Meet Our Board
Catherine Farrell, PhD - Board President
Cathy is currently employed by Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) as a Director in US Medical Affairs. She has been a volunteer for Dawn’s Place and Laurel House, and is a long-time Board member of Lansdale AAUW. As a leader within her church, she promoted efforts to combat hunger and homelessness. Cathy feels that housing is a basic human right and she is excited to try the Tiny House village model in Philadelphia.
Mayva Donnon
Mayva is a partner at KSS Architects. Mayva currently serves as Chair of the Building Committee at the Philadelphia School and is also a member of various professional organizations that involve volunteer efforts such as CREW Philadelphia (Commercial Real Estate Women), ULI Philadelphia, AIA Philadelphia and Penn Design Alumni Organization where I recently served as a mentor for the BIPOC Alumni Career Initiative. As an architect and a Philadelphia resident, Mayva is interested in solutions that expand the range of options to increase housing affordability as well as innovative solutions to house Philly's residents.
Sebastian Downs
Sebastian is an engineer, contractor, Realtor, and co-founder of Greenest Homes, a sustainability-oriented housing redevelopment company. He has volunteered for housing projects with Habitat for Humanity, and served with AmeriCorps and Engineers Without Borders. Sebastian recognizes that all people deserve access to safe reliable housing and is glad to be able to provide that through Sanctuary Village.
Sandra Guillory, MSS
Sandra is Chief Operating Officer of Depaul USA. From case manager to director, she has over 15 years' experience working with people experiencing homelessness, poverty and substance abuse. Her areas of focus include data/evaluation, harm reduction and trauma-informed policies. Sandra believes that programs serving people experiencing homelessness must provide dignity and opportunities for leadership in addition to helping people meet their basic needs.
Hazelita Fauntroy Hayes
Hazelita is an opera singer, actor, director, playwright, composer, and producer. She has worked with Dr Martin Luther King Jr, James Farmer, the families of Goodman Scherner Chaney, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, the opera composer Giancarlo Menotti, and Paul Robeson Jr, and Susan Robeson. She is currently finishing a bio opera that she and her late husband, Terry Hayes, wrote about Paul Robeson to be performed in South Africa in 2023. Hazelita has lived experience of homelessness in Philadelphia.
The Reverend Violet Cucciniello Little/Reverend Schaunel Steinnagel (The Welcome Church, a founding partner organization - share Board position)
Rev. Little serves as Pastor and Developer of The Welcome Church. Pastor Little is also one of the founders of the Homeless and Justice Ministries Network in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and currently serves on its Leadership Team. In addition, she has been a national Racial Justice Advocate and Trainer for the Women of the ELCA. Rev. Steinnagel is Associate Pastor of The Welcome Church and is a minister of word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church. She has served on the boards of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project and the Presbyterian Network to End Homelessness.
Cheryl McCoy, PhD
Cheryl is a VP in Oncology at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. She has been involved with a variety of faith-based programs to provide food, services and shelter for the homeless population in Detroit, MI and Hertfordshire, England. She has participated in a project to help build bottle schools with the non-profit Charity Hug It Forward and for the non-profit Charity ABPD to help wipe out childhood malnutrition in Guatemala.
The Reverend Serena Sellers - Board Treasurer
Rev. Sellers serves as Pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Harleysville. She has had a long interest creating a world where all people live with dignity. Pastor Sellers has worked with numerous organizations that attempt to provide for basic human needs, and build beloved community. She currently serves on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Lutheran Synod Anti-Racism Team, and works with the Shepherd’s Shelf community food pantry.
The Reverend Toneh Smyth, LSW - Board Secretary
Rev. Smyth has a master’s degree in Health Service Administration and Social Work. She is the Canon for Mission for the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. Rev Smyth has over 16 years’ experience working in the non-profit industry, and has worked as a program director for residential programs for adults with mental disabilities, a case manager for homeless veterans, for a veteran’s transitional housing organization, and shelters throughout Philadelphia promoting the integration of mental health/addiction services into housing initiatives.
Norman Weinstein
Norman is an attorney who has practiced law in Philadelphia for 40 years with a concentration in disability law. He has also spent 40 years engaged in pro bono work to help the indigent, disabled, immigrant and others navigate the legal system. He has served on or been president of many non-profit boards. Norman feels a strong commitment to giving back especially in service to those living on the margins and the disenfranchised.