Tamela Luce Named CEO for Phoenixville Community Health Foundation

July 2, 2019 (Phoenixville, PA) – The Phoenixville Community Health Foundation’s Board of Directors has named Tamela Luce the new President and CEO effective August 5, 2019.

Luce has more than two decades of philanthropic experience. She spent more than seven years as the Senior Program Officer for HealthSpark Foundation, a private foundation that works with health and human services organizations in Montgomery County to build a more resilient safety net. Prior to that role, Luce was the Director of Grantmaking for Women’s Way for several years, one of the nation’s oldest and largest women’s funding organizations. 

While at HealthSpark, Luce worked to improve nutrition and food access for vulnerable populations in Montgomery County. She established a countywide network of emergency food providers and spearheaded the creation of the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network, a coalition of hunger relief organizations, the region’s food bank and county government officials working together to make healthy foods available to all communities in the county.

Luce has held numerous leadership positions within the philanthropic sector, both regionally and nationally. She served as Co-Chair for the Greater Philadelphia Food Funders from 2014-2015, launching several gatherings of philanthropic organizations across the commonwealth involved in food systems work. She also participated in statewide policy initiatives around food, including helping to inform Setting the Table:  A Blueprint for a Hunger-Free PA. And she served on the national strategy committee for the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders.

Luce holds a Master of Public Administration degree, with a concentration in nonprofit management, from West Chester University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Institutions and Policy from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.

“The Board is excited to bring such a well-respected and seasoned philanthropic leader to Phoenixville. Tamela has an innovative spirit and a deep knowledge of how to strengthen our network of grantees and partner organizations. She knows how to bring people together from the nonprofit sector, government and the business community to create better healthcare access and health outcomes for all residents, including the most vulnerable members of our region,” said John Colarusso, Chairperson of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation’s Board of Directors. “Tamela will be responsible for the implementation of our new strategic plan and ensuring that our grants and programs reflect the changing needs of the Greater Phoenixville region,” he added.

The Board launched a formal search for retiring President and CEO Dr. Louis J. Beccaria in October 2018. “The Board knew the the importance of selecting the right candidate to lead our organization into the next decade while meeting the changing needs of our community. The Board hired Capacity for Change LLC to head the search for the Foundation’s new President and CEO. It was a nine-month process that brought us to Tamela. Her experience, expertise, and excitement will positively impact the future of the Foundation and our community,” said Board Secretary and Search Committee Chair Kathryn Evans, Executive Director of Church Housing Corporation.

“As the retiring President and CEO of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation after having the honor and privilege of guiding the foundation for the past 21 years, I’d like to express my support and endorsement for the selection of Tamela Luce as my successor. Tamela comes very qualified in both her personality, past education and previous philanthropy experience to take over the leadership of our health conversion foundation. She has had a history of accomplishment and leadership in several health-related areas at her previous foundation,” Dr. Beccaria said. “I am very confident that Tamela will make a strong and lasting contribution to the foundation and the greater Phoenixville area which it serves,” he added.

The mission of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation is to improve the health and quality of life for people in the Greater Phoenixville region by increasing access to quality healthcare services and promoting healthy communities through grant-making and collaboration with health, civic, business and community partners.

For more information, please contact:

John Colarusso
Chairperson of the Board of Directors
Phoenixville Community Health Foundation   
Email: jcolarusso@pchf1.org