Senator To Honor Black Women Leaders in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. – To celebrate Black History Month, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that he will honor three Black leaders from Pennsylvania who have paved pathways toward a brighter future for children and families throughout the Commonwealth. These leaders include Dr. Ellyn Jo Waller, Dr. Kathi Elliott and Rosemary Browne.
“Dr. Ellyn Jo Waller, Dr. Kathi Elliott and Rosemary Browne are leaders who exemplify the incredible work that is being done in Pennsylvania to support children and families,” said Senator Casey. “They have dedicated their lives to providing young Pennsylvanians with the opportunity to learn and grow in their communities and I am honored to have them join me in Washington to celebrate their accomplishments and discuss the work that we can continue to do together.”
More on the Honorees:
Dr. Kathi Elliott is the CEO of Gwen’s Girls, which was founded in 2002 by Dr. Elliott’s mother, the late Commander Gwen Elliott. Dr. Elliott leads the organization in providing at-risk girls with community-and-school-based services including education and tutoring programs, job readiness workshops and counseling sessions. Under Dr. Elliott’s leadership, Gwen’s Girls serves 100 girls a day through its after-school programs. Dr. Elliott spearheaded the Black Girls Equity Alliance (BGEA), a collaboration of more than 75 practitioners, researchers, system administrators and other stakeholders committed to addressing systemic inequities in the juvenile justice, child welfare, education and health care systems.
Dr. Ellyn Jo Waller is First Lady of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is an active member of the Philadelphia Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition and serves as Co-Chair of the Religion Subcommittee. In 2011, Dr. Waller established an anti-human trafficking ministry at Enon Tabernacle called She’s My Sister, which seeks to raise awareness of human trafficking in the faith community. Dr. Waller is a member of the Board of Directors for The City School (Education Committee Chair), the Community College of Philadelphia Foundation Board and the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as an Ambassador of Hope, and she co-chairs the United Negro College Fund’s Delaware Valley Women of Faith for Education annual luncheon. She is President of the Waller family’s Charitas Foundation.
Rosemary Browne is President and CEO of Alder Health Services, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of persons living with HIV/AIDS and members of the LGBTQ+ community in a culturally competent, affirming and empowering environment by providing a host of health services and programs. In 2018, Ms. Browne was honored to be appointed to Governor’s Wolf’s PA Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, the first-of-its-kind statewide Commission in the nation. During her 35 plus years of experience in the nonprofit and government sectors, she has contributed to a number of special projects and initiatives representing more than $30 million of investments in community services and tuition assistance to hundreds of area college-bound students.
More on Senator Casey’s Annual Black History Month Symposium:
Each February, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) commemorates Black History Month by honoring Pennsylvanians who have offered significant contributions to the Black community. The celebrations culminate in a floor speech, symposium and reception with leaders and activists from across Pennsylvania. Previous honorees include: Councilwoman Marian Tasco, Congressman William H. Gray, III, Mayor Dr. Wilson Goode, Sr., C. Delores Tucker and Robert W. Bogle.
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