Vision
The vision of CAARSEA is for the Colonial area to be a community united to overcome racial injustice, where diversity is welcome, encouraged, celebrated, and valued.
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We work together to create and support systemic change at a local level in areas such as the schools, police and government structures.
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We respond directly to issues of discrimination, racism, and social inequity in our community.
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We raise awareness, model and facilitate courageous conversations, and provide resources for community learning and engagement.
Board of Directors
Bridget Gill
Marketing & Social Media
Bridget has been a resident of Plymouth Township since 2013 where she lives with her husband John and two kids, Brady and Maggie. Bridget began her activism in 2016 with the Women's March on Philadelphia. Issues like gender equality, equal pay and paid leave had always been front of mind until June 2020 and the murder of George Floyd. Her favorite thing about CAARSEA is how the community effort toward anti-racism has brought so many together (mostly virtually!). She plans to work every day to fight the injustices of systemic racism and hopefully teach her kids to do the same.
Lorrie Scott
Chair
Police Liaison
Lorrie has been a resident of the Colonial area for the past 18 years. She has two adult children, one of whom graduated from PW High School. In addition to CAARSEA, Lorrie works with a non-profit which focuses on the needs of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals in the Philadelphia area, as well as reducing their rate of recidivism. She has also served as the Events Chair for an art-therapy non-profit. Lorrie felt moved to join the CAARSEA leadership team during the George Floyd tragedy. As a mother of African American children, she is acutely aware of the fine line that exists in the relationship between police and the Black community and is driven by her desire to create and live in a community that 1.) is safe and welcoming to all — including our neighbors, families and visitors of color, and 2.) will serve as allies to POC wherever and whenever injustices arise. She enjoys being a part of an organization that actively creates opportunities for neighbors at large to unite and learn about and from one another.
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Sonia Cooper Pinkney
Secretary
Sonia is a wife, mom of three, and a Plymouth Township resident for almost a decade. She is honored to be a part of the CAARSEA core team and aims to work at advocating for an anti-racist society. In addition to CAARSEA, Sonia is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and has led multiple diversity-related initiatives through her employer. She was drawn to CAARSEA because of the opportunity to impact at a local level. Sonia believes that communication and change at the local level can create a lasting difference for generations to come.
Juliet Curci
Vice Chair
Treasurer
Originally from New Orleans, Juliet has called the Philadelphia area home for the last 16 years. She has resided in Lafayette Hill since April 2017 with her husband, Chris, and two children, Ben (8) and Genevieve (5). Juliet is an educator focused on access and equity issues in her professional work as well as in her public advocacy efforts. Her dedication to CAARSEA is related to her desire to see the community in which she raises her children demonstrate inclusivity and fight against injustice. Her favorite part about being involved with CAARSEA is the friendships and connections she has developed with the many inspiring people within the group.
Gail Plant
Police Liaison
Gail has lived in the Colonial Area community for 14 years. Gail has over 20 years of experience in community activism in Philadelphia and other surrounding areas. When the call of action was presented to Gail to join the CAARSEA leadership team, with no hesitation, she answered with a firm “yes”. Gail firmly believes that all citizens should have equal rights and opportunities. Her involvement with community programs throughout her life has aided in the emergence of her passion to join CAARSEA in bringing social equity to past in the Colonial community. When she leaves this earth, her aspiration is to have inspired all to open their minds and embrace all that God has planned for themselves, the community, the country, and the world.
Melissa Gartenberg Livney
Elections & Policy
Melissa moved to Lafayette Hill in 2007 where she lives with her husband (a PW grad), their dog, and their two children, both of whom attend elementary school in Colonial School District. She works as a clinical psychologist serving older adults, many of whom are in families affected by dementia. Melissa grew up in a very racially and religiously diverse town in Bergen County, close to New York City, where awareness of and attention to diversity and efforts towards anti-racism, though not always successful, were an integral part of local awareness. She was drawn to leadership in CAARSEA because she sees the group as an important force in leading a conversation, providing a forum for education, and building bridges throughout the Colonial area.
Monica Salvia
Youth & Schools
Communications
Monica Salvia has lived in Plymouth Township with her husband since 2009. She has a daughter and twin boys in the Colonial School District. Inspired by her neighbors’ outpouring of care in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, she moved from a (mostly) social media activist to attending CAARSEA events, and now volunteers on the CAARSEA Board. Monica brings her professional skills in volunteer management, event planning, and advancement to CAARSEA as chair of the Youth + Schools Committee and CAARSEA Communications. Her goal is to connect more deeply with her neighbors toward an inclusive and equitable community.