The Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) is thrilled to welcome 8 new Serve Philadelphia VISTA Corps members for the 2021-22 program year. VISTA Corps members work with City departments to fight injustices and causes of poverty.
Name: Jonathan Zisk
Area of focus: Eviction prevention
Background: Jonathan just finished a year as a PHENND Fellow VISTA with the Office of Grant Development at the School District of Philadelphia. Before moving to Philly, he graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon with an English major, and also spent two years at Deep Springs College in California. Jonathan is an avid reader and writer. He studied American literature, but love reading all sorts of texts. He is passionate about the urban environment and want to work to make cities better and more equitable places for all to live. Jonathan is excited to be working in eviction prevention because he believes that housing stability is one of the most important factors in building stronger neighborhoods and communities. In his free time, he enjoys running, biking, crossword puzzles, baking bread, and reading books about urban planning and infrastructure.
Name: Olivia Hawk
Area of focus: West Philadelphia Promise Zone
Background: Olivia is originally from Connecticut and earned a B.A. in Political Science from Saint Joseph’s University in 2020. Throughout her college career, she volunteered and interned with multiple Philly non-profit organizations where she became dedicated to capacity-building and community engagement. Olivia is excited for her role as Promise Zone Vista and looks forward to working alongside local communities to alleviate structural inequalities. In her free time, she enjoys reading and perfecting her focaccia recipe.
Name: Ryan Lamberti
Area of focus: West Philadelphia Promise Zone
Background: Ryan graduated with his M.S. in Sustainable Communities from Binghamton University, SUNY, in 2020, and his B.S. in Public Administration and Public Policy from SUNY Cortland in 2018. During graduate school, he conducted research to understand the challenges and barriers communities face when implementing community energy plans. Previously, Ryan interned at an entrepreneurial assistance center, where he worked on grants to support community and economic development in upstate New York. Originally from the Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York, he became inspired to learn how to revitalize its communities. Ryan is excited to work as a Promise Zone VISTA to improve the West Philadelphia community, learn about community resiliency and community engagement, and gain meaningful work experience in city government.
Name: Gianna Colantuono
Area of focus: West Philadelphia Promise Zone
Background: Gianna is a recent graduate of Temple University, where she studied Community Development and became interested in equitable development, transportation planning, sustainability, and collaborative planning. Her work experience includes community engagement, working with youth, research, and data collection. She is proud to be from Philadelphia and is looking forward to working with the Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity as a Promise Zone VISTA.
Name: Pascal Cristafolo
Area of focus: West Philadelphia Promise Zone
Background: Pascal (he/him, they/them) is driven to understand what causes humans to harm each other, at both the individual and systemic level, and how to move towards collective healing. He looks to the principles of Transformative and Restorative Justice in addressing how we respond to harm and crime in our communities. Before the pandemic, Pascal volunteered with individuals incarcerated at youth in a prison in California and continues to be involved with that work. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in the History of Art and Visual Culture. Having recently moved from his hometown of Oakland, California, Pascal is excited to be in Philadelphia working with the Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity.
Name: Nissim Lebovits
Area of focus: West Philadelphia Promise Zone
Background: Nissim (he/him) graduated from Vanderbilt University in May of 2020 with a BA in History and a minor in Spanish. His time living and traveling abroad over the past five years has taught him the importance of sound, comprehensive urban policy and practice. Having grown up in the Philadelphia suburbs, he is now looking forward to re-engaging with the city and serving the community of West Philadelphia.
Name: Juliane Jemmott
Area of focus: Fines and Fees
Background: Juliane is a Spring 2021 graduate of Hampton University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. Throughout her tenure at Hampton, Juliane was involved in various organizations and held many leadership roles. Following this year working as a VISTA, Juliane plans to attend law school to become an attorney.
Name: Jack Berroug
Area of focus: Financial Equity
Background: Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, Jack is a 23-year-old graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Neurobiology and a certificate in Criminal Justice and Leadership. His long-term goals are to become an attorney for the ACLU and eventually start his own non-profit to help combat issues associated with poverty. In his free time, Jack enjoys watching and playing sports (huge Milwaukee Bucks fan!), working out, reading, going to concerts, and trivia.