Category: Member Profiles

Mimi Butler calls herself a ‘volunteer-holic’. When she attended middle school, someone asked her to go door to door to raise money for a disease. She knew then that a great part of her life would be to always give back. Mimi’s parents were extremely active with Einstein hospital, Philadelphia. Originally, they were involved only with the Philadelphia Psychiatric hospital, later named Belmont Comprehensive Center. Her mother volunteered weekly at this hospital for the psychiatric needs of children and adults. When Mimi was a teenager, she joined her mother at weekend events. She even remembers winning a basket of wine at a luncheon before age 21. Once Mimi’s Mom passed, Mimi continued her legacy at Belmont organizing holiday parties and fundraisers. Now, while Einstein no longer owns Belmont, Mimi is involved…

Sharon Reel joined Impact100SJ in 2019. Her friend, Nancy Gulick, who she has known for a long time through the Haddonfield schools, was already a member of Impact 100SJ. Nancy sent an email to Sharon about the group and she joined immediately. Sharon joined the Haddonfield Rotary in 2014 after a visit to India as a member of a group giving oral polio vaccines to children - the Polio Immunization Program in Mumbai, Agra, Jaipur and Delhi. After visiting the residence of Mahatma Gandhi, they toured the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa. Team members collected items of clothing at home to leave with the sisters. The Jaipur Foot Factory manufactured artificial limbs for ‘below the knee’ amputations. An International Rotary Project supported corrective surgery and provided artificial limbs…

Kristy Kazelskis is thrilled to be a new member of Impact 100SJ because she believes, “Women are the ones who always get the job done,” much like Margaret Thatcher’s quote, “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”  A huge attraction for Kristy to join Impact 100SJ is that its mission is designed for women, only. Kristy reports to Rosemarie Parker, who is the Chief Executive Officer, Family Promise of Southwest New Jersey. Pascale Sykes Foundation is sponsoring Kristy this year, for which she is grateful. She is excited to be a member of the Events committee and looks forward to contributing. Kristy received a degree in mathematics from Rowan University. During college, she worked at British Airways at the Philadelphia Airport. Through this position,…

Introduced to Impact100 South Jersey via casual conversations with several existing members, Michele warmed to the idea of becoming a part of a women’s philanthropic group that makes a reverberating impact throughout the South Jersey region. Michele’s interest was piqued by attending one of the organization’s annual membership information sessions, traditionally held during the Fall months. She filled in some of the gaps of the grantmaking process and felt led to unite with the purpose-driven group’s mission. While Michele is no stranger to charitable giving, she recognized the greater impact she could have by joining forces with other local women for the greater good, to truly make a lasting impact for our South Jersey neighbors. Testing fate, Michele relays the story of the first informational call on which then-Impact 100…

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel”.  This is one of Dr. Maya Angelou’s most memorable quotes and Cheryl’s favorite to live by. She grew up in Camden and lived there until she married. As a longtime Camden resident, Cheryl received her early education from Camden schools including Davis Middle School before graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School. She went on to pursue a degree in biology from Seton Hall University with aspirations of becoming a medical doctor. Cheryl had worked hard and was proud of her four-year Martin Luther King scholarship. On a blind date at the Cherry Hill Inn, she met her future husband, Ron, who guided her to pursue…

A lifelong South Jersey resident, Lindsey Cowperthwait has a soft spot for the region personally, professionally and philanthropically. As Client Relationship Manager at Abacus Payroll, Inc., a division of The Alloy Silverstein Group, Lindsey assists small businesses located throughout South Jersey where she helps them to optimize their payroll, workforce management and HR operations to be as effortless as possible. In addition to working directly with business owners and employers, Lindsey also travels throughout South Jersey for networking events and meetings to build relationships, to further connect business owners with payroll solutions. Lindsey is new to Impact100 South Jersey in 2023. After learning about the organization from Leadership Council member Angela Venti, a co-worker at the Alloy Silverstein Group, Lindsey applied for membership in December 2022 and has become an…

TAHISHA (Tai) Anderson, AIA was introduced to Impact 100 South Jersey via an online posting promoting the 2022 Annual Reveal event.  During the event, she connected with Valerie Buickerood, an Impact100 member she knew as a Development Consultant for LUCY Outreach Youth Center where Tai serves as a board member. Tai was impressed by Impact100 South Jersey’s model of supporting multiple non-profit organizations while demonstrating equity among its members. As a new Cherry Hill resident, Tahisha liked the idea of networking with like-minded, community-focused women. That same year, she joined. Tai’s focus on philanthropy and volunteerism originated from her humble upbringing in Queens, New York and the example set by her paternal grandmother- a civic-minded and charitable city legal assistant and union treasurer. She witnessed first-hand the impact that one individual can have on a community by being a selfless…

Patricia A. Legge, Esq., LMSW is the Executive Director of Volunteer UP Legal Clinic, a nonprofit that connects clients facing legal barriers to their success with South Jersey attorneys who volunteer to provide high-quality pro bono legal services not otherwise available to make a difference in the lives of those in Camden and its surrounding communities. Prior to becoming a licensed social worker, Patty was a career law clerk in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, serving the federal government for over 22 years. At the same time, she taught law school for 15 years, for the most part as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Rutgers Camden Law, but also as an Inaugural Faculty member at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of…