Gift of Life Donor Program launched the Community Advisory Board (CAB) in 2024 to decrease barriers to organ donation, especially in communities with a high number of patients on the transplant waitlist and historically low donation and donor designation rates. Thousands of Philadelphians are waiting for a life-saving transplant, the majority from communities of color, and CAB helps advance community-driven solutions to increase awareness and trust in our life-saving mission.

Community Advisory Board members serve two-year terms as volunteers, meeting quarterly with regular monthly communication. Members are selected based on their commitment to Philadelphians, public health and addressing barriers to organ donation.

CAB Board Members

Angela D. Brooks, FAICP
Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer, City of Philadelphia

Angela Brooks brings more than 25 years of experience in urban planning, affordable housing, and community development. A nationally recognized leader in housing policy and zoning reform, Brooks previously served as Director of the Illinois Office of the Corporation for Supportive Housing, spent a decade at the Chicago Housing Authority during the nation’s largest public housing redevelopment, and is the immediate past national president of the American Planning Association. A kidney donor herself, Brooks is a passionate advocate for increasing minority organ donors and believes stable, affordable housing is foundational to health and well-being.

Myra Brown
CEO, NWON Opportunities LLC and Yelram Properties

Myra brings three decades of experience in human resources, grant writing, training and workforce development, construction, and executive leadership to the board. She created NWON Opportunities to provide employment readiness workshops and industry focused training to job seekers throughout the tri-state area. NWON helps businesses meet their employment needs while building a skilled workforce. Myra co-owns a residential construction firm in Philadelphia that provides adaptive modification, renovation and remodel services to the disabled and elderly throughout the city and state. She also owns a property development firm that is enhancing living spaces for those with moderate incomes.

Evon Burton
Associate Director of Consumer Marketing, Bristol Myers Squibb

Evon Burton joined the CAB with a strong background in health equity, consumer marketing, and community storytelling. A Philadelphia-based advocate for health literacy and the arts, Evon is committed to addressing systemic barriers to healthcare access in Black and Brown communities. “Organ donation is an act of community care,” Burton said. “It has the power to save lives and restore hope—and we all have a role to play.”

Marie C. Sánchez Smith
North Philadelphia Resource Hub Supervisor, Philadelphia Department of Public Health

Marie Sánchez Smith brings more than 30 years of professional experience across public health, community engagement, emergency preparedness, higher education, clinical, and nonprofit settings. Currently serving as the North Philadelphia Resource Hub Supervisor for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, she is deeply committed to advancing health equity, immigrant and migrant health, food access, and culturally appropriate health education. Marie is a mother of a donor hero and a long-standing advocate for organ donation, bringing both professional and personal insight to the board.

Charlita Davis
Deputy Chief of Staff, Philadelphia City Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr.,
Double Transplant Recipient

A committed public servant and lifelong resident of Philadelphia, Charlita is dedicated to ensuring that Philadelphia families can live, work, and play in thriving neighborhoods. Charlita continues to work hard to educate, empower, and advocate for area civic associations, block captains, and seniors by providing city services, resources and more than $1 million in Philadelphia Activities Fund grants. In addition to her work as a community leader, Charlita has a personal tie to organ donation as a double transplant recipient.

Richard (Rick) Hasz, Jr., MFS, CPTC
President and CEO, Gift of Life Donor Program

Rick started at Gift of Life in 1993 as a transplant coordinator before serving as the program’s vice president of clinical services for 22 years, assuming the role of president and CEO in 2022. He is also the president of the Gift of Life Transplant Foundation, Gift of Life Institute and Gift of Life Howie’s House.

As a respected expert in the field of donation and transplantation, he has lectured for more than 60 organizations and professional societies in the U.S. and internationally, participated in publishing hundreds of scientific papers and abstracts, led collaborations with leading medical centers and shared his knowledge and expertise with government and other national organizations. Under Rick’s leadership, Gift of Life’s Clinical Services team is widely recognized for developing the nation’s best practices in organ and tissue donation. “Gift of Life is committed to decreasing barriers to donation in communities of color by working in close partnership with leaders, advocates and families,” Rick said.

Earl C. Jones
Community Leader, Heart Recipient and Gift of Life Volunteer Ambassador

As a heart recipient who is more than 20 years post-transplant, Earl C. Jones is living testimony to the power of organ donation. He is an active Gift of Life volunteer ambassador who helps promote the importance of organ and tissue donation, advocating for those in need of donation as well as demonstrating the rich, full life possible thanks to transplantation. Earl actively works to further Gift of Life’s mission, participating in media interviews and special events.

Cynthia London
Community Leader, Donor Mom and Gift of Life Volunteer Ambassador

Cynthia London’s son, Sipho, became a donor hero upon his death in 1997, saving the lives of six people. Inspired by Sipho’s dream of becoming a teacher, Cynthia continues to honor her son and his legacy by dedicating herself to educating others about organ donation. Cynthia has spoken at almost every hospital in the area as well as schools and houses of worship and volunteered at every major Gift of Life event. As a valued advisor to Gift of Life for more than 20 years, she has served on the donor program’s Governing Board and currently serves on Gift of Life Howie’s House Advisory Board.

Belinda K. Mills
Chief of Staff, Pa. State Representative Regina Young, 185^th District

Belinda is the mother of two young men, one of whom received a tissue graft to support the healing process following a sports injury. Belinda has worked in social services for more than a decade, helping children and families as a behavioral specialist and therapeutic consultant. She has proven experience in providing sustainable resources to underserved communities including homeless veterans and seniors in Philadelphia and she looks for effective ways to accomplish goals by helping individuals to empower themselves.

Leslie “Freeway” Pridgen
Founder, Freedom Thinkers Academy and Hip-Hop Artist, Kidney Recipient and Donor Dad

Leslie Pridgen, Jr., famously known as Philadelphia Freeway, is a kidney recipient as well as the father of a donor hero. A well-known fixture in Philadelphia and a hip hop icon with more than 20 years in the music industry, Freeway was signed to Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records in 2001 at age 23, reaching the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 at 24, and performing around the country before age 30.

Freeway was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2015 when he was 37. He immediately started dialysis and, in 2019, Freeway received a transplant. In 2020, Freeway’s son Jihad Pridgen died suddenly, and, with the support of his compassionate family, saved the lives of four people through organ donation.

Tia Watson
Vice President of Advocacy, Public Policy & Legislative Affairs, Urban League of Greater Philadelphia

Tia is skilled at connecting residents to government and community resources, and is especially passionate about helping people in communities like the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia where she grew up. She earned degrees in communications and strategic leadership from Community College of Philadelphia and Temple University respectively and worked for U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah and Philadelphia Councilwoman Cindy Bass before serving as Southeast Pennsylvania Regional Director for U.S. Senator Bob Casey for more than six years. She said, “I look forward to working with Gift of Life to reach deeper into communities to spread awareness and education about the donor program. As an inaugural Community Advisory Board member, I look forward to supporting the board’s growth and engaging young Philadelphians in our efforts.”

Melissa Young
CEO, Mash Strategies (Board Facilitator)

Melissa Young is an award-winning communicator with more than a decade of experience in leading communication and marketing strategies that successfully position brands for increased visibility, growth and impact. In February 2020, Melissa committed her robust strategic communications experience in agency, healthcare, and nonprofit settings to create Mash Strategies, a full-service strategic communications and branding company. Since then, Mash Strategies has represented organizations like Penn Medicine, WURD Radio, Gift of Life Donor Program, Philadelphia Police Athletic League, TD Charitable Foundation, The School District of Philadelphia, North Broad Renaissance and others in their strategic communications, community engagement and digital efforts.