Leadership Team

Chuck Pennacchio, Ph.D.

Chuck Pennacchio, Ph.D. (he/him), Chuck Pennacchio, Ph.D., is a five-decade issue, electoral, and union organizer; president of the One Payer States network (onepayerstates.org); senior advisor to Healthcare for All Pennsylvania; co-founder of Our Revolution PA; founder of the Justice for All Network (justiceforall.global); producer of the single-payer documentary “Fix It: Healthcare at the Tipping Point” (fixithealthcare.org); 2016 Bernie Sanders delegate; 2006 Democratic primary  candidate for the United States Senate (PA); aide to four U.S. Senators and one U.S. House Member, 1979-1988; a 32-year history and politics professor at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Delaware Valley University (PA), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and University of Colorado-Boulder; and author/co-author of several books, book chapters, and articles on U.S. and European history, U.S. healthcare, and U.S. politics. More importantly, Chuck is the father of two children, Sophia (26) and Ben (23), who are also politically and intellectually engaged citizens. He now lives in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania.

Rudy Arredondo

Rudy Arredondo (he/him) is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the civil rights, farm and ranching agricultural policy, public health, public relations and communications industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Corporate Social Responsibility, Grassroots Organizing, Government, and Crisis Communications. Strong business development professional graduated from Columbia Union College.
Rudy is the president/CEO/founder of the National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association, the largest and only Latino farm and ranching organization in the United States. Additionally, Mr. Arredondo serves on the boards and is an active member of several agriculture, farm and ranch non-profit organizations in the United States.

Sean Cavanagh

Sean (he/him) is an apprentice electrician and proud union member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 46. As former vice-chair of IBEW’s local 46 RENEW chapter (Reach out and Engage Next-gen Electrical Workers) he has worked with young electrical workers to get them more involved in the union, run community-service events, and talk to students about the benefit of union membership and the electrical trade. In the past, Sean has volunteered with a campaign to get money out of politics, working to establish a democracy that works for the people, not corporations. Sean has been volunteering with Whole Washington for a year. In that time he has spoken at several events, earned endorsements from several groups, and organized many volunteers into Whole Washington. When not fighting for a better world, Sean enjoys dancing and performing salsa and exploring the outdoors with his life partner. He is passionate about the fight for universal healthcare because it will provide him and others economic liberation from the excessive costs of our current healthcare system, and improve the quality of life for everyone. 

Willie Fleming

Willie Fleming (he/him) was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award by the Governor of North Carolina. He is Founder of the International Minority Coalition; President of the Afro-American caucus of Mecklenburg County Democratic Party; was elected 2011 State President Afro-American caucus (2 terms), and State Executive Committee member (2 terms); active with the Mecklenburg county Hispanic caucus and auxiliaries, with the AAPI and Hispanic leaders, and representatives from Ghana and Jamaica. Willie was appointed as the Chair of Minority Relations for the 12th Congressional District in the 2019 Democratic Convention.

Michele Hamilton

Michele Hamilton (she/her) is a first generation American of Jamaican parents.
Having grown up in New York City, in an environment defined by police brutality, mass homelessness, and the HIV/AIDS crisis, Michele has been working to advance social justice since age 15. She moved to Central PA in 2003, taking a job at CentreSafe, and has worked with survivors of domestic and sexual violence ever since. Michele’s experiences in the CentreSafe shelter provide her a special fuel to achieve universal healthcare, childcare for all who need it, and a dignified, living wage.  Michele is passionate about multiple issues, including ending racism and xenophobia, homophobia and transphobia, reversing climate change, and creating livable communities, with emphasis on anti-violence (domestic and sexual), economic stability, and secure housing. She believes the path to successful and transformational reform begins with a serious study of all people’s history, to understand how we’ve gotten to this place of extreme injustice, and how the influence of “mass media” and sideways social media is an obstacle to that learning and reform process. The social service advocacy organizations Michele volunteers for are: Healthcare for All PA, PA Religious Coalition for Reproductive Justice, PA Immigration Citizenship Coalition, 320 Coalition (Police reform, civilian review), and 4CR Centre County Coronavirus Community Response.

Eliana Manzella

Eliana Manzella (she/her) is a filmmaker who specializes in promotional and narrative productions. She is a natural storyteller who captivates the viewer and evokes emotions through human connection. Ellie specializes in post-production and graphic design where her attention to detail speaks to her passion for the craft. 

