Super Women

by Elena Laughton and Chelsea Valcourt | Dec 12, 2024

Each year we highlight local women going above and beyond to create a better world; this year’s list of Super Women is no expectation. Collectively, these women take a holistic approach to helping their communities and beyond, focusing on not just one demographic but imploring to help wildlife, teenagers, business leaders, young women and more. Through their work they showcase a compassionate understanding of the needs of those they serve and the heart and drive to provide care and solutions to those who need it most.

WOMAN OF THE YEAR: Kristin Prinn

The biggest honor of Prinn’s life has been engaging and empowering youth on their journey to become community leaders. As a leader in the South Jersey nonprofit circuit for 18 years herself, Prinn is the founder and executive director of Lifting Up Camden’s Youth (LUCY) Outreach, a youth development center serving 650+ youth and their families annually.

As a clinical social worker, Prinn’s focus areas include child and family welfare, human rights and racial justice, substance misuse disorder, immigration reform and mental health advocacy. These crucial areas, when addressed correctly, will create lasting systemic change within the larger community.

Prinn’s proudest professional accomplishment has been the incredible growth and capacity building of LUCY, turning it from a single-staff Catholic youth group in 2007 to the premier youth development center for teens in Camden city and throughout the county and state.

In 2022, LUCY grew exponentially, completing a 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art youth center on LUCY’s dream one-acre property. LUCY will soon become a trauma-informed and -responsive nonprofit. This will allow the organization to better address the needs of Camden County youth and families, increase its capacity, and impact long-term change within the city by growing and developing organizational leadership with program alumni—both as volunteers and staff. To date, four program staff are graduates of their respective programs and residents of Camden.

Although Prinn’s time is mostly spent at LUCY, she is passionate about volunteering in addiction recovery and homing stray cats with loving families.

The guiding words of her work are: “Find what breaks your heart and that will be your purpose.”

Lori Swanson

Swanson has dedicated her career to caring for wildlife and educating others on how to do the same. She serves as director of wildlife rehabilitation at Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, an organization whose mission includes wildlife rehabilitation, environmental education and conservation. In her role she oversees the care of over 7,000 injured and/or orphaned native wild animals annually. While the goal for all patients is to be released back into the wild, Swanson cares for over 50 native wildlife ambassadors that live permanently at Cedar Run due to unrepairable injuries.

Swanson holds state and federal licenses to rehabilitate mammal and avian species and is a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council. She wholeheartedly believes in the importance of continuing education to bring the best care to New Jersey’s native wildlife. Swanson has served on the New Jersey Association of Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Board of Directors for over a decade, where she provides information, educational resources and opportunities for both the public and animal professionals.

While working with animals has always been Swanson’s dream, she has also found that inspiring others to appreciate New Jersey’s native wildlife is extremely fulfilling and a critical part of her job. With her small staff, Swanson works alongside over 200 volunteers and a dozen interns each year. Watching them fall in love with their native wildlife continues to inspire her to save these sometimes unappreciated, yet special, animals and spread the word about the importance of rehabilitation in communities.

Tiffani Worthy

Worthy is an authentic leader and combat veteran with a diverse background that spans over 20 years. She continuously demonstrates a commitment to helping people and organizations reach their fullest potential in large part driven by her passion for learning.

In her community, Worthy was elected to serve on the Willingboro Township Council and unanimously selected by the council to serve as mayor. Today, Worthy serves as a councilwoman and leads the nonprofit organization All Things Are Possible (ATAP) Foundation which she founded along with her husband.

Through ATAP, Worthy has positively impacted the lives of thousands of youth in Burlington County through science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) programs, in addition to cultural trips to Harlem, New York and Washington, D.C., and college visits to the United States Military Academy in West Point. ATAP also hosts annual STEAM Expos with hands-on demonstrations from industry experts for school-age youth. Through her Summer Empowerment Experience, youth have learned to fish, explored the arts and improved their academic performance. Each spring, ATAP Foundation awards nearly $10,000 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors to help them further their education. At the close of each year, ATAP hosts the ATAP Community Service Awards and Kwanzaa Gala to celebrate people and organizations making a difference throughout Burlington County.

Worthy is a thoughtful and inclusive leader who consistently delivers solutions, achieves results and encourages those around her.

Karen Cohen

Following the passing of her father, Cohen turned to travel as a way to clear her mind and heal from her grief. A year later in August of 2023, Cohen attended a month-long trip to South Africa and Madagascar, not yet knowing the impact it would make on her life. While on this trip, Cohen connected with Madagscar-native tour guides Andreas Miha and Zafison Theophile and began discussing the struggles of the people and the best ways to address those needs.

“The people of Madagascar are the most kind, hard-working human beings I have ever met,” says Cohen. “Sadly, they live in abject poverty. The children walk barefoot to an infested river that is many miles from their home to bathe, drink and wash clothes in. There is no access to clean water. There is very little food or basic necessities. And there are no schools for most of the children.”

At the end of her trip Cohen left most of her clothing, sneakers and toiletries with Miha and Theophile to disperse to families in need. Despite arriving back home, the people of Madagascar never left her mind or heart and she continued to think of ways she could be involved.

In December 2023, Cohen returned to Madagascar and distributed 300 flip-flops to children in need of new footwear. By her third trip earlier this year, Cohen was able to build and prepare the first well to provide clean drinking water.

Wanting to do more, led Cohen to found Philawell—a charitable organization dedicated to providing clean water, education and sustainable resources to the Antandroy people of Madagascar. Before her fourth trip last August, Cohen connected with South Jersey organizations to collect monetary donations, clothes, school supplies and toys. Some of the initiatives she created included “Dresses for Success” and “Drive By Surprise.”

Rachael Glashan Rupisan

Glashan Rupisan is