Board of Directors

The Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative's Board of Directors is a diverse group of leaders dedicated to guiding our organization towards greater impact and success.

Composed of passionate advocates, accomplished professionals, and community champions, our board members bring invaluable expertise and a shared commitment to advancing youth development through sports. With their guidance and strategic vision, we continue to drive positive change and empower the next generation of Philadelphians to thrive on and off the field.

Will Whetzel

CHAIR

RETIRED, INVESTMENT ADVISOR, MITCHELL SINKLER & STARR

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Keva White, LSW

VICE CHAIR

PRESIDENT/CEO VIP COMMUNITY SERVICES, CORP.

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Phil Butler

TREASURER

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, MRA GROUP

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Amy Minniti

SECRETARY

SR. VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL, FORTRESS US, INC

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Tim Massaquoi

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT-LARGE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KINGSESSING HEALS COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER

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Raymond Alvarez

PRESIDENT / CEO LA LIGA DEL BARRIO

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Blair Cardinal

COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL

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J. Ian Downes

PARTNER, DECHERT LLP

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Kenny Holdsman

PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, PHILADELPHIA YOUTH BASKETBALL

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Heather Lewis-Weber

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

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Louisa Mfum-Mensah

Vice President of Partner Experience, The Urban Affairs Coalition

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Alexander Poor, MD

GENERAL SURGEON & ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AT VINCERA INSTITUTE

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Kevin McCabe

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, PHILADELPHIA INSURANCE COMPANIES

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Meet Our Staff
Will Whetzel, Chair
FORMER INVESTMENT ADVISOR, MITCHELL SINKLER & STARR (RETIRED) FORMER BOARD CHAIR, FRIENDS OF THE WISSAHICKON

Having retired amidst the March 2020 pandemic, Will Whetzel had been for 20 years a portfolio manager with the investment advisory firm of Mitchell Sinkler & Starr in Philadelphia. Will moved here in 2000 from Pittsburgh, his home town, where he had been an investment banker at Parker Hunter. Prior to that, Will had been in New York City from 1975 to 1990, beginning in the publishing industry with Foreign Policy, Outside and Rolling Stone magazines, and then subtly moving to an investment banking career specializing in the publishing and media industries, working for Bankers Trust, Henry Ansbacher, Kidder Peabody and Morgan Grenfell.

In addition to serving on the board and Executive Committee of The Collaborative, Will is a board member of The Nature Conservancy/PA&DE chapter, and recently rejoined the board of the Friends of the Wissahickon, on which he served from 2005 to 2017 (as board chair, 2014-2017).

Will holds a BA in English from Trinity College, Hartford.

Keva White, LSW, Vice Chair
PRESIDENT/CEO VIP COMMUNITY SERVICES, CORP.

Keva White is an educator by profession and entrepreneur by nature. With a master’s degree in social work, he spent several years working for community-based organizations before founding his own company, VIP Community Services in 2006. Since then, his company continues to provide high quality training and consulting services for social service providers, schools, behavioral health agencies, philanthropic foundations, and healthcare organizations. He is a nationally sought after racial equity consultant and keynote speaker. Keva is a dynamic presenter with an embracing sense of humor who uniformly receives high marks for his teaching skills. He received formal training as a certified cultural and linguistic competence trainer from the National Multicultural Institute (NMCI) out of Washington, D.C. Mr. White is a fellow of Brwn Mawr’s School of Social Work’s Non-profit Executive Leadership Institute (NELI) and serves as a Part-time Lecturer at Rutgers University, School of Social Work.

Phil Butler, Treasurer
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, MRA GROUP

Phillip Butler is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for MRA Group, a leading commercial real estate solutions firm in the mid-Atlantic region. With more than 20 years of experience in the real estate industry serving in various facets, Phil is responsible for sourcing and executing on real estate development opportunities. Prior to joining MRA, Mr. Butler co-founded and served as managing principal of a real estate consultancy and development firm working with corporate real estate and private developer clients, where he focused on portfolio strategy, program management and urban infill development projects.

