About - Greater Pike

About
Greater Pike

For Good. Forever.

Greater Pike Community Foundation, with its slogan “For Good. Forever.” was created to enable generous individuals, families and local businesses to maximize their charitable support through organized, targeted, long-term community philanthropy. Greater Pike provides a permanent and personal way to give back to the region we love and have worked so hard to nurture and maintain.

Board of Directors

Officers

Luke Turano

Luke Turano, Board Chair, of Turano Insurance & Financial, has worked in the Insurance and Risk Management industry since 2006. His father, Robert Turano Jr., founded Turano Insurance in Honesdale in 1974. Since taking over the family business in 2015, Luke has expanded the operation into a network of more than thirty agencies across the Northeast.

Before joining the Greater Pike Community Foundation Board, Luke served both his personal and professional communities through roles on the Milford Borough Council and as a member of several boards, including the Wayne Bank Advisory Board, Milford Enhancement Committee, Chamber of the Northern Poconos, Pike County Chamber of Commerce, and the Wayne Economic Development Corporation.

A 2005 graduate of Marywood University, Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In 2016, he and his wife, Krista, made their home in the Borough of Milford, where they are raising their two daughters, Mackenzie and Charley.

Reflecting on his decision to join the Greater Pike Community Foundation, Luke shares:

“I joined Greater Pike for a few reasons. First, when you look at the past and present board and committee members, it’s an astute group of people who have done truly exceptional work. Second, I’ve always been drawn to organizations that support, strengthen, and sustain other organizations around them—much like the Greater Pike mission. And lastly, I joined because of the foundation’s commitment to perpetuity. Having served on several councils and boards, long-term succession has always been a key concern of mine. I hope to have many years ahead to contribute to the greater Pike community.”

Omar Brown

Omar Brown, Vice Chair, has over 30 years of experience in financial services, advising institutional investors in both the public and the private market. He has been active as an Investment Banking advisor to private companies and as an investor (endowment and hedge fund) in the alternative investment space throughout his career, with a transaction history across most financial products (debt, equity, and derivatives) plus exposure to all major industry groups.

Prior to Young America, Omar was a senior manager at RedTail Capital markets, Merrill Lynch & Co, Bank of America, Cowen & Co, and BTIG. He has also managed both debt and equity risk with responsibility for convertible bond and exchange-traded funds businesses.

Omar received his BS in Economics from Amherst College. FINRA licenses 7, 63, 24.

Edson Whitney

Edson Whitney, Vice Chair, a native of Port Jervis, now consults and is Associate Director of the Center for Communication Programs at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. He was employed at Johns Hopkins for 26 years in social behavior change communication strategy design, conducting needs assessments, and designing and managing national programs in the areas of Family Planning, Maternal and Child Health, Adolescent Health and HIV/AIDS.

After completing his undergraduate degree at Gettysburg College, Edson returned to teach in the Port Jervis Middle School for 2 years before marrying his wife, Barbara, in 1975. They left their US teaching positions after their wedding and traveled and worked overseas as educators in Swaziland, Peace Corps Volunteers in Thailand, and teacher trainers and curriculum development specialists in a refugee camp in Indonesia.

Upon returning to the US, Edson completed his Masters degree in Development Communication at Cornell University after which they lived and worked in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Jordan where Edson managed national health communication programs for the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Edson and Barbara have two sons, one in Eagle, Colorado and the other, and a grandson, in Ladson, South Carolina. They relocated back to Shohola in 2013 and continue to consult and travel.

Carol Witschel

Carol Witschel, Secretary, Carol has been a part time resident of Pike County since 1992, and full time since 2007. After 20 years practicing intellectual property litigation and transactions in New York, she followed a dream and purchased Wisspering Pines Garden and Landscaping, where she grew flowers and planted trees and gardens around Pike County for 10 years. Upon retirement, she determined to get more involved in various community activities. She currently serves as the Secretary of the Pike County Public Library Board, chairs the Milford Presents Annual Halloween Pooch Parade, and joined the board of GPCF in 2023.

