BIO: Erika has been involved with politics since she was taken canvassing in a stroller. At that early age she learned that she could do more to make her voice heard than just yell at the TV during the news. Erika looks forward to working with YWTF-Philadelphia to engage and energize other young women in sharing their views. That interest in community engagement and politics brought her to Washington, DC. She attended The George Washington University and graduated from the University Honors Program with a BA in political science. While in DC, Erika did college radio, wrote for music magazines, and tutored in the DC Public Schools. In 2004 she worked on Allyson Schwartz's campaign for Congress in Northeast Philadelphia and Montgomery County. After graduating in 2005, she returned to Philadelphia to work with the enthusiastic community she met in 2004. Erika currently works with the
Philadelphia Public School Notebook.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS: Tara Pishney
TaraPishney@gmail.com
BIO: Tara, a 2000 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, received a B.A. in
Communications & Writing and completed training at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting.
Since moving to Philadelphia six years ago, she has been heavily involved in various
volunteer opportunities in the city that focus on her passion – helping to empower women and young girls to reach their goals. Her professional background includes various roles in marketing, communications, diversity strategy, media & design; she has worked at companies such as TV Guide, CIGNA and national and local news programs. In her free time, Tara enjoys reading, traveling, freelance writing assignments, dining with friends and spending time with her fiancé.
BIO: Archna received her Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Virginia Tech. While at
University, she served as President of the South Asian organization on campus for two
consecutive years. Community involvement (both on and off campus), recruitment and
retention initiatives, and culturally based educational activities were the primary areas of
focus during her presidency. She moved to the Philadelphia area in 2002 and began
working with Evergreen Investments, the fund management arm of Wachovia Bank.
Currently she works as an Investment Analyst for Calibre. Archna is entering her
second term on the YWTF-Philadelphia Board with a focus towards developing personal finance and investment related programming for women, furthering involvement with other organizations in Philadelphia and making deeper connections within the general community of Philadelphia. In her spare time, Archna enjoys trying out new recipes, new restaurants, traveling, writing & photography.
BIO: Mary, originally from West Windsor, New Jersey, graduated magna cum laude
from Temple University with a degree in Psychology. She currently works as a Career
Development Specialist for Normative Strategies, which is a division of the
Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation. She previously worked as a
Senior Consultant for Citizen's Bank, where she focused on the Community Reinvest
Act project, helping low income families gain access to first time buyer grants and
decreased interest rates. Mary additionally has professional experience in real estate,
title insurance and marketing. Despite her roots in New Jersey, Mary has spent time
living in Boston, Massachusetts, Columbus, Ohio, and for the past few years, Philadelphia. She has always had a love for animals (especially the kind with feathers) and volunteers for the Animal Rescue Foundation of Southeast Pennsylvania. In her free time, Mary enjoys golf, feeding ducks along the Wissahickon and spending time with her friends, her fiancé and their dog Harley.