Staff & Leadership

Christopher B. Hegarty
Chief Finance Officer

Chris Hegarty is a Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and has over 25 years of accounting experience. He specializes in providing accounting services to non-profit social service organizations, foundations and associations as well as privately-owned, closely-held businesses and their owners. He is a Principal at CLA and leads the delivery of accounting outsourcing services to clients in the Delaware Valley.

Chris has assisted emerging organizations in setting up accounting systems and control environments, as well as helped organizations transform their accounting and finance functions through periods of transition. He has served clients in the non-profit and healthcare industries as well as the life sciences, manufacturing, retailing and industries. Chris has expertise in traditional accounting and audit services, as well as a variety of operational and financial areas.

Jeffrey A. Agranoff
Chief HR Officer

Jeff Agranoff is the Chief Human Resources Officer and a Human Resources Consulting Principal at Grassi for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia.  With over 18 years of experience working in public accounting firms, Jeff specializes in heading human resource departments, providing outsourced human resource solutions to clients and growing middle market businesses in various industries. Prior to joining Grassi, Jeff was the Chief Operating Officer and a Human Resources Principal at a top 50 national accounting firm. 
 
Jeff has written numerous articles on topics such as workforce management, millennial training, and the management of professional services firms. He serves on the Advisory Board at the University of Buffalo’s School of Management.

Ariel Goldring
Executive Vice President of Strategic Support, Training and Systematic Development

Ariel Goldring is passionate about youth development and education. In 2014, she earned a Master’s Degree from Temple University in Urban Education, graduating Summa Cum Laude, with a concentration in school-community partnerships and Out of School Time learning. Ariel discovered her love of Boys & Girls Clubs while working as a program assistant at the Fairmount Club during college. Ariel brings a depth of knowledge regarding education, public policy and urban affairs to the team, having presented academic work at the SEDAAG and AAA conferences. After completing her undergraduate degree, Ariel served for two years as an AmeriCorps member with City Year Greater Philadelphia, leading the Young Heroes Program, before re-joining the Boys & Girls Club team.

Since 2013, Ariel has taken on a variety of roles at Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia and quickly developed as a leader in the organization. In 2013 under the guidance of the CEOS, she oversaw the launch of the Club’s Call to Action Literacy Initiative, which was successfully piloted in six Clubs in 2013 and to date has expanded to 12 Clubs. In 2019, under the vision of the CEOs, Ariel helped plan and facilitate a training to establish the introduction of the multi-sensory literacy programming to Boys & Girls Clubs in Southern California.

Working with a fast paced and an innovative CEO Team, Ariel has been able to be flexible and support the momentum which has been advantageous in successfully securing over $17 million in private and public grant funding since 2013, including $3 million in Capital Grant Funding. In 2018 she was instrumental in launching BGCP’s AmeriCorps Great Futures program through a $900,000 three-year grant awarded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. As a highly analytical thinker, she has developed data-driven proposals and reporting mechanisms, ensuring that BGCP is able to accurately measure and assess its impact on youth.

Libby Lescalleet
Executive Vice President of Programs, Partnerships, and Development

Libby Lescalleet, with over 20 years of youth development experience and 17 with Boys & Girls Club, is a dedicated advocate for the personal growth and development of young people.  Over her tenure with Boys & Girls Club she has grown partnerships in underserved areas to ensure that youth who need us the most have access to quality youth development programming.  These ventures have included summer based programs serving migrant families, opening new doors in public housing communities for youth and their families and offering training and technical assistance to Clubs in Indian Country.  She is dedicated to professional development of staff on both the national and local levels and has served as a National Training Associate for Boys & Girls Clubs of America and a conference adviser to Regional Keystone events.

As a graduate of LaSalle University, service to community has also been a focal point for Libby. Prior to working with the Boys & Girls Club she facilitated summer and environmental education programs for youth from the Boston Area, started enrichment camp based programs on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota and took part in cross cultural programs for youth and teens in Chile.

Through dedicated service to youth and their success she has been honored within communities she serves with the Crime Prevention and Livability Award, Rose CDC Community Leader Award and the Portland Police Community Police Problem Solving Award.

Kelly Lemberger
Executive Vice President of Literacy, Education, and Training Initiatives

Kelly joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia in 2015 and since then has overseen implementation of the Call to Action Literacy Initiative, coaching and developing literacy staff to strengthen youth literacy outcomes. Kelly is passionate about youth education and community service. Before coming to Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, Kelly worked with City Year Philadelphia as an AmeriCorps Member and later as a Program Manager. In that role, she managed AmeriCorps Members in Philadelphia public schools and supported the organization’s literacy training and initiatives. Kelly graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Sociology degree and Education minor. Throughout college, she was dedicated to community-based education research and supporting youth programming in local schools and organizations. Kelly’s experience includes volunteer management, program evaluation, and facilitating community partnerships.

Shakir Johnson
Vice President of Programs & Athletics

Shakir Johnson, a Boys and Girls Club Alumni and our Vice President of Programs and Athletics, is passionate about sports and teen programming. After his high-level basketball playing career was cut short due to injuries, Shakir returned to the Club that supported him during his teen years, to educate Philadelphia’s youth in what it takes to get to and play at the next level. A graduate of Pierce College, Shakir has a passion for helping Club teens develop the physical and mental stamina needed to prepare for higher education and/or the workforce. Over the last eight years, Shakir has taken on a number of roles within the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia.