Mr. Butler currently serves on several boards, including Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative and NAIOP Greater Philadelphia. Mr. Butler earned his B.S. in Business and Economics from Lehigh University, and obtained a Certified Public Accounting (CPA) license in Pennsylvania post-graduation. He also holds a Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Mr. Butler lives in Ambler, PA with his wife and three children.

Amy Minniti, Secretary
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PHILADELPHIA UNION

Amy Minniti joined the Philadelphia Union as its Senior Vice President & General Counsel in 2021. Amy works closely with both the business and technical sides of the organization, advising on risk management, compliance, transactional matters, and governance. Amy also oversees the Human Resources department. prior to joining the Philadelphia Union, Amy served as the Vice President & Deputy General Counsel of Spectra (now OVG 360).

Amy started her career with the Pittsburgh Pirates – spending two years working for its General Counsel as a law student. After working as an associate in the Philadelphia office of the Reed Smith law firm after she graduated, Amy spent 10 years with the Washington Nationals Baseball Club, most recently as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. She played a major role in establishing the legal department for the team and provided a broad range of corporate legal support during her tenure.

Amy received her B.A. from Colgate University and her law degree and Masters of Public & International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. Amy teaches at Georgetown’s Sports Industry Management program, where she has taught ethics, law, and leadership courses since 2011. She also taught at the George Washington University School of Law for many years.

Tim Massaquoi, Executive Committee At-Large
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KINGSESSING HEALS COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER

Tim Massaquoi is an accomplished executive leader and licensed professional counselor with over a decade of experience in counseling, program development, and mental health. A retired NFL player who competed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills, Tim holds an MA in Counseling Psychology from Eastern University and a BA from the University of Michigan. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Organization Development and Change at Cabrini University.

Tim is the Executive Director of The Kingsessing Heals Community Resilience Center and owns a private therapy practice specializing in diverse therapeutic approaches like Person-Centered Therapy, Mindfulness, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. He has also held leadership roles at The Ladipo Group and Youth Emergency Service, focusing on clinical operations and youth services.

Tim serves on the boards of the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative and Healthy News Works, supporting youth development through sports and media. Most recently, he was appointed to the NFL Retired Players Mental Health Advisory Board, where he provides guidance on mental health initiatives for former players.

Raymond Alvarez
PRESIDENT / CEO LA LIGA DEL BARRIO

Ray Alvarez is a highly dedicated and proactive law enforcement professional with over 19 years of federal law enforcement experience and field operations talents. Alvarez is a results-driven leader with extensive experience across multiple branches of private investigations and all protective security aspects deterring terrorist attacks and other criminal acts.

Additionally, Ray brings a wealth of experience in the non-profit, public, and private sectors to his role on the PYSC board.  Alvarez is also the experienced President and CEO of PSYC member organization La Liga del Barrio, a volunteer-driven, grassroots nonprofit organization that he has led for over 23 years.

Blair Cardinal
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS OAK VIEW GROUP

Blair joins the PYSC board with 20 years of strategic communications, PR and marketing experience, having served in the private and nonprofit sectors.  Most recently, Blair has been with the Oak View Group, a full-service venue management company specializing in sports, live entertainment, and hospitality with a portfolio of 300+ client partners around the globe.

Blair has held several communications roles at Tierney Communications, Buchanan Public Relations, and Spectra.  She also served as Associate Director of CeaseFirePA, an Adjunct Professor of Strategic Marketing & Communications at Temple University, and a communications consultant working with several nonprofit and small business clients.

J. Ian Downes
PARTNER, DECHERT LLP

Ian Downes is a partner in the Philadelphia office of international law firm Dechert LLP. Ian’s practice focuses on labor and employment law, representing employers and individuals with respect to all issues affecting the workplace, including litigation and counseling concerning compliance with anti-discrimination and other laws, implementation of diversity and inclusion initiatives, and a wide variety of other employment-related matters. Ian also maintains a robust pro bono practice, working with numerous local and national non-profit clients and legal services organizations. He is a graduate of Amherst College (B.A., 1997) and Harvard Law School (J.D., 2001).

Kenny Holdsman
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, PHILADELPHIA YOUTH BASKETBALL

Kenny Holdsman has devoted the past two decades of his career to the empowerment of young people, especially lower-income kids of color, through education, leadership and character development, coaching and mentorship, family involvement, and high-quality opportunities both in schools and in communities. He has held senior positions in the School District of Philadelphia; the Academy for Educational Development, a global non-profit; and two local sports-based youth development organizations.

