Kevin K. Murphy, President
Kevin joined the Community Foundation as its first employee in 1994. During his time as president, the Community Foundation has grown to manage more than $45 million in assets and distribute more than $2 million in grants each year.  As president, Murphy is chief executive officer of the corporation, supervises the business and operations of the foundation and serves on the Board of Directors.

In 2007, Murphy was named secretary of the board of The Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities. Murphy also served two terms as president of Community Foundations for Pennsylvania.  Murphy serves on the board of directors of The Council on Foundations, and on its community foundation leadership and public policy committees.

In 2001, Murphy was selected as a German Marshall Foundation Transcontinental Fellow to serve as a consultant to the Togliatti Community Foundation in Togliatti, Russia.  He worked with philanthropic organizations in Russia, and has returned to Russia several times to continue the exchange. 

A State College native, Murphy graduated from Penn State with a degree in Speech Communication and Business.  He holds a Master of Science degree in Community Leadership from Duquesne University.

In 1990, Murphy was named Special Assistant to the Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging.  After leaving the Department of Aging in late 1991, Murphy worked as a consultant in the retirement and nursing home industries.

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Frances A. Aitken, CPA, Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations
Franki oversees the management of the Community Foundation’s $47 million portfolio of assets and works with local estate and financial planners to assist their clients in complex estate planning functions.

Through 1995, Aitken was a Senior Audit Manager specializing in nonprofit audits for KPMG, a “big four” accounting firm in Philadelphia.  After KPMG, Aitken worked as a contracted fiscal officer to various companies, including the Community Foundation- where she came aboard full time in 1998.

Aitken received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Widener University in Chester and is a Certified Public Accountant.   She is a trustee of the Berks County Bar Foundation and Alvernia College. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

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Leta B. Doganes, Finance Assistant and Scholarship Coordinator
Leta assists with the Community Foundation's accounting functions, administers the processing of grants, and oversees administration of the over 100 scholarship funds at the Community Foundation. Doganes has been with the Foundation since its early days; she joined the staff as Administrative Assistant in 1997.  

Prior to joining the Foundation, Doganes spent over 20 years at Meridian Bancorp (currently Wachovia). Most recently, she was the Secretary/Staff Specialist in the Human Resources Executive Compensation Department. 

A native of Centerport, Doganes graduated from Schuylkill Valley High School with secretarial preparation coursework, and attended McCann’s School of Business for Speedwriting.

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Karen A. Miller, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Outreach Program
Karen, former mayor of Reading, joined the Community Foundation staff in May 2007.  She oversees the Pennsylvania Outreach Project, an effort to encourage eastern Pennsylvania foundations to place greater emphasis on smart growth concerns – issues that affect the quality of life in a region including land-use, development and community revitalization.

In addition to serving as mayor of Reading from 1980-1987, Miller most recently was executive director of the Pennsylvania Economy League at the state office in Harrisburg, where she oversaw IssuesPA, PEL’s award-winning initiative to identify, analyze and publicize the issues most important to Pennsylvania’s future economic competitiveness.

Prior to the Pennsylvania Economy League, Miller was the secretary’s representative for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the mid-Atlantic region.  She also served as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs.

Miller received a B.A. from Indiana University (Bloomington) and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Albright College.  She is also a graduate of Harvard University’s Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government and an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

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Richard C. Mappin, Vice President for Grantmaking
Rick oversees all of the Community Foundation’s grantmaking and community involvement programs.  He works with donors to fulfill their charitable objectives and provides technical assistance for grant applicants when appropriate. 

Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Mappin spent nearly 10 years in economic development in Maryland. He most recently served as the President of the Dekko Foundation in Indiana, where he helped nine community foundations begin. 

He holds a master’s degree from Loyola College in Curriculum Development and a bachelor’s degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville in History.  He earned an Advanced Economic Development certificate from the University of Oklahoma, and has earned many professional honors, including having the Dekko Foundation named Business of the Year under his leadership.

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Sally Ott, Administrative Assistant
Sally is the Office Manager and Administrative Assistant at Berks County Community Foundation.  She oversees daily operations in the office, and is the assistant to the foundation’s President and Vice President for Philanthropic Services. 

Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Ott was the receptionist for the Executive Floor at Main Street Bancorp. After spending six years in the beauty industry as a licensed cosmetologist, Ott earned an Associates Degree in Paralegal/ Legal Secretary from Berks Technical Institute and completed a Paralegal externship at the law office of Terry L. Fetterman.

Though a native of Connecticut, Ott’s family relocated to Pennsylvania and Sally graduated from Daniel Boone High School. 

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Heidi Williamson, Vice President for Communications and Executive Director of the Community Indicators Project
Heidi is responsible for raising community awareness about the foundation and the ways in which planned giving and philanthropy can have a lasting, positive impact on the quality of life of the residents of Berks County.

Heidi also serves as the Executive Director of the Community Indicators Project, which tracks key measurements of the community's overall health and vitality in a number of critical areas. 

Prior to the Community Foundation, Heidi was the Manager of Global Communication at Exide Corporation, where she developed and implemented the organization’s first international internal communication strategy during a time of great change and upheaval at the company.   

She holds a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership from Seton Hall University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English: Professional Writing from Kutztown University.  Heidi recently joined the program committee of Berks Community Television (BCTV) and serves as treasurer of CommA, the communications affinity group of the national Council on Foundations.  

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Tammy Phillips, Youth Advisory Committee Advisor
Tammy is responsible for the Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC).  She organizes and trains the Committee’s 30 members in philanthropy, and coordinates all committee activities.

Prior to joining the Berks County Community Foundation, Phillips worked over 14 years in commercial lending.  Most recently, she was a Vice President in Commercial Loan Underwriting at Citizens Bank in Plymouth Meeting.  Before Citizens Bank, Phillips was a Senior Credit Products Manager at Wachovia Bank, where she managed a portfolio of commercial relationships exceeding $325 million in loan commitments. 

Phillips graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.  She studied at the University of Warwick in England, and has taken graduate courses in business at Saint Joseph’s University.

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Position Available:

Administrative Assistant

Berks County Community Foundation is seeking an individual to provide clerical support.  Excellent organizational, communication and computer skills required.  Experience with Microsoft Office, transcription required.  Minimum 2 years experience in administrative support positions.  Experience working with senior management required.  Click here for a complete job description and application instructions.
Berks County Community Foundation - PO Box 212 - 501 Washington St., Suite 801 - Reading, PA 19603-0212
610.685.2223 - fax: 610.685.2240 - email: info@bccf.org
 updated Friday, April 18, 2008