Staff

Abby Smith is Team Pennsylvania’s President & CEO. Abby was previously Team Pennsylvania’s Vice President of Policy & Programs, Senior Advisor, and before that Director of Education & Workforce Development. Her work has focused extensively on building strategic public-private partnerships to address long-term issues that no one sector can tackle alone.

Prior to joining Team Pennsylvania in 2013, Abby worked as a policy specialist at the PA Department of Education; for Teach For America as a recruitment director; and as a 7th grade social studies teacher and Teach For America corps member. She attended Yale University and has master’s degrees in teaching from The Johns Hopkins University and in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Abby serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg and JCC and is a board member of the Jewish Community Foundation of Central PA.

Anita Chandy is Team Pennsylvania’s Director, People & Operations. Anita joined the team in May 2022 and oversees all HR initiatives. Prior to joining Team Pennsylvania, she spent over 10 years building and leading equity-centered people initiatives at nonprofit organizations including: recruiting, hiring, benefits, payroll, performance management, compliance, and coaching and training managers. Anita earned her Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management from New York University and Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from Boston University.

Max Crumlich is Team Pennsylvania’s Manager, Board & Investor Relations. He joined the staff in June 2020 after interning for Team Pennsylvania in the summer of 2019. Max graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Corporate Communications from Lycoming College where he was also a member of the lacrosse team. Max is the nexus for all of Team Pennsylvania’s work, from serving as the liaison to the Board of Directors, developing and implementing fundraising strategies, to overseeing Team Pennsylvania events. Born and raised here in Pennsylvania, Max is driven by the thought that together, we can do better.

Contact Max about:

• Becoming an investor
• Board of Directors inquiries

Max Drickey is Team Pennsylvania’s Energy Policy Fellow. Max supports the Energy Horizons Cross-Sector Collaborative to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen energy and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology. He also assesses state policy approaches to make Pennsylvania a leader in carbon management and clean energy.

Prior to joining Team Pennsylvania, Max worked as a Special Assistant to 13th Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz at the Energy Futures Initiative, a Washington DC think tank. He is presently pursuing a master’s degree in public policy and management at Carnegie Mellon University, with a focus on energy and climate policy.

Contact Max about:

• Joining the Energy Horizons Cross-Sector Collaborative
• Energy projects
• Decarbonization and climate initiatives

Deborah Guida is Team Pennsylvania’s Administrative Assistant, joining the staff in March 2022. She recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bloomsburg University with her bachelor’s degree in Technical Leadership. Deborah supports every Team Pennsylvania meeting – coordinating calendars and travel arrangements, preparing presentations, and making sure things run smoothly – all the while maintaining the day-to-day operations of our Harrisburg office.

Contact Deborah about:

• General inquiries
• Meeting scheduling

Jana Hammerle is Team Pennsylvania’s Finance Director. She joined the organization in September 2022 and manages the financial operations, including policy compliance, audit execution, management reporting, and strategic analysis.

Prior to joining Team Pennsylvania, Jana worked for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and for WETA-PBS. Jana holds a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from West Virginia University. She lives outside Harrisburg with her husband and two daughters.

Kelly Kundratic is Team Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Policy Director. She joined the staff at Team PA in 2018 through a partnership with the PA Department of Agriculture. Kelly’s role is to oversee strategic agriculture initiatives. She manages the operations of the Pennsylvania Agriculture Advisory Board and facilitates new opportunities for economic growth that address needs and challenges of the industry (driven by the strategic recommendations from the Economic Impact Analysis).

Prior to joining Team PA, Kelly worked at the Maryland Department of Agriculture and as a high school agriculture science teacher. Kelly graduated from The Friedman School at Tufts University with a Master of Science in Agriculture, Food, and Environment and has a Bachelor’s in Agricultural and Extension Education from West Virginia University.

Contact Kelly About:

• Pennsylvania Agriculture Advisory Board inquiries
• Agriculture initiatives

Tom Murphy is Team Pennsylvania’s Senior Managing Director, Strategic Energy Initiatives. He was previously the Director of Penn State’s Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research(MCOR) and provided leadership to a range of Penn State’s related energy outreach events and research activities. Tom has 38 years of experience working with public officials, researchers, industry, government agencies, and landowners during his tenure with the Extension branch of the University.