Peter Maio

Peter Maio, Treasurer, is a member of the Board of Directors of Valley National Bank where he serves on the Investment, Audit, and Risk Committees. Additionally he is the chairperson of the Cyber and Technology Risk Subcommittee. Peter is a former Chief Information Officer at Ally Bank with responsibility for Customer Information, Analytics and Corporate Technology. Prior to joining Ally, he held various technology leadership positions at large financial services companies including CIT, Charles Schwab, and Fidelity Investments. He served on the Board of Advisors of the North Carolina Technology Association from 2015 to 2018.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters of Business Administration in Information Systems and International Business from the Stern School of Business at New York University. In 2020 Peter earned the Computer Emergency Response Team Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from the CERT Division of Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.

Directors

Jenny Bogoni

Jenny Bogoni is a strategic education and social‑change leader committed to addressing complex societal challenges through collective, community‑driven action. She has led the growth of small enterprises and designed large‑scale initiatives that unite diverse partners around shared goals. Often described as a pragmatic idealist, Jenny is a skilled convenor who has successfully guided citywide, cross‑sector efforts involving hundreds of stakeholders to drive meaningful systems change. Her leadership of initiatives such as Read by 4th has significantly improved Philadelphia’s education outcomes and is recognized nationally as a model for mobilizing communities to create lasting impact.

Currently, Jenny serves as the Chief of Community Engagement and Public Programs for the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation where she oversees their author speaker series, One Book, One Philadelphia, and the Read by 4th Campaign to promote early literacy. A graduate of Haverford College with a B.A. in the Growth and Structure of Cities and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Gabon in the early 1990’s, Jenny has a passion for community engagement and investment.

Jenny is a part-time resident of Shohola.

Terri Christensen

Terri Christensen, a 23-year veteran first-grade teacher, was born and raised in Milford. Like both of her parents did before her, she works for the Delaware Valley School District. She also holds an important community position as an active Emergency Medical Technician. Terri has three children and three grandchildren. Following in the family footsteps, her daughter Jenna is a teacher for Delaware Valley. Her daughter Emily is an esthetician in New Jersey, and son Jake owns his own local landscaping business. Terri looks forward to her retirement, “so I can sit back, watch my grandchildren and enjoy a slower lifestyle.”

Jacqueline Damian

Jacqueline Damian is a writer and editor with a background in newspapers, magazines
and technology publishing. She moved to Pike County in 1986, first as a weekender and then full time. In 1997, she and her husband, George Borecky, bought a home in Milford Borough and have been involved in a variety of community activities over the years. The former editor of Antiques World magazine, Jackie runs a dealer space at Old Lumberyard Antiques with her husband.

Curt Goering

Curt Goering is the former executive director of the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) an international humanitarian organization providing comprehensive care for victims of torture and war atrocities, and conducting research, training, and engaging in policy efforts to stop torture and support torture survivors. He oversaw an international staff with offices in multiple locations in the U.S, Africa and the Middle East.

Prior to CVT, he was the Chief Operating Officer at Amnesty International USA, where he worked for nearly 30 years in several positions in several locations. He frequently led Amnesty International investigative missions, including many to conflict zones.

He also served Head of the Gaza Office for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Most recently he completed a fellowship at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Steve Kiesendahl

Steve Kiesendahl was born on Long Island, New York but still considers himself a lifelong Pike County resident. When his parents purchased a small 12-acre lakeside resort in 1958, Woodloch Pines became both the family’s home and their life’s work. Growing up in the business, Steve and his siblings worked side by side with their parents as the resort expanded from welcoming 35 guests to over 1,200 across more than 1,000 acres—including the championship Woodloch Springs golf course and The Lodge at Woodloch, one of the nation’s premier destination spas.

After earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Scranton and spending a year doing social work in Baltimore, Steve returned to help lead Woodloch’s continued growth. Now Vice President of Woodloch Inc., he remains dedicated to upholding the family’s tradition of hospitality while serving his community through organizations like the Wayne Memorial Hospital Board and the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau’s Marketing Committee.

Jennifer Liu

Jennifer Liu is a marketing professional, having served in executive positions at both Procter & Gamble and L’Oreal and handling international businesses in Europe and Asia. She relocated to the area to start her own business and recently moved to Milford. She now serves as Financial Controller at Cedar Lakes Estate, an event facility in Port Jervis.

Jennifer holds an MBA from the University of Florida, with part of her master’s studies being completed at Mannheim University, Germany. Prior to that, she earned her Bachelor’s at the University of California and moved to China to learn Chinese. She is excited to join Greater Pike as her first foray into philanthropy and is already learning from the team.