Currently, Kenny is the President, CEO, and a founding board member of Philadelphia Youth Basketball, Inc. PYB is a relentless and innovative youth development and community empowerment enterprise designed to create opportunities for young people, especially those from under-resourced families and communities, to reach their full potential as students, athletes, and positive leaders.

Before initiating the establishment of Philadelphia Youth Basketball with a like-minded and diverse group of co-founders, Kenny served as the President of Legacy Youth Tennis and Education (formerly Arthur Ashe) from February, 2009 to June, 2015. Prior to joining Legacy, Kenny was a Senior Program Officer and Director of the Youth Engagement Team for the Academy for Educational Development in Washington, DC and New York City. Earlier, he was Director of Service-Learning and Freedom Schools for the School District of Philadelphia (1998-2003), an Adjunct Faculty Member at Temple University’s College of Education (2001-2002), an Associate Attorney at Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll in Philadelphia (1996-1998), and Legislative Director for U.S. Congressman Robert E. Andrews in Washington, DC (1990-1993). Kenny received his B.S. in Economics from Lehigh University in 1989, and a J.D. from Temple University Law School in 1996.

In addition to his formal responsibilities with PYB, Kenny is a co-founder and board member of the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative and for eight years served as a volunteer coach and program founder/coordinator of Rise Up Basketball in Mt. Airy. Kenny also has spent many seasons coaching young people in the Mt. Airy Baseball program and the Phillies Reviving Baseball in the Inner City program.

Heather Lewis-Weber
SENIOR COORDINATOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

Heather Lewis-Weber currently serves as the Senior Coordinator of Community Engagement for Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts. A proponent of asset-based, community-centric, and trauma-informed frameworks, Heather has a decade of experience supporting community and youth development in historically disinvested communities. Through various roles in the nonprofit sector, she has facilitated school-community partnerships, led the design and implementation of in- and out-of-school time youth programs, and provided coaching for nonprofit staff and volunteers on a variety of topics related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Heather is a graduate of Haverford College with a B.A. in Political Science, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Education Leadership and Policy at Temple University.

Louisa Mfum-Mensah
THE URBAN AFFAIRS COALITION - VICE PRESIDENT OF PARTNER EXPERIENCE

Louisa Mfum-Mensah has been part of the UAC family since 2012, initially serving as the Director of Program and Partnerships for Global Citizen. After her roles as Grants Director for Boys’ Latin Charter School and Special Aide and Liaison to Mayor Jim Kenney, she returned to UAC as the Director of Executive Operations. Now, as Vice President of Partner Experience and a member of the senior leadership team, Louisa is responsible for executing strategic goals, improving customer service, leading relationship management for the organizations, and aligning key strategies as part of UAC’s digital and cultural transformation. With over 10 years of experience in project management and strategic planning, Louisa has a strong background in nonprofit management and corporate relations. She has overseen more than $2 million in grant funds to support various nonprofits in Philadelphia.

Dr. Alexander Poor, MD
GENERAL SURGEON

Dr. Alexander E. Poor is a board-certified general surgeon with a medical degree from Jefferson Medical College. He completed his General Surgery residency at Drexel University College of Medicine, training under core injury expert Dr. William C. Meyers. In addition to his work at the Vincera Institute, Dr. Poor serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Jefferson Medical College and an Assistant Clinical Professor at Drexel University College of Medicine.

Kevin McCabe
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, PHILADELPHIA INSUANCE COMPANIES

Kevin McCabe has worked in sales and marketing at Philadelphia Insurance Companies since 2004, maintaining relationships with a broker network and leading a team of salespeople across Southeastern PA, DE, NJ, and NY. He manages PHLY’s advertising partnerships with local Philadelphia sports teams and also created and leads PHLY’s internal podcast, RadioPHLY.

Kevin is a 2000 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a former baseball team captain. He served for eight years as a volunteer coach in Horsham’s basketball, baseball, and soccer programs, and lives in Horsham, PA with his wife and two boys.

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