Leadership
Marian Baldini
President and CEO
Marian came to KenCrest as CEO in December 2015. She has over 40 years of executive planning, administration, academia, and direct support in the human services sector, 14 of which she served as Chief Operating Officer at JEVS (Jewish Employment and Vocational Services) of Philadelphia. Prior to her tenure with JEVS, Marian was Regional Operations Director for Northwestern Human Services (NHS), and before that, Vice President at Elwyn. Her first position following graduate school was as a Direct Support Professional in a KenCrest community home.
Marian earned a B.A. in Psychology from Temple University, an M.A. in Mental Health Evaluation from Drexel University, and a master’s in Business Administration from Widener University. She is currently an Adjunct Faculty Member of the graduate program at Widener University School of Business. She has been recognized by Philadelphia Business Journal as one of the “Most Admired CEOs” (2019) in the region, as well as a “Woman of Distinction” (2015); one of Main Line Today’s “Power Women” in 2021; and most recently recognized by Lutheran Services of America (LSA) for her leadership as their first-ever Paragon Award recipient in 2022.
Marian Baldini
Colleen Kelly
Colleen has been with KenCrest since 1995, starting as a Fiscal Director in KenCrest’s Children & Family Services division. Since then, Colleen’s role has expanded to Controller, then Vice President of Corporate Finance, and most recently, Chief Financial Officer. Prior to KenCrest, Colleen worked at KPMG in Philadelphia as an Audit Manager. She has a B.S. in Business and Economics from Lehigh University. She is a Board Member of the Lutheran Financial Managers Association, is a Certified Public Accountant, and a member of AICPA and PICPA. Colleen was honored with a Corporate Leadership Award by the Philadelphia Business Journal and CFO of the Year by the Main Line Chamber of Commerce in 2024.
Aurora Kripa
Ms. Kripa came to KenCrest as a consultant in November 2018 and took on the role of Chief Human Resources Officer in June 2019, and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2022. Prior to joining KenCrest, she served as Chief Executive Officer of JEVS (Jewish Employment and Vocational Services) at Home. Aurora received a B.A. in Psychology and Italian from Temple University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from La Salle University, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. She is fluent in three languages including English, Albanian, and Italian. Aurora has been recognized as Billy Penn’s: “Who’s Next” in Public Service Award in 2018, SmartCEO’s 2017 Future 50 Award in 2017, and honoree of the 2016 Cornerstone Award.
John Howe
John has been with KenCrest since 1994, being named Chief Technology Officer in September of 2014. He previously served as the Director of Information Systems as well as the Data Processing Manager at KenCrest. During his tenure, he has built the company’s technology infrastructure and spearheaded joint IT ventures with other non-profit organizations. Prior to joining KenCrest, Mr. Howe was employed by TV GUIDE Magazine. John has successfully completed numerous information technology courses from Penn State University and holds an IT Management Certification from Villanova University.
Ellen Mansfield
In 2022, Ellen Mansfield joined KenCrest as the Chief Development Officer after a nine-year term at Melmark. Before joining KenCrest, Ellen spent the early part of her career fundraising for higher education institutions and an inner-city high school. Ellen became devoted to Human Services when she became the Center for Autism’s first grant writer and initiated program evaluation for their early intervention and after-school programs. Ellen received a B.A. from Ursinus College and her MBA from La Salle University. Right out of college, Ellen’s career began at the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission before her passion for helping people changed her direction to fundraising for nonprofit organizations. She is very excited to support KenCrest’s strong grants and marketing efforts while expanding the individual and planned giving programs.
James (Jim) O’Connor
Jim joined KenCrest in August 2021 as Vice President of Human Resources and previously served as the Vice President of Human Resources and Compliance for JEVS (Jewish Employment and Vocational Services) Human Services. He joins our team with over 20 years of experience in the human services industry; supporting other provider agencies through human resources management, compliance and privacy, and performance improvement programs. Jim earned both his BA and Masters of Healthcare Administration from Penn State University, and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Health Care Compliance Association, and the Penn State University Alumni Association.
Joyce Reiss
Joy joined KenCrest in 1999, serving as an Employment Consultant, being promoted to Site Facilitator and then Director of Facility-Based Programs. In 2009, she became the Assistant to the Executive Director of KenCrest Services. Ms. Reiss has an Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy from Penn State University and a B.A. in Psychology from Lebanon Valley College.