Ann Morey

Ann Morey has called Milford her second home since 1986 when her lifetime friend, Richard L. Snyder, purchased Foster Hill Farm. She served as Trustee of his Charitable Remainder Trust that left over $2.3 million to Greater Pike Community Foundation.

Upon retirement, Ann was Dean, College of Education and Distinguished Research Professor at San Diego State University. She is author of over 200 books and articles on higher education, diversity and teacher education. She is the recipient of several national awards for her professional career achievements and leadership in higher education. Morey has served as leader and member of numerous international, national and state non-profit boards and commissions.

Nancy Pinchot

Nancy Pinchot is a long-time resident of Milford, PA, with a deep family history that goes back to 1818, when the first Pinchot’s came to Milford from France. She and her husband, Peter first came to live full-time in Milford in 1989 (after summers here since childhood), when the Sawkill Creek was threatened by development. They started a community organization called Pike Environmental Defenders that succeeded in upgrading the stream to Exceptional Value. Since then, Nancy has been involved in various other environmental protection projects here in Milford. She and her husband worked for many years to put into conservation protection a large block of family land that is the site of the Milford Experimental Forest.

Nancy has been a freelance producer of dance events (she also ran a dance company for a while), but mostly she is an editor, writer, and historian, who has written about the Pinchot family in numerous publications. After a stint at Random House, she was the editor of a series called Conservation Classics published by Island Press. In 2001, she co-founded the musical series, Kindred Spirits with cellist, Yosif Feigelson. She is currently on that board as well as the board of Pike Opera. Nancy has two children and five grandchildren.

Jayson Pope

Jayson Pope is a third-generation educator who has been with Delaware Valley School District since 2003. Jayson began his career as a middle and high school social studies teacher before moving into administration as a high school assistant principal. Currently, he serves as Assistant Superintendent.

Jayson is the President of the Delaware Valley Educational Foundation and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the United Way, Pike County Chamber of Commerce, and Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance. Jayson is also a member of the Milford-Matamoras Rotary Club and previously served on the Board of Directors for the Pike County Public Library.

Jayson earned his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College and both his master’s degree and doctorate from Wilkes University.

Jayson and his family have been Milford residents since 2016. His wife, Amanda, is a biology teacher at Delaware Valley High School and his daughters, Hazel and Afton, are Delaware Valley students. Jayson enjoys traveling with his family, cheering on the Buffalo Bills, and listening to Phish.

Maggie Niles

Maggie Niles has lived in Blooming Grove Township full time since 1999. In addition to participating on the Greater Pike Community Foundation, she is active locally as a board member at the Peters Valley School of Craft, the Wayne Memorial Hospital Foundation, and on a committee for the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem.

Before moving to Pike County Maggie did community work in social services, schools and churches as well as working occasionally as a freelance editor and potter. She and her husband, Nick, have two children and two grandchildren.

Mary Virtue

Mary Virtue has worked as a consultant to nonprofits and foundations in many parts of the world. Offering strategic planning and evaluation services to community-based organizations in the US and overseas, Mary worked with people who were building stronger communities through the arts, economic development, social services, environmental improvements, and small business lending. Mary also offered consulting services to foundations as large as the Ford Foundation and as small as rural community foundations that supported this community work through targeted grant making and community engagement. Mary earned her Masters in Finance from Columbia University.

Since 2020, Mary has lived full time in Pike County, grateful for the chance to be in this beautiful environment and enjoy this friendly community.

Adriane Wendell

Adriane Wendell is new to the Greater Pike Board, having been active in numerous community groups since moving to Milford in 2008. After 29 years in the telecommunications industry in Atlanta and Washington DC, she retired to Milford for a new venture as an innkeeper and managed the Harrington House Bed & Breakfast in Milford for 12 years. She has served on numerous boards including the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, Black Bear Film Festival, Historic Trust of Pike County, Milford Borough Council, Milford Enhancement Committee and Milford Presents.

Adriane holds a MS/EdS degree from the State University of New York at Albany and a BA from the State University College at Oswego, New York. She has one son, Christopher in Austin, Texas.

“I am excited to join the board and learn more about the great work of the Foundation. Having been on the receiving end of several grants from Greater Pike, I look forward to enabling even greater support to the community through our work.”