Junior League of Greater Princeton

2007-2009 Community Advisory Board Biographies

Sharon Copeland
Executive Director, Enable, Inc.
Sharon is a social worker (MSW, LSW) who has been working in social services for over 30 years. She currently heads up Enable, a local non-profit committed to enabling persons with disabilities to live full and independent lives in our communities. About 450 persons are assisted annually. Sharon is a sustaining member of the JLGP and a former President. Sharon was a CAB Member in the past, and served for about two years.

Aubrey Huston
Editor, The Princeton Packet Inc.
Aubrey is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has been Editor for the Princeton packet since 1979. He is also a former Board President of The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey. He has not served on the CAB in the past, and we are glad she is a part of the Community Advisory Board.

Judy Hutton
Executive Director, YWCA Princeton
Born and raised in West Long Branch, NJ, she received a BSW from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Masters in Education from The College of New Jersey, and certificates in several disciplines from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to becoming CEO of the YMCA of Princeton, she was the Executive Director of Anchor House in Trenton for more than 20 years, taking it from a tiny organization to a nationally known, $2 million per year, multi-service agency. She lives in Bordentown with her husband Craig and son Sean, a junior at Notre Dame High School. This is Judy’s first time on the CAB, however the YWCA Princeton was represented by previous Executive Director Eileen Conway in the past.

Natasha Johnson
Director of Programs, Prevent Child Abuse NJ
Natasha has a Master Degree in Social Work and has 15 years of experience working with children and families. She is currently the Director of Programs at Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey and is responsible for the programmatic and fiscal oversight of seven prevention models serving over 100 programs statewide. This is Natasha’s first time on the CAB, however Prevent Child Abuse NJ was represented by previous Executive Director Janet Rosenzweig, Ph.D. in the past.

William Kirsak
Deputy Director, Mercer County Board of Social Services
William has been employed at Mercer County Board of Social Services since September 1970. He started as a Caseworker and has served as an Eligibility Supervisor, an Assistant Administrator and then Administrator of the Income Maintenance Department for 26 years. He has served in the position of Deputy Director of Welfare for Mercer County Board of Social Services (MCBOSS) since 10/1/04. In that capacity, he presently is the direct supervisor of two Administrative Supervisors’ of Income Maintenance, the Administrative Supervisor of Social Work, the Human Services Coordinator, a Management Assistant and a Secretarial Assistant (approximately 280 staff). These individuals are respectively responsible for the Income Maintenance Department, the Medicaid Department, the Social Services Department, contracting and miscellaneous administrative services at (MCBOSS). During my his year as Deputy Director, he was also responsible for the Management Information Systems Department. Although that disciple is no longer supervised by William, in supervising program areas a knowledge of systems also required. To illustrate the work of the various departments he now supervises, a list of duties as Department Head of the Income Maintenance Department of (MCBOSS) follow. This involves supervision of 3 Assistant Administrators and 13 supervisory units totaling approximately 130 employees. In this job, he was responsible for many personnel functions including appointments, performance evaluations and the preparation of disciplinary actions. He also accomplished the reorganization of the department at least three times over a 15-year period due to fiscal constraints and philosophical changes in “welfare” program administration The Income Maintenance Department is responsible for a number of programs. These programs dispense approximately $30 million per year to 14,000 individuals through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, General Assistance, Food Stamp, AFDC Related Medicaid and Family Care Programs, Employment Related and Transportation Grants, and Emergency Assistance for General Assistance Recipients. The Medicaid and Social Services Department are similar in the scope of responsibilities. This is William’s first time on the CAB, however the Mercer County Board of Social Services was represented by previous Deputy Director Joyce Gallagher in the past.


