Our Board of Trustees

Bill has held various executive positions over the last 20 years with a major US corporation focused on growing new business and partnerships across the US and globally. He is currently retired and dedicating his time to growing the Family Promise Infrastructure in the Burlington County / Central NJ area.

Bill has an engineering degree from Georgia Tech, an MBA from Drexel University and served as an Officer in the US Naval Air Reserves.

Peggy is our longest serving board member, having served so long at this point that she doesn’t even remember when she started. She served as Board President for many years, before stepping down to assume her current role as Treasurer.

Peggy is a Rutgers graduate. Her business administration education made her a valuable asset to the companies that she’s worked for and she’s enjoying putting that expertise to work for Family Promise as Treasurer.

Peggy is a parishioner of St. Mary of the Lakes in Medford. She has 2 adult sons and a greyhound rescue that she adores. Her favorite time at Family Promise, and why she has stayed engaged for so long, is the time she gets to interact with the wonderful guest families we serve.

James L. Michalowicz is the Senior Manager – Legal Operations Business Performance for TE Connectivity based in Berwyn, PA. He serves as the law department’s leader for the company’s TE Operating Advantage and Extraordinary Customer Experience programs. Mr. Michalowicz has worked 20 years in-house serving in various law department operation leadership roles at DuPont and Tyco International. He is a Six Sigma Black Belt and certified Lean practitioner. In addition to serving as a trustee for Family Promise of Burlington County, Mr. Michalowicz serves on the Social Policy Committee for Catholic Charities, Trenton Diocese.

Marie Cox joined the Family Promise organization in 2016 as a shelter coordinator for St. Mary of the Lakes Church in Medford, NJ. She has recently retired from a professional career in Human Resources and has now joined Family Promise of Burlington County Board of Directors. Marie also serves as a Ministry Leader at St. Mary of the Lakes Church and a volunteer and board member for The Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Barbara Carlson is a retired public-school counselor. As a teacher, coach, and counselor, she has worked with children of all ages and families for 35+ years. Barbara holds master’s degrees in counseling and Theology. She is active in the Methodist Church, where she has been a lay speaker and a member of the Caring Team. Barbara has been a volunteer with Family Promise since 2015.

Bob Baranowski is a parishioner of St. Joan of Arc and a partner with Hyland Levin Shapiro LLP, both located in Marlton NJ. Bob’s law practice is focused on land use, zoning and environmental law. He has been practicing law in New Jersey since 2000 and has been a parishioner of St. Joan of Arc since 2005.

Bob’s community involvement and participation in local professional groups includes actively volunteering at St. Joan’s for various activities, membership in the New Jersey State Bar Association, and the South Jersey Chamber of Commerce. Before hanging up his clipboard, Bob also coached youth sports for several years with Marlton Recreation Council and St. Joan of Arc.

Bob is married to Alyson and they have three grown children who grew up in Marlton and are gradually leaving the nest. Bob and Alyson enjoy walking their dog Lucy together, attending sporting events, sampling craft beers and spending time with friends and family.

Kate DiBenedetto is a licensed Mortgage Loan Professional with 28 years of experience in the Industry. Kate has the knowledge and experience to help clients find the loan that meets even the most unique needs.

Kate BA from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from Temple University/Fox School of Business.

Kate has been an active volunteer for many years with the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey, UCONN Alumni Association and most recently as a Board Member of Tamarac Lakes Association for the past 6 years.

In her free time, Kate enjoys traveling with her 12 year old daughter, playing golf and taking hikes/walks with her two Golden Retrievers.

Bill Thompson is a parishioner at St. Mary of the Lakes and St. Joan of Arc, both host churches for FPBC. Bill is a recent retiree of Archer, where he focused on all aspects of family law including divorce, adoption, parental rights, custody, support, and domestic violence. He also has experience in landlord/tenant litigation and will share that expertise to the benefit of our Prevention program.

Bill has previously served on the boards of the New Jersey and Southern Pennsylvania chapters of the Arthritis Foundation. He looks forward to bringing that experience to our board and being a passionate champion of Family Promise of Burlington County.

Donna comes to us with a Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University. As a recent retiree of the Department of Veterans Affairs, her knowledge of the services available to people experiencing homelessness will greatly benefit our guests. Additionally, her work with a service accreditation agency will provide insight and expertise to the Board of Trustees on standards of care and best practices.

Donna is looking forward to putting her extensive knowledge to work in FPBC’s mission to end housing insecurity.

Eileen Wirth, President & CEO of MEND Inc., has focused her career on affordable and subsidized housing. Her employment started at the NJ State Housing Finance Agency, and in the ensuing 30 years advanced her career through positions at both for profit and non-profit housing developers and managers both in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In joining MEND, Ms. Wirth brings her experience and success in engaging with and leading teams, reorganizing and restructuring staff to increase productivity, and analyzing operational policies and practices to improve performance for the organization.

Ms. Wirth earned her BCS with a concentration in Finance, from what was then Rider College, in 1988, and obtained her MBA from Rider University in 1995. In addition to her MBA Ms. Wirth holds the Certified Property Manager (CPM)® designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), the Housing Credit Compliance Professional designation from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Specialist in Housing Credit Management, and National Affordable Housing Professional Executive designations from the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA).

Ella Peterson is a Burlington Country native and grew up volunteering for FPBC through her home congregation, St. Matthew's Lutheran. A recent graduate of Amherst College, she studied Political Science and Economics and was involved in a variety of progressive organizing and advocacy efforts. She currently serves as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, where she researches affordable housing policy and programs.

Jacob Mathew has been working within the pharmaceutical industry over the last 20 years. He holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the college of pharmacy at Saint Joseph’s University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Drexel University.

Jacob is a native of Philadelphia but has been a resident of Mount Laurel since 2009 along with his wife and four children. He is an active member of Seven Mile Road Church in Philadelphia and serves as deacon and treasurer. Jacob and his family have a passion for serving the local community and have taken part in volunteering with many organizations in the greater South Jersey region.