Tom’s work is centered on educational consultation in energy transitions, specifically at the convergence of shale gas, hydrogen, and renewables. His more recent emphasis focuses on a rapidly changing energy paradigm, which includes wider deployment of utility-scale solar, and the decarbonization implications of hydrogen for heavy industry and transportation. Primarily focused on the DNA H2Hub project, Tom has an ongoing partnership with the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors on the local implications of utility-scale solar energy across the Commonwealth.

Jim Neuschwander is Team Pennsylvania’s Director, Information Systems. Jim oversees many aspects of technology, systems and communications for the foundation. He manages the internal technology and security in addition to various IT systems utilized by Team PA and our partners. He is also the lead for Team PA’s communication strategy and execution.

Contact Jim about:

• Technology inquiries
• Communications/Media inquiries

John W. Packer, CPA, is Team Pennsylvania’s Chief Financial Officer. John joined the staff in 2011 and has over three decades of professional accounting experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. During his tenure at Team PA, John has overseen the development of customized financial reports and reporting systems that meet the unique needs of management and the board of directors. John is a Penn State University alumnus – he earned both a Bachelor of Science and his Masters in Business Administration from the university.

Meghan Wills is Team Pennsylvania’s Policy Director. She joined Team Pennsylvania in January 2022. Meghan oversees Team Pennsylvania’s education and workforce development initiatives.

For more than 10 years Meghan has worked to strengthen and align state education and workforce development systems. Prior to joining Team Pennsylvania, Meghan worked as Director of Strategic Initiatives at Advance CTE, where she oversaw state policy and technical assistance efforts along with a multi-site effort to strengthen high-quality career pathways. Meghan also served in several roles at the National Governors Association, most recently leading workforce development initiatives with governors, state workforce agency leaders, and state workforce boards.

Meghan has a Master of Public Policy degree from The George Washington University and a Bachelor’s degree from The College of Wooster in Ohio. Meghan lives just outside Washington, D.C.

Renée Custer Yemane is Team Pennsylvania’s Vice President of Strategic & External Affairs. Renée joined the team in December 2022 and oversees Team Pennsylvania’s Strategic, Communications and Development initiatives. Prior to joining Team Pennsylvania, Renée spent 5 years as COO of The Custer Group and the prior 5 years as Executive Director of Harrisburg Young Professionals.

In recognition of her work, Renée has been recognized as Central Penn Business Journal 40 Under Forty, Central Penn Business Journal Women of Influence, The Foundation for Enhancing Communities Rising Philanthropist Award, and as a YWCA Woman of Excellence. Renée graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Cultural Communication Studies and Nonprofit Management.

PA Early Learning Investment Commission: Andrea Heberlein is the Commission’s Executive Director. Before joining the Commission, Andrea served as the Vice President of Strategic Impact for United Way of Lancaster County, where she helped to lead and support community initiatives focused on improving the educational, health, and financial outcomes for children, youth, and adults.

Andrea has an extensive background and experience around community-building work, service coordination for adults with disabilities, community systems development for children with disabilities, and directing an employer-sponsored, NAEYC accredited, early childhood learning center for Penn Medicine/Lancaster General Health and Franklin and Marshall College. She currently serves on the Governance Committee for the Lancaster County Homeless Coalition and the Advisory Council for Nurse-Family Partnership.

Andrea received her Master of Social Work degree from Millersville University, where she is also an adjunct professor for social work classes. She is a 2018 Policy Fellow alumni under the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning and a 2019 graduate of the United Way Worldwide Leadership Program.

PA Early Learning Investment Commission: Sara Lauver is the Commission’s Associate Director. In her role, Sara works on a wide variety of projects, including strategic communications, working with external stakeholders to share and deepen the work of the commission in communities across Pennsylvania, and cultivating and engaging business leaders and partners in regional strategies to increase access to high quality early learning programs.

Prior to joining the commission, Sara worked for seven years at Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way where she served as Director of Community Impact and Marketing. She also has over 15 years of experience in radio where she has worked as a morning show co-host, news anchor, and reporter. Sara is a graduate of Susquehanna University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting and Walden University earning a Master of Science in Leadership. She is a frequent guest performer of the national anthem at Major League Baseball games at Camden Yards in Baltimore.