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.

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.

As the Associate Executive Director of Project HOME Joan Dawson McConnon is responsible for the financial and administrative 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.

In 1989, Joan Dawson McConnon and Sister Mary Scullion 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. 

Joan 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.

As 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.

As 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.

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 twenty-five 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.

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 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 is responsible for leading the real estate team at Project HOME. Real estate development and asset management at Project HOME are shaped by our mission and projects range from building an ongoing pipeline of new supportive housing developments financed under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program to a new wellness center financed under the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program, as well as the preservation of the existing affordable housing in our portfolio and ongoing major capital projects to improve existing properties. 

Janet has almost 30 years of experience in working on affordable housing and real estate development related projects and issues.  As a lawyer, her practice focused on housing and related permitting and financing matters, which over time led her to concentrate her professional and volunteer efforts increasingly to serve nonprofits and to focus on ending homelessness. 

In addition to her JD, she has a M.S. in Public Policy and Public Administration.  Janet practiced law in Boston and was a principal in a housing consulting firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts, prior to entering the nonprofit sector as in-house counsel and director of real estate for an organization in the Boston area.  Janet moved with her family to the Philadelphia area in 2011 and is grateful to be a part of the Project HOME community. 

Laura Weinbaum is responsible for building internal capacity through training, mission nurture, advocacy, data and quality assurance, and key strategic initiatives.  Prior to joining the staff of Project HOME, Weinbaum worked as a manager and technology consultant with two organizations – Liberty Net and TechRocks – that helped nonprofits use new media tools in advocacy, recruitment, and fundraising to further their missions. Weinbaum previously worked as Assistant Director of Philadelphia’s Redevelopment Authority, at the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, and as Research Director of the Committee of Seventy. 

Weinbaum has a B.A. in Urban Studies from Columbia University and an M.A. in Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently earning an M.B.A. She is an Adjunct Fellow at the Penn Center for Public Health Initiatives, among other community activities.

Yevette has served as a leader and change agent strategist for over 15 years. Prior to joining the Project HOME community, Yevette 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, Yevette supports the execution of the organizational strategic plan to function as an anti-racist organization. Yevette’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.

Yevette is a graduate of Stonybrook University where she received a BA 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.

As Vice President of Residential Services and Property Operations, Christina 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. Christina 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. 

Christina 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.