Ajay Marwaha

Ajay Marwaha (he/him) is a physician who believes that high quality and affordable healthcare is a human right.  In their spare time, they advocate for expansion of affordable, equitable, portable, and high quality health insurance coverage to everyone in America. 
Ajay believes that, as the wealthiest nation in the world, America has the ability to achieve this. All Americans have the ability to stop saying who is worth it, and who is not. Ajay believes that all Americans are worthy of it. 
Ajay was born in India and speaks several languages.
They believe that it is imperative upon each of us to leave the world a better place than we found it. Ajay advocates for government that helps create opportunity for all of its citizens, and for truth, compassion, and active peace building.  They have done work advocating pro-immigration policy and universal justice.

Stephen Ramdohr

Stephan Ramdohr (he/him) is a retail worker and Departmental Vice President Retail Central with CWA3108. As a member of Medicare for All CT, an all-volunteer grassroots group advocating for guaranteed healthcare for all, Stephan was part of the effort so that, for the first time in 20 years, in 2021 a state-level single payer bill was introduced in Connecticut. Stephan is an advocate for decommodified housing, as well as for a basic security program, guaranteeing a dignified life to all U.S. residents. Stephan believes that human dignity shall be inviolable. And that to respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.

Nox Shou

Nox Shou / 蘓章良 (They/them/theirs) is a Philadelphia-based model, metalworker, wire sculptor, and apprentice goldsmith of Teochew-Chinese descent. Formerly an urban farmer, theatremaker, and artist-activist for representation of Asians in society, their focus is now on their metal craft. Nox believes in teaching people to grow their own food and shake off the toxic dependence on supermarkets and industrially produced food. Nox graduated from University of the Arts in 2020 with a BFA, where they studied Fine Arts and Theater, majoring in Sculpture. 

Sandra L. Strauss

The Reverend Sandra L. Strauss (Sandy) (she/her) joined the staff of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches in April 2004. As Director of Advocacy and Ecumenical Outreach for the Council, Sandy’s responsibilities are to inform, educate, and empower people of faith on significant public issues, facilitate the work of common ministry and ecumenical relationships, manage external communications, and organize and manage Council events.
Sandy received her Master of Divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary and is ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She also holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy Studies from Duke University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Music from the Lindenwood Colleges (St. Charles, MO). She lives in Harrisburg with her husband, David Arnold, a handyman, clockmaker, and general jack of all trades. Together they have reclaimed a city property on the block behind them for Dave’s clock and watch repair shop, a woodshop, a prolific garden, and a home for tens of thousands of bees.

Geoffrey Woodland

Geoffrey Woodland (he/him) is the In-House Professional Development Specialist (IHPDS) and
the Supplemental Distance Education Coordinator for the College and Career Readiness (CCR) program at District 1199C’s Training and Upgrading Fund in Philadelphia. He is also an adjunct professor at the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology (PIT) facilitating a variety of blended and online courses. In addition, he serves as a Coach for the Teaching Skills That Matter in Adult Education (TSTM) Project funded through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE).

He also serves as a board member for the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE) and is the Division Chair for Adult Literacy Basic and Secondary Education (ABLSE). As an educator, Geoffrey uses technology to create and integrate occupationally relevant materials that empower adult learners to reach personal and professional goals while also meeting Adult Basic Education (ABE) and post-secondary standards.

Geoffrey recently completed DiverseForce On Boards – Board Leadership & Governance Program at the University of Pennsylvania. He also graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) earning a B.A. in Communications and Journalism. He continued his education at IUP earning a M.A. in Adult Education and Communications Technology.

While in his M.A. program, Geoffrey focused on distance education and worked in a
program that piloted online education in the late 1990s.

Dr. Beatriz Valencia

Dr. Beatriz “Betty” Valencia, Ph.D., (she/her) is the Vice President of Operations in Business & Finance. Betty is a proponent of education equity and has a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership Studies, serving as the vice-president of Santiago Canyon College Foundation (SCCF) Board of Directors. As a longtime advocate for criminal justice reform, Betty is currently a H.I.R.E board member (Hub for integration, reentry & employment). Pushing for representation in local politics, Betty ran for City of Orange City Council and served as past Central Vice-Chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County. Betty was named (one of several) women of the year for 2019 and most recently named by the OC Register as TOP 100 Influencers in Orange County for 2019. Betty is a motivational speaker on civic engagement, education equity, immigration justice, environmental justice, and transformational leadership. Betty was born in Mexico City. Betty is married to her long-time partner Laura Villa and is the last of 12 children.