Craig E. Lafferty
President & CEO, United Way Greater Mercer County
Craig is President/CEO of the United Way for Greater Mercer County (UWGMC), located in Lawrenceville, NJ, which is was the result of the merger of Delaware Valley United Way and United Way of Princeton Area Communities in 1994. Mr. Lafferty was selected to hear this organization after a nationwide search was conducted to find the leadership necessary to bring the two organizations together to serve the community. During the past decade, UWGMC has earned a national reputation as an innovative and responsible organization, dedicated to providing critically needed human care services. Mr. Lafferty has presented numerous workshops on creating community impact oriented United Ways. During his tenure as President and CEO for UWGMC he has led his organization to achieve significant campaign results. From 1994 to date, campaign growth is in excess of 66%, raising more than $65 million. Mr. Lafferty has positioned the UWGMC as the lead organization for human services planning and community impact. In 1982, Mr. Lafferty began his career with the United Way. His first professional assignment was sin Richmond, VA, working with the volunteer citizen review process, responsible for allocating financial support to human service programs. He continued in Richmond as Senior Vice President for Human Services and Community Resources until 1990. His United Way career then took him to Danbury, CT where he served as the President and Chief Professional Officer for the United Way of Northern Fairfield County. Mr. Lafferty is an active or past member of 12 different organizations and councils. Mr. Lafferty has been in the human services field for nearly 40 decades. He began his c career working with juvenile offenders in Tampa, FL in 1970. During his 11 years in youth work, he helped create one of the first multi-service centers for children in the nation, while working in Hillsborough County, FL. His work with other community leaders and county officials resulted in day treatment and residential programming for emotionally disturbed children and socially maladjusted youth. He is a part member of the Rotary Club if Trenton and is a member and past-Deacon of First Presbyterian Church in Hamilton Square. His volunteer activities include the Salvation Army and the mercer Alliance to End Homelessness. He reside sin belle Mead, NJ with his wife Anita. They have two adult children Sarah L. Jacobi and Benjamin J. Lafferty. Craig was a CAB Member in the past, and served in the early 2000’s.

Brian S. Malone
Editor, The Times
He has been the Editor-in-Chief of “The Times” for 20 years. He graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI in 1969 and began his newspaper career that same year at the “Grand Rapids Press”. He and his wife Nancy have two grown children. The Malones live in Lamberville, NJ. Brian was a CAB Member in the past, and served in the late 1990’s for about two years.

Cynthia Mendez
Executive Director, Princeton Human Services
Cynthia Mendez is currently the Executive Director of the Princeton Human Services Commission, a joint municipal agency of the Princeton Township and Princeton Borough. Mrs. Mendez has been in the position since October 1999. The Human Services Commission is responsible for the areas of general assistance 9welfare), seniors, civil rights, youth and Latino community Services. Prior to assuming this position, Mrs. Mendez was employed by the Urban League of Metropolitan Trenton as the Vice President of Programs, where she was responsible for program development and implementation. Mrs. Mendez holds a BS from The Colorado College and a MPA from Rutgers University. Cynthia was a CAB Member in the past, and served from 2004-2005.

Luisa Robinson
Executive Director, Mercer County Hispanic Association (MECHA)
Luisa is a Board Member of the Regional Business Assistance Corporation and the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Mercer County. She is also a Member of the Hispanic Directors’ Association of New Jersey and the Hispanic Federation. She has not served on the CAB in the past, and we are glad she is a part of the 2007-2009 CAB.

Nancy Sherlock
President, Morrisville (PA) Borough Council
Nancy has been a Morrisville Borough resident for over 30 years. She has 3 children and 8 grandchildren. She has always been attracted to volunteering since high school. She is just beginning her 5th term as a councilwoman in Morrisville. She is a Trustee for the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs and she sits on the Board of Good Friends Inc. of Bucks County. She works full time for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

Marge Smith
Community Works
Marge Smith is founder and chair of Community Works, a totally “volunteer” enterprise. A nonprofit consultant and facilitator, Marge Smith has over twenty-five years of experience in every facet of non-profit work- from volunteer, to Board President, to Executive Director, to independent consultant. She particppated in the creation of the Certificate Program in Nonprofit Management at the Mercer County Community College, and is one of its premire instructors. She serves on the Trenton After School Program Board, the Foundation Board of Thomas Edison State College and the Board of Volunteer Connect (formerly Hands on Helpers). Her commitment to empowering nonprofits to accomplish their goals has been recognized by many awards, including the Cherish the Children Foundation Award, The Rotarian of the Year, The Susie Waxwood Award, and the Toastmaster Award for Community Leadership, among others. Marge is a sustaining member of the JLGP and a former President.