His leadership had transformed the lives of our kids and families, ensuring that they have access to hot meals, transformational programming, and caring adults. In his role as the Unit Director of the Shane Victorino Club Shakir’s recruitment and outreach efforts, increased membership by 300 Percent, with over 1,000 members enrolled in each of the last four years, making the Shane Victorino Club the first in the organization to engage more than 1,000 members annually. As the Vice President of Programs and Athletics, Shakir is dedicated to enhancing athletic program throughout the organization, increasing teen membership, and developing leadership and mentoring opportunities for teens throughout Philadelphia.

Mare Shipton
Vice President of Youth and Family Services

Mare Shipton has over 18 years of youth development experience with Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, finding her passion for the movement as a college student. During her tenure with BGCP, Mare has led numerous program areas including Arts & Culture, Project Learn, and many facets of youth and family service, always striving to meet youth where they are and continuously advocating

Over the last 10 years, Mare played an instrumental role in expanding and supporting the organization’s Out of School Time programming from 6 to 9 Clubs, ensuring that we reach more of the youth who need us the most. Most recently, she has helped design and implement D.E.F.Y. Club, a digital Club experience for youth to access critical programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a liaison between families and vital human services, Mare is strategic in ensuring youth reach their full potential while gaining access to necessary programs. Mare earned a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Ellis College, with a concentration in Behavioral Science, Social Science and Math/Physics.

Shanelle Coleman
Vice President of Outreach and Programs

Shanelle Coleman has been a part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia for nearly 20 years. Working as a summer camp counselor from 2001-2003, Shanelle then graduated from Millersville University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. Since then, Shanelle has worked at several of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia locations including Germantown, Wissahickon, Northeast Frankford, and Wilson Park. As the Vice President of Outreach and Programs, Shanelle has a passion for ensuring that each Boys & Girls Club member has a safe place to go no matter what, and to nurture and develop a connection with those members to ensure stability in their lives. In her various leadership roles at the Clubs, Shanelle has built concrete relationships with each Club member that she encounters and supports and open-door policy for all children that walk through the Club doors.

Ariel Cerud
Vice President of Programs & Training

Ariel Cerrud is Vice President of Programs and Training at Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. He has over a decade’s experience in project and program management, community relations, advocacy, and fundraising in the non-profit sector. Ariel began his career with Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland (BGCP), where he successfully provided leadership, direction, and administration of the organization’s youth development programs and services in after school centers, serving over 2,000 youth annually.

Prior to BGCP, he served as Associate Director, Corporate Relations at Planned Parenthood Federation of America & the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, where he helped establish PPFA’s first-ever corporate engagement program. There, he focused on establishing and building holistic partnerships and engagement opportunities with Fortune 500 companies, their consumers, and their employees, with a specific focus on technology and the arts & entertainment industry.

Ariel graduated from Portland State University with a degree in Political Science and is a graduate of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America School of Management.

Wendi Wingfield
Finance Specialist

Wendi R. Wingfield has more than 18 years of Accounting and Finance experience. Having studied at Peirce College, Wendi continued her education in Fort Washington where she obtained multiple payroll certifications. She is highly committed to demonstrating professional excellence with each and every project. Her path to become a Bookkeeper started in 1977 when she was offered a position in the Accounting Department of Commercial General Union Insurance Company in Philadelphia, PA. As an Accounts Receivable Clerk she understood the importance of correctly coding and entering payables to the proper payment. Her responsibilities included managing vendor files, issuing checks and maintaining good vendor relations. Wendi has experience working with a variety of payroll, financial and reporting systems, including: Great Plains, BlackBaud, Sage MIP Accounting, ADP Payroll and Proxus Professional Payroll System.

In November 2003, she joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia team as a Bookkeeper, where she was responsible for preparing and processing the bi-weekly payroll for approximately 175 employees. In 2013 she was promoted to Finance Specialist, becoming the Liaison for the organization’s Finance Department, is now responsible for Payroll, Accounts Receivable, Banking and Financial reporting for the Development Team. Family is a very important part of Wendi’s life, and she carries that loyalty into her work having now worked for Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia for over a decade.

Kate Kempf
Resource Development Manager

Kate is committed to the Philadelphia community, and has been involved with outreach to Philly youth and families since grade school. She graduated in 2019  with her Bachelor of Social Work, with advanced standing, from Cairn University, where she studied the generalist model of the helping process with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. There she gained over 500 hours of field experience, developing an interest in community partnerships, social policy, and organizational change. During and post undergrad, she worked with Philadelphia’s children and families, in behavioral health at Children’s Crisis Treatment Center in West Philly, and in community health and programming at Esperanza Health Center in North Philly. Kate believes in healthy relationships as the best vehicle for change and help, and is therefore eager to support Philadelphia Clubs in their mission of enabling our youth to reach their full potential.

Alecea Cannistraci
Manager of Communicatrions & Creative Design

Alecea Cannistraci graduated from Kutztown University in December of 2019 with a B.F.A in Communication Design with specific focus in Graphic and Advertising Design. Alecea found great joy volunteering at various events in the Philadelphia area, including packing holiday food baskets for those in need since before she was 10. These life experiences shaped her to have a passion for the City of Philadelphia and a drive to create positive change in these communities. Joining the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia in September 2021 as the Manager of Communications and Creative Design was a dream come true for Alecea, who has worked to help us with our organization’s Coach’s Private Reserve Dinner and various other projects. Alecea looks forward to continuing in efforts to create positive change within our City of Brotherly Love!