In 2005, Nilda Iris Ruiz became the second president and CEO of APM since its inception in 1970. Under Ms. Ruiz’s leadership, the social services organization has become one of the most prominent Latino-founded agencies in the nation. It has received awards for its transformative work helping thousands of families lift themselves out of poverty and bringing over a billion dollars of investments into Eastern North Philadelphia. Ruiz is known for creating opportunities for community residents to thrive and understanding that long-term success requires collaboration between the public and private sectors.

She has been at the forefront of award-winning projects including Sheridan Homes; a Gold-LEED certified “green” affordable housing development; national NAEYC accreditation; Pennsylvania Keystone 4-star rated early childhood education centers; and the new APM headquarters. She is a key community innovator in Philadelphia, respected for her multicultural leadership, nurturing and protecting children, and education advocacy. Locally, she serves on the boards of the Urban Affairs Coalition and PNC Advisory Committee, and previously the Philadelphia Planning Commission, the Temple University Economic Opportunities Advisory Committee, and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s Steering Committee.

In addition, Ruiz serves on many national boards including the Local Initiative Support Corporation and is the president of the National Puerto Rican Agenda. She has been recognized as one of the Top Power 100 in PA by City & State Pennsylvania News and by the PA Housing Finance Agency in their annual awards.

In her work, she is driven by love for community and family. Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Ruiz is a graduate of the public school system and received her bachelor’s degree at Temple University and her MBA from Eastern College. Through her mom’s mantra of self-reliance and hard work, Ruiz lifted herself from poverty, and with the support of husband Sasha Singh, adopted two beautiful children, Brian and Kimberly. She credits her accomplishments to the love she holds for her community and family.

Manuel Delgado came to APM in early 2020 after serving as the COO for Leap Academy University Charter, where he guided a 185-person staff to help the children and families of Camden, New Jersey to enhance opportunities for education, health and human services programs and through community development.

With extensive experience in planning, finance and development, he understands how to collaborate with a diverse range of public and private stakeholders to empower communities. In his hometown of Moorestown, New Jersey, Delgado was an esteemed member of the city’s Planning Board, Recreational Advisory Committee and Low-Income Housing Committee before becoming the first Hispanic mayor in 2016.

As COO, he works to develop and implement sustainable operational procedures to improve and maintain the health and innovation of APM. Delgado oversees and supports the efforts of all program departments.

Hanns joined APM in April 2018 as Director of Business Administration for Behavioral Health before becoming CFO.

Bringing vast experience in finance and operations management, she became the administrator of the Pradera Corporation, an APM subsidiary that provides foster care, kinship care and adoption services, in July 2019. She has served as the chief of staff and deputy commissioner of finance at the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS), where she handled a $600 million budget and created the financial infrastructure for the Improving Outcomes for Children (IOC) model.

As CFO, Hanns is responsible for the daily operations of Finance, Information Technology, Property and Asset Management.

Rasak Azeez came to APM in 2005 following seven years as Vice President for Finance and Administration of the National Congress for Community Economic Development in Washington D.C. In this position, he managed all of the organization’s operations including, finance, budgeting, accounting, human resources, Management Information Systems (MIS) and contract administration. Today at APM, he uses his expertise to improve APM’s organizational standards of performance, service delivery and quality.

Previously, Azeez worked in both finance and management operations at the Bronx AIDS Services in New York City and the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. In his 12 years with the Commission, he supervised the accounting and financial staff and was responsible for a budget of $100 million and a payroll of more than $60 million. He also monitored operations for cash management, collections and reconciliations, invested securities and prepared financial statements.

Since joining APM in 1990, Rose Gray has been actively engaged in the revitalization of eastern North Philadelphia, leveraging more than $200 million in investments.

During her tenure, Gray has managed all aspects of APM’s community-based revitalization plan, from community organizing to planning and development. In addition to physical redevelopment work, Gray is responsible for APM’s rental and commercial portfolio, in addition to a housing counseling program for persons of low and moderate income. Among her many accomplishments at APM, she is behind the development of over 350 units of affordable housing, Pradera Homes and the LEED Platinum mixed-use Paseo Verde complex where APM is headquartered.

Gray serves on various boards and committees, including the TRF New Market Advisory Board, Urban Land Institute, Community Design Collaborative and Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations. Ms. Gray was appointed to the Commission on Aging by Mayor Michael Nutter in 2011 and was reappointed in 2016 by Mayor Jim Kenny.

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Dr. Hector Colón-Rivera is a distinguished general, adolescent and addiction psychiatrist. He has broad experience in community-based programs, with an emphasis on those that help to increase access to assisted medical treatments for patients with substance use disorder. As Medical Director, he is dedicated to improving the quality of life of Hispanic communities through direct behavior and substance use disorder services in the Philadelphia area.

He is an attending telemedicine physician and a participant in a grant funded by the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) initiative at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Additionally, Colón-Rivera is a member of the Pennsylvania Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and a senior advisor for the Opioid State Targeted Response Technical Assistance effort for Puerto Rico. He is a faculty member at UPMC and Einstein Medical Center.

Throughout his career, Dr. Colón-Rivera has received many awards and merits, including the 2019 Bruno Lima Award in Disaster Psychiatry, a national award that recognizes outstanding contributions of APA members in the care and understanding of the victims of disaster.

Emily Cordero will oversee APM’s external and internal communications strategy and execution, media relations, executive visibility, industry analyst relations, as well as support financial communications.

“We’re excited to welcome Emily, a stellar communication professional with an expert blend of real-world journalism experience and a proven ability to lead integrated communication campaigns, said Nilda Ruiz Ruiz, Chief Executive Officer, APM. “From reporting about high-profile newsmakers to representing power players, she is uniquely positioned to distinguish key elements that will help execute our vision and mission for the community.”

Cordero is a bilingual communications leader with more than 20 years of transformational oversight in media relations, financial communications, corporate social responsibility, public affairs, and crisis management. She accrued top-tier journalism experience working as an anchor and reporter for Univision 65 and numerous large-market TV stations, where her work has earned Society of Professional Journalists awards.  “I’m honored to join APM, a nonprofit for the people of North Philadelphia with many compelling stories about how it’s reshaping the lives of the most vulnerable,” said Emily Cordero, Director of Communications, APM.

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Margarita Hernandez began her APM career in 1994 as an assistant teacher. In 2009, Ms. Hernandez was promoted to Senior Director of Early Childhood Programs and now supervises the delivery of educational services in four centers that are attended by more than 600 students. She oversees all Head Start, Pre-K Counts, Phila Pre-K and childcare programs.

In addition to her experiences at APM, Hernandez has worked as an independent contractor for early intervention at Bilingual Therapy Solutions and as an early childhood instructor at Esperanza College. She served as the Professional Co-Chair for the Philadelphia Interagency Coordinator Council (PICC) from 2010 to 2012 to help children with special needs and also participated in the Universal Philadelphia Pre-K initiative organized by Mayor Kenney.

Hernandez is a second generation Puerto Rican born in Philadelphia but raised in Puerto Rico. In 1989, she moved back to Philadelphia where she began learning English and evolving in a bicultural environment. She received her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from Temple University and her Master’s in Special Education from Saint Joseph University.

Kyanna Hunter joined APM in late 2019 with more than 15 years of expertise in the field of child welfare. She has served as a social worker, as well as a social work supervisor and senior learning specialist for the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS).

Hunter holds both her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work from Temple University and is a graduate of the Child Welfare Operations Leadership Academy under DHS. As CUA Director, Hunter is responsible for the program’s operations, compliance, management and outcomes. She will work with other service providers and organizations within the CUA catchment area.

Jaithra Jayakrishnan serves as the Behavioral Health Program Director at APM. She is a licensed clinical counselor in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey with over 20 years’ mental health experience. She is a National certified counselor and a Board-certified clinical supervisor.

Originally from India, she has worked with non-profit organizations and provided counseling and life skills training to diverse population globally. She is very passionate about understanding the limitless possibilities of human mind which encouraged her to earn two master’s degrees related to Mental Health (psychology and clinical counseling). She also has an MBA in Human resources management.

Jaithra is trained in addiction treatment from Eagleville Hospital in Norristown, PA, and has expertise in family therapy, sand tray therapy, and play therapy from the Family & Play Therapy Center in Philadelphia. Since 2012, she has supported the North Philadelphia community in addressing mental health and addiction challenges.

While working at APM, Jaithra earned certification in Prolonged Exposure Therapy for trauma from the University of Pennsylvania. Currently, she is participating in ongoing CBT training for APM clinicians through The Penn Beck Community Initiative.

In her role as Program Director, Jaithra ensures compliance with city and state regulations, maintaining APM’s policies to uphold high standards of service delivery. She prepares the organization for various audits conducted by the Department of Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Programs, including DDAP, OMHSAS, NIAC, and CBH. Additionally, she continues to supervise the Drug and Alcohol Program and the Mobile Mental Health Therapy.

Jaithra speaks six languages and is a certified Indian classical dance. In her leisure time, she engages in culinary exploration, preparing dishes from different cultures.

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