of New York City, she has committed herself to being a community and people connector and bridge.
She has held various positions in both the non-profit and political spheres. At Bethel, Ardmore where she has served for close to five (5) years, she has been instrumental in helping to bridge the gap amongst various faith traditions and public/private sectors. Along with her congregation, launched the first community garden in South Ardmore, continues to provide a free after school program and this past summer worked alongside interfaith colleagues to launch a summer feeding pilot program for neighborhood children. In her free time, Carolyn enjoys discovering new restaurants, walking and traveling.
Msgr. Gregory Fairbanks
Board Member
Msgr. Gregory Fairbanks
Board Member
Reverend Msgr. Gregory J. Fairbanks, HIST. E.D., HIST. E.L., M.A., M.DIV. is currently the Dean of the School of Diaconal Formation and a professor of Church History at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Lower Gwynedd, PA which is the same place where he was awarded the M.Div. and M.A. He pursued these degrees after receiving his Bachelor’s Degree at Villanova University. He later received his Hist. E.D. and Hist. E.L. at The Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.
Msgr. Gregory J. Fairbanks joined the Interfaith Philadelphia Board after having been involved in the agency’s Inter-Seminary Initiative. As well, he has spent many years on the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity as well as supporting inter and intra religious dialogue. He has also served as a Board Member of the American Catholic Historical Society.
Rev. Richard Fernandez
Board Member
Rev. Richard Fernandez
Board Member
Dick joined the Board at its inception as a way to continue his interfaith work, stretching over more than forty years and, critically, in direct response to 9/11 and the palpable religious ignorance and misunderstandings which the event brought into focus. In addition to serving on the Board of the Center, Dick is a recent past Board member of New Directions for Women, Friends Life Care, and former President of the Board of the National Community Ministry Network.
Dick is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and a member of Tabernacle United Church. He received his B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and B.D. from Andover Newton Theological School.
Rev. Fritz Fowler
Board Member
Rev. Fritz Fowler
Board Member
Fritz Fowler joined the board of Interfaith Philadelphia in 2019. He serves as the Lead Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale, PA.
A native of Upstate New York, he graduated from Kingswood University, Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He attended the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. For six years, he served as the Pastor at University Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, PA, and as the Lutheran Campus Pastor at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2018, Pastor Fritz was named a G. Douglas Lewis Fellow from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC.
Pastor Fritz is grateful for his husband, Trevor, and their five-year-old husky, Jensen. Pastor Fritz is a triathlete in his spare time, brews his own Kombucha, and enjoys baking sourdough bread.
Matthew Gambino
Board Member
Matthew Gambino
Board Member
Matthew Gambino is a deputy commications officer with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
His journalism career of more than 30 years features awards as a writer and editor plus success in business management in Catholic and secular media, both in print and online. He is formally a pastoral assistant at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Parish in Norristown, Pa, and prior to that, the editor of CatholicPhilly.com, news website of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
After graduating from Philadelphia’s St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Matt began his career as an editor for The Catholic Standard & Times, the former archdiocesan newspaper. He later led editorial operations for secular community newspapers and websites. He was named director and general manager of The Catholic Standard and Times in 2007. After it ceased publication in 2012, he led a successful transition to all-digital CatholicPhilly.com.
Matt currently serves in a ministerial role at his home church, and remains a freelance writer. He lives with his wife and two daughters in suburban Philadelphia.
Rev. Jesse Garner
Board Member
Rev. Jesse Garner
Board Member
Rev. Jesse Garner was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and attended high school there. He received his undergraduate education at Yale University and his seminary training at Harvard Divinity School. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Rev. Garner served churches in Tennessee and Alabama before moving in 2001 to First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia where he was pastor until his retirement in 2018.
Jesse joined the board of Interfaith Philadelphia in 2009, and during his tenure has served as board secretary, treasurer, and chair. He has also served on the boards of the Christian Association at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn’s Village and is currently “theologian in residence” at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Berwyn. His wife Allen is a retired schoolteacher. They have two daughters, Allen and Lela, who work for schools in California and Virginia.
Carrie Gish, J.D.
Board Member
Carrie Gish, J.D.
Board Member
Carrie Gish is a retired attorney. Prior to joining the Board, she was a member of the Visionary Women’s Leadership program of Interfaith Philadelphia. Carrie has served on several Boards and Committees of organizations that have causes she is passionate about. She is presently the Chair of the Board of Directors for Team Up Philly, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls living in under-served neighborhoods of Philadelphia.
She also serves on the Board of the Victim Services Center of Montgomery County (VSC) and is the Chair of the VSC Endowment Fund. VSC provides advocacy and counseling for all that have been affected by sexual violence and other crimes against the person. She serves on the Leadership Council of the Wistar Institute, a world leader in early-stage discovery science in the areas of cancer, immunology and infectious disease. Carrie is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Bobby Bonds Memorial Fund, an organization that helps drug addicts in various stages of recovery.
Rev. Charmaine L. Green, Ph.D.
Board Member
Rev. Charmaine L. Green, Ph.D.
Board Member
Charmaine L. Green, D.Min., M.Div., M.S., serves as Program Coordinator of outreach services and disparity programs for the Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Green has studied both health care and spiritual care management and holds degrees in health care administration from The Pennsylvania State University and Saint Joseph’s University and a graduate certificate from Temple University. Her theological degrees are from Palmer Theological Seminary and The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. With this unique dual concentration, the primary focus of Dr. Green’s work focuses on addressing the health and spiritual wellness of individuals.
Having worked over forty years in healthcare management, operations and program development, Dr. Green is skilled in all aspects and phases of project management and implementation. She has developed, coordinated, and implemented numerous outreach programs and continuing medical education symposia for patient advocacy groups, community and fraternal/social organizations, churches, and physicians.
Dr. Green is an ordained minister and has served as the Assistant Pastor of a local Pentecostal Church since 2010. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the topic of hospitality and she developed a spiritual formation and discipleship program intended towards creating Disciples of Christ who are welcoming of others. Dr. Green is also an Adjunct Professor in the Eastern School of Christian Ministry of Palmer Theological Seminary.
Kelly McClure, Ph.D.
Board Member
Kelly McClure, Ph.D.
Board Member
Kelly McClure, Ph.D., integrates multicultural understanding and psychology in every space she occupies. Before opening her private practice in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, McClure educated students as a Professor of Psychology at La Salle University.
As a clinical psychologist, she aids teens and adults as they cope with medical issues, social problem-solving, stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. McClure’s profession, as well as her Roman Catholic faith, motivates her to provide aid for members of Philadelphia’s religiously diverse community.
Isam Osman, J.D.
Board Member
Isam Osman, J.D.
Board Member
Isam Osman is a Philadelphia native who joined Interfaith Philadelphia’s program as a high school student. He later grew into a role as a student group leader with Interfaith Philadelphia and began leading seminars and workshops.
He completed his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at Drexel University where he continued his interfaith work by heading to Chicago to be trained by the Interfaith Youth Core to begin a grass roots movement of interfaith dialogue at the University. Isam is currently working in the Healthcare Consulting space while continuing his search and activity of bridging gaps of understanding among our extremely vibrant and diverse communities.
Sharon Parker
Board Member
Sharon Parker
Board Member
Sharon Parker is currently Parish Care Associate at Overbrook Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, having previously enjoyed thirty-two years in public education and two calls to global mission teaching. A career educator and lifelong learner, Sharon served as a teacher, principal, Director of Curriculum, and Superintendent of Schools in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District, and as Superintendent of Schools in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.
Following her retirement from public education in 2011, Sharon was commissioned by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to serve as a seminary instructor in Lae, Papua New Guinea. She continued in global mission service as a seminary instructor in Kalaymyo, Myanmar under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church-USA . Sharon is grateful for the education she has received at Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Widener University, and remains an active student. Currently, she is studying spiritual direction at Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.
Sharon lives in Center City, Philadelphia, and delights in her roles as a mother and grandmother.
Moji Saberin, M.D.
Board Member
Moji Saberin, M.D.
Board Member
Grew up in Luxembourg in a Baha’i family. Has two children ages 19 and 16. Moved to the US in 1992, got her medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, moved to Pittsburgh for her residency in OBGYN and the start of her career, and returned to the western suburbs of Philadelphia in 2004.
She is multilingual (German, Luxembourgish, Persian, French), but most recently reads in English nowadays. She enjoys tennis, playing the piano, swimming, riding her bike, traveling, and gardening. She has served as an animator of a couple of neighborhood Children’s groups, a Junior Youth group, and has coordinated a number of community service projects. She volunteers at The Clinic in Phoenixville a couple of sessions per month.
She has traveled to British Guyana several times to volunteer her professional services and help train resident physicians in OBGYN. She has served on the Board of Interfaith Philadelphia since summer 2017. She is a member of the Board of the Child and Maternal Health Consortium of Chester County (CMHC)
Ejaz Sabir, J.D.
Board Member
Ejaz Sabir, J.D.
Board Member
Ejaz A. Sabir is an attorney by profession in the greater Philadelphia area. Mr. Sabir has over 15 years of experience in various roles including a legal advisor, public speaker and founding member of Sabir Law Group. He has represented clients from over 70 different countries. Mr. Sabir is the first attorney from Northern India (Kashmir) to concurrently serve as an advisor on Asian Affairs committees of City of Philadelphia Mayor, District Attorney, and Police commissioner.
He has also served as a member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania, National Association of Muslim Lawyers, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Amnesty International. Mr. Sabir is an active member of several interfaith organizations, he speaks to clarify misconceptions about Islam, civic engagements, and immigrant rights and has been involved in interfaith programs in over 50 establishments in the tri-state area.
Mr. Sabir has received Certificates and Awards from different organizations for his professional and social contributions which include Channel 6abc Outstanding Community Service Award, Top 10 Best Attorneys as published by the American Institute of Legal Counsel, Top Lawyers 2015 as published in Main Line Today, Philadelphia Mayoral Commission on Asian Affairs, Christian League of Pakistan in America, Philadelphia Sikh Society of Delaware Valley, Pakistan Community Cultural organization, Philadelphia Police Commission on Asian Affairs, Philadelphia District Attorney Commission on Asian Affairs, and Successful Aging Career Institute of Upper Darby. He currently serves on Board of Directors for Interfaith Philadelphia.
Ejaz A. Sabir is a graduate of the Temple University (Cum Laude) and earned his Juris Doctor degree in two years from Western Michigan University. He lives in Downingtown with his wife, their son Abdullah, daughters Fatimah , Ayesha and Sara, and a cat called Merlin!
Imam Mikal Shabazz
Board Member
Imam Mikal Shabazz
Board Member
Mikal currently serves as an Imam at Masjidullah, the Assistant Northeast Regional/Section Convener of Imams of Masajid in the Association of the late and great Imam W. Deen Mohammed, an Interfaith Philadelphia Board Member and, after retirement from EPA, a Physics and Chemistry teacher at the New African Online School. During his tenure in Al-Islam, he has served in a variety of capacities including an Account Manager/Bookkeeper for a National Islamic Weekly Newspaper, a Math, Chemistry and Biology instructor at the University of Islam, the Director of Adult Education at the Philadelphia Masjid and Cultural Development Chairman and Convener for the Family Nights of Music. At Masjidullah, he has served on various committees, and as an Arabic Instructor, Director of the Islamic Studies Institute, Masjid Administrator, Director of Masjidullah’s Men’s Association Training and Development Program, an Organizational Development Consultant, Recognition and Appreciation Benefits Banquet (RABB) Chairman, Executive Committee Chairman, Special Projects Chairman, Family Life Conference Chairman, Governmental Infrastructure Commission Chairman, an Islamic Studies Instructor at Masjidullah’s Madressatul Islamiyyah, Masjidullah Chief of Staff, Assistant Resident Imam and Resident Imam.
Outside of his Masjid activities, Mikal had worked as an Environmental Engineer, the Regional Toxic Release Inventory Coordinator, a Program Analyst, an On-Scene Coordinator, the Chemical Accident Prevention Programs Team Leader, the Regional Emergency Rapid Response Support Project Officer/Emergency Planner which involved daily management of a $165 million contract for biological, nuclear, chemical and oil spill emergency responses and disaster preparation and homeland security programs, as a Senior Enforcement Officer/Inspector and as a Project Officer for Remedial Action Contracts for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mid-Atlantic Region. He has received a Gold Medal for Excellence in Government Service, seven Bronze Medals for Commendable Service, the highest award offered at the Regional level, and two Special Achievement Awards for Outstanding Performance from the EPA.
Prior to joining EPA, Mikal served as a Process Engineer and Operations Trainer with ARCO Petroleum Products Company where he provided regular unit surveillance, solved non-routine operating problems, conducted energy conservation and corrosion control projects, optimized process unit operations and provided supervision for special unit turnaround situations. He trained veteran and new employees on Refining Fundamentals, new operating and computer control equipment, edited, revised, developed, authored and coauthored various training and operating manuals. He also served as a trainer for the Refinery’s Quality Improvement Program (QIP) where he trained foremen, supervisors, and managers on QIP principles. Mikal was a steering committee member of ARCO’s Civic Action Program where he served on the Political Action Subcommittee. Also, as part of his Community Involvement, he served as Chairman for two non-profit organizations, the Marcus Foster Educational & Cultural Center and the Stenton Park Advisory Council.
Mikal has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University where he has also done graduate course work in Polymer Chemistry, Engineering Geology, Hydrology, and Groundwater Hydrogeology. He is a student of various Islamic scholars, a graduate of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University’s Intensive Shariah Workshop from the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Sciences in America, a graduate of the U.S Army’s Primary Leadership Development and Officer’s Basic Courses, and a graduate the U.S. EPA’s Greater Leadership Opportunity and Executive Leadership Programs. He has served a both a non-commissioned and commissioned U.S. Army Reserve Officer and has received several Army Achievement and Commendation medals and a veteran of Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Captain Mikal Shabazz retired from the military as a Medical Service Corp Officer in Special Forces of the US Army’s Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command.
Mikal, along with his beloved and multi-talented late wife, Taiyibah Shabazz, have foster parented 14 children, four of which they adopted and four of which were unaccompanied orphan refugees from Africa. He and his brilliant and beautiful wife, Shirley Jones-Shakur, both former widows, have over 67 years of combined marriage experience and are parents of six children and currently grandparents of seven. Mikal’s hobbies include line-dancing, listening to and playing music, where he serves as an amateur reed instrument player, which includes baritone, tenor alto and soprano saxophones, flute and clarinet, and has played with big bands and small ensembles for over forty years.
Jonathan Shahar, J.D.
Board Member
Jonathan Shahar, J.D.
Board Member
Jonathan Shahar is the Chief Executive Officer at CBS Food Program, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing healthy, tasty and dependable meals to children throughout Greater Philadelphia. Prior to that, Jonathan was an associate at Raju LLP, a firm that focuses primarily on corporate and commercial real estate transactions.
Jonathan formally clerked in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. He received his J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law and his B.S. from Penn State University.
Jonathan is a Philadelphia native, who has been active in various capacities, in Jewish organizations including Habonim Dror’s Camp Galil, Penn State Hillel and Temple Law’s Jewish Law Student Association. He is joining Interfaith Philadelphia through the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Board Observer Program. Beyond his work, Jonathan enjoys cooking, traveling, listening to podcasts and spending time with friends and family.
Kate Sookhoo, J.D.
Board Member
Kate Sookhoo, J.D.
Board Member
Kate Sookhoo, an attorney at Astor Weiss Kaplan & Mandel, LLP, positions her faith tradition as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in line with her work in family law.
As the Leadership Development Chair for the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, Sookhoo’s professional experience and faith draw on one another. Sookhoo’s previous board experience in many different sectors aptly prepared her for her role on Interfaith Philadelphia’s board. Sookhoo’s diverse experience and perspective permeates her involvement in every arena.
Rev. Courtenay Willcox
Board Member
Rev. Courtenay Willcox
Board Member
Courtenay lives out her life’s priorities of faith, family, and public theology in her activities and involvements. Currently, she serves as a Transitional Pastor at the Tree of Life church in Springfield, Delaware County. Becoming a grandmother for the second time and being ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 2023 are recent life events. A cradle Presbyterian, she served as a Moderator of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, on the resbytery’s Commission on Ministry, and as a Commissioned Ruling Elder, preaching dozens of local congregations. She moderated Mid-Council Issues as a Commissioner to the 2014 General Assembly and is part of four-generations of Teaching and Ruling Elders from Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, where, prior to her ordination, she enjoyed working with youth and teaching Confirmation class, leading Bible studies, and moderating the Environmental Justice Committee.
Wanting to do more around environmental issues, she founded MainLine Interfaith Green Group (M.I.G.G.), now Main Line PA Interfaith Power and Light, where she serves as one of the facilitators and this spring, planted a community pollinator garden with the help of neighborhood children and families. She also serves on the board of Interfaith Philadelphia. Her two daughters participated in Walking the Walk and more recently, Courtenay enthusiastically supported the Love All tennis event. She is a public theologian on the board of Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence, where she works to stem the flow of illegal guns to the streets by supporting common sense gun laws. A life-long swimmer, Courtenay enjoys cycling, alone and with her family. Spending time in the Outer Banks with husband Tom, three adult children, a son-in-law, granddaughters, and Gracie, their schnoodle, is a cherished gift. There is nothing like a sunrise walk on the beach!
Stephanie Wong, Ph.D.
Board Member
Stephanie Wong, Ph.D.
Board Member
Stephanie Wong, Ph.D., advances inter-religious dialogue in the education sector as an Assistant Professor in Villanova University’s Department of Theology and Religious Studies. Beyond academia, Wong uses her knowledge of Catholic, Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian traditions to serve the international ‘Women Building a Culture of Encounter Inter-religiously” network within the Vatican’s Dicastery of Interreligious Relations.
Her position on Interfaith Philadelphia’s board will allow Wong to promote inter-religious understanding in hopes of a more compassionate and just society.
Adnan Zulfiqar, J.D., Ph.D.
Board Member
Adnan Zulfiqar, J.D., Ph.D.
Board Member
Adnan A. Zulfiqar, J.D., Ph.D. is a legal scholar, historian and educator. He is an Associate Professor of Law at Boston College Law School where he teaches courses on criminal law, criminal procedure and Islamic law. He also has a courtesy appointment in the Theology Department at Boston College, as well as the Islamic Civilizations and Societies Program, and is a Regional Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania’s Middle East Center. His scholarly work centers on legal obligation, revolutionary jurisprudence and criminal codes. Adnan is also Co-Founder and CFO of Banja Umodzi (“One Family”), a humanitarian organization focused on orphan care, relief aid and reconstruction in urban and rural areas of Malawi (Africa). It remains the work he is most passionate about.
Adnan has been actively involved in interfaith work for over 25 years, including on the Administrative Committee of the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia, the Zones of Peace Interfaith Taskforce and the Steering Committee for the Jewish and Muslim Emerging Leaders Retreat. He previously served as Interfaith Fellow and Campus Minister to the Muslim Community at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as on the boards of Masjid Quba (in West Philadelphia), Sapelo Square and Build Palestine. He currently serves on the boards of The Merchant’s Fund and Millions of Conversations.
Adnan received his B.A. in Religion and Anthropology from Emory University, M.L.S. in International Affairs from Georgetown University, and his J.D. (Law), M.A. and Ph.D. (Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations) from the University of Pennsylvania.
Adnan speaks multiple languages and spent over a decade of his life residing in the Middle East, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Although a global nomad, Philadelphia will always be his home.
