YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Children First Young Professionals Advisory Council is a diverse group of young leaders from across the Philadelphia area who support our mission and work. The purpose of this Advisory Council is to build the pipeline of leaders, organizers, advocates, and donors to advance Children First’s work for decades to come!
With guidance from veteran Children First Board members Javier Suarez and Lindsay Albright, Council members:
LEARN. Members network with Children First board members and staff, attend exclusive education programs, and have access to Children First research and information on the issues.
ADVOCATE. Members are invited to travel to the halls of power with Children First to meet with lawmakers and advocate for policy change.
ENGAGE. Members use their social media networks to raise awareness about the organization and children’s issues.
RAISE MONEY. Members invite their personal and professional networks to support Children First by attending fundraising events or making individual or institutional gifts.
EXPAND. The Advisory Council designs and hosts at least two friendraising and low-dollar events each year to boost awareness of Children First among the Millennials and older Gen Zers in the region.
For more information about the Young Professionals Advisory Council, contact Steven Fynes or call 215-563-5848 x11.
Saumya Ayyagari
Saumya Ayyagari
Saumya is the Director of Special Outreach Services, a preventative oral health care program for individuals with intellectual disabilities and behavioral health challenges in PA. Her background is in public health nursing and maternal and child health nursing. She started volunteering with Children First (then PCCY) as a health policy intern in 2017. Since then she continued to volunteer for the organization in various capacities. Today she is part of the Lead Free Promise Project that is working to prevent lead poisoning in PA from the policy level. Saumya is also a YPAC representative to the Children First Board of Directors.
Ramune Bartuskaite
Ramune Bartuskaite
Ramune is a licensed architect and Associate at FIFTEEN Architecture + Design in Philadelphia—a practice driven by the desire to affect positive change. At FIFTEEN, Ramune has led Playful Learning Initiatives that create and amplify opportunities for children to learn outside the classroom. As CEO and Founder of Spec Matters, an advocacy platform for healthier buildings and materials, Ramune champions environments that enhance the well-being of diverse communities and building users of all ages. A passionate advocate for equity, she has initiated and led numerous advocacy efforts, including serving as a ULI Women’s Leadership Initiative Co-Chair, publishing and co-editing Women [Re]Build: Stories, Polemics, Futures, and being recognized as a 2024 ULI WLI Prologis Leader. Ramune also serves on the board of Rise First, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting first-generation and low-income students and professionals, working to bridge the achievement gap.
Tom Brown
Tom Brown
Tom is of counsel at the law firm of Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller. A graduate of Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs and Montgomery County public schools, he has been a Children First volunteer since 2018.
Tamir D. Harper
Tamir D. Harper
Tamir is the Director of Community Engagement for City Councilmember Rue Landau, in his role he focuses on strategic stakeholder engagement and assists with intergovernmental affairs. Prior to working for City Council, Tamir was a School District of Philadelphia teacher and climate manager.
Cory Johnson
Cory Johnson
Cory Johnson is a Philadelphia resident and current Program Coordinator for Drexel University’s Action for Early Learning, an early childhood education improvement initiative in West Philadelphia. Strongly committed to equitable quality education, she completed a PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning Policy Fellowship in 2018 and is a former Children First intern, supporting the Pre-K for PA Campaign.
JLy (John Mauricio Lyons)
JLy (John Mauricio Lyons)
JLy (they/them) explores the intersection of philanthropy and whole-person health, currently managing a portfolio of grants to community health centers and clinics across Southeastern Pennsylvania. Their prior work in both nonprofit and for-profit financial services, along with their ongoing engagement in Philadelphia’s arts community, furthers their understanding of equitable communities.
Julia Miller
Julia Miller
Julia Miller is a passionate advocate for equitable education and joyful learning. As Program Manager at Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network, she leads efforts to design public spaces that spark creativity, connection, and child-led learning in communities across Philadelphia. With a background in urban education and play-based learning, Julia’s work is grounded in the belief that all children deserve rich, engaging environments that support their full development. Her commitment to equity and innovation was shaped by a Fulbright research grant in Helsinki, Finland, where she studied the impact of social-emotional and play-based learning in early childhood. Julia brings experience in community engagement, grant-funded education initiatives, and grassroots collaboration, including her work launching a play-based classroom in North Philadelphia and leading playful public space projects through the Play Everywhere Philly grant. She is excited to join Children First’s Young Professionals Advisory Council to advocate for policies and programs that put children first in every neighborhood.
George Morse
George Morse
George is a seasoned law enforcement officer and serves as a Deputy Sheriff Sergeant in Philadelphia. George gives back to his community by volunteering as a Mentor with the 100 Black Men of Philadelphia Chapter. George also serves as a Board Director with the Center for Families and Relationships.
Rosa Parks-Green
Rosa Parks-Green
Rosa currently works at Temple University as the Assistant Director of Equal Opportunity Compliance. Prior to this, Rosa was a child welfare attorney at the City of Philadelphia Law Department and she also worked at the School District of Philadelphia in the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. She is excited to serve and advocate for young people in and around Philadelphia. Rosa is also a YPAC representative to the Children First Board of Directors.
Joy Soto
Joy Soto
Philadelphia native Joy Soto currently works as the Community Voices and Engagement Fellow for WHYY, cultivating partnerships and executing various civic dialogue events. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member for Greenlight Fund Philadelphia, Treasurer for LULAC Philly, and Board Member for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Philadelphia.
