About

PRESIDENT/CEO

Janeen Latin

As President/CEO, Janeen is a passionate advocate for person-centered supports and services and believes that everyone, given appropriate supports, has the capacity to live a meaningful life. Janeen’s tenure with UCP has prepared her to successfully navigate the complexities of Pennsylvania’s dynamic human services environment. Her focus is on delivering measurable, cost-effective results that support the mission of the organization to empower individuals of diverse abilities to live a meaningful life through innovative support and services.

Janeen joined UCP Central PA as a volunteer in 1997, and then ultimately paid staff where she spent seven-years leading the Family Support and Assistive Technology areas of the organization. She then moved into a role as Development Manager (2005), then Director of Development (2006), and ultimately Foundation Executive Director (2013) where she led the fund development and marketing and communication efforts of the organization. In 2015, she was promoted to Chief Management Officer and then Chief Operating Officer (2017) where she led the information technology, finance, human resources, and ongoing assessment of the organization’s strategic initiatives and program operations until being named President/CEO in 2019.

Janeen joined the UCP National Board of Trustees in October 2022. She is a graduate of the UCP National Emerging Leaders Academy class of 2012 and has presented at the local, state, and national level for UCP related to Assistive Technology supports and services between 1999 and 2004.

An avid community volunteer, Janeen has served as a Community Carepoint Board member since 2013 where she helps to facilitate accessible recreation opportunities. She worked diligently to secure funding and volunteer support to make both the Adventure Zone accessible playground and Adventure Fitness projects a reality. She is also an Advisory Committee member for the Pennsylvania Disability Advocacy Fund (2020), formerly UCP of Pennsylvania, whose goal is to provide funding for the advocacy related to the independence, productivity, and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities in Pennsylvania.

Janeen holds an AA in Human Services from Harrisburg Community College, BS in Organizational Leadership from Penn State University and a MPS in Organizational Leadership, with a concentration on finance from Central Penn College. She holds a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Temple University.

Janeen is the recipient of the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal’s Women of Influence Award for service to the community (2020) and the Ronald R. Cowell Award (2001) for excellence in service to young children with disabilities and their families.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Dereje Zewdu

As Chief Financial Officer, Dereje Zewdu serves as lead decision maker for the allocation of UCP’s financial resources in support of the overall fiscal well-being of the Agency. He directs all activities of the Finance Department to ensure its effective and efficient operation,and is responsible for ensuring regulatory and GAAP compliance of all accounting and financial reporting functions. Dereje prepares, communicates, and presents financial information, strategic information, policies, procedures, and/or operational recommendations to a variety of stakeholders, as appropriate. He monitors performance to ensure operating results are consistent with organization objectives. Dereje joins the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer in comprising UCP’s Executive Team.

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Bridget Pugh

As Senior Director of Operations, Bridget Pugh is responsible for providing operational team leadership across all service lines of UCP. In that capacity, she works to ensure the long-term financial health and profitability of each division, as well as explore opportunities for future growth throughout the organization. Bridget is responsible for developing sound operational strategies and systems to ensure delivery of Gold Standard services while also ensuring program sustainability and compliance with all regulatory guidelines. She is adept at developing high performance teams that work collaboratively to create positive outcomes for all stakeholders. With more than 30 years experience managing a variety of supports for individuals with intellectual disabilities, Bridget serves as a valued resource and counsel for UCP’s Executive Team.

Human Resources Director

Nate Desmarais

Nate comes to UCP with more than 20 years of experience in the human resources profession in industries ranging from healthcare to banking.  Most recently, he served for 8 years as Director of Human Resources for CURE International, an international non-profit primarily focused on treating children with orthopedic disabilities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Messiah College and a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from St. Francis University. He also holds the certifications of Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and SHRM-Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). Nate and his wife Tammy have two daughters, Olivia and Amelia, and one son, Grayson.  They reside in Mechanicsburg. 

DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Thomas McDermott

I started my career in the human services field over twenty-five years ago as a DSP.  I have since worked in other areas of behavioral health such as mental health and D&A services, but my vast experience is working in Intellectual Disabilities, Autism and Early Intervention programs.  I was born in Washington DC but have spent most of my life in State College which included attending Penn State for my undergraduate degree in Health Policy & Administration. I later went on to St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia for my MBA in Health Care Administration. I have two sons; Jackson is 29 and Paul is 26.

DIRECTOR OF AGENCY WITH CHOICE

Jamie Fleck

As Director of UCP’s Agency with Choice (AWC) division, Jamie Fleck is responsible for direction and oversight of a support model that gives individuals choice and control over their own services, both at home and in the community. Jamie is responsible for ensuring successful delivery of these self-directed services, through fiscal oversight, regulatory compliance, and continuous staff development. Throughout her 10-year tenure with UCP, Jamie has been guided by the belief that every person should be afforded both the respect and the opportunity to live the life they want to live, how they want to live it.

DIRECTOR OF RESIDENTIAL AND CLINICAL SERVICES

Violet Mwangi

As Director of Residential and Clinical Services, Violet Mwangi is responsible for ensuring delivery of “Gold Standard” services and supports that empower individuals to experience a more independent lifestyle, greater community engagement, and a place to call home. To that end, Violet is responsible for developing and maintaining effective operational systems and ensuring that all policies adhere to government regulations and best practices.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION SUPPORTS

April Treaster

In her role as Director of Community Participation Supports, April Treaster is responsible for day-to-day operational oversight of this community-focused, forward-looking service alternative to traditional day programs. In that capacity, she is responsible for quality improvement and growth, continuous staff development, and regulatory compliance.  A strong proponent of the philosophy that individual growth and development is a lifelong opportunity, April focuses on three key areas of participation: communication, choice and control, and community engagement.

DIRECTOR OF CHILDHOOD AND ANCILLARY SERVICES

Marci Walborn

As Director of Childhood and Ancillary Services, Marci Walborn provides strategic direction and oversight of several inter-related UCP service lines, including Early Intervention, Family Support, and Assistive Technology/Independent Living Technology. She is responsible for fiscal oversight, regulatory compliance, continuous staff development, and ongoing evaluation of each service. With over 20 years of hands-on experience in Early Intervention–and as a testament to her commitment to the successful early development of all children–Marci continues to support a small caseload as an Occupational Therapist. She also lends her Occupational Therapy knowledge and expertise to other UCP divisions as needed.

Controller

Katherine Bobeck

Katherine graduated from Mt. Carmel Area (Mt. Carmel, PA) and went to college at Bloomsburg University where she received a degree in accounting. She brings over 20 years of professional experience in public accounting, fiscal operation, financial reporting, and process reengineering. Katherine started her professional career in public accounting where she was a CPA and a Certified Fraud Examiner. Since then, Katherine worked for Omega Financial (Omega Bank), the Mifflin County Commissioners, a union, and most recently, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

QUALITY & COMPLIANCE MANAGER

Maddy Keiper

As Quality Manager, Maddy Keiper serves as a valuable resource for UCP leadership and program staff across the agency.  She brings to her role more than 10 years of experience in human services and an understanding of how to continually improve services to better support individuals, Maddy works to standardize processes, identifies and minimizes risks within the organization, and develops quality measures to challenge the organization to deliver the highest quality services to the people we support. Maddy’s passion for human services combined with her understanding of continuous improvement are key to helping UCP’s Operations Team achieve its commitment to excellence.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER

Terrence Thoman

As IT Manager, Terry Thoman is UCP’s primary technology strategist, systems architect, and IT support operations manager. He plans and directs the technology resources of the agency, maintains computing servers, networks, and telecommunications infrastructure, is responsible for data security and integrity, and manages the day-to-day operation of the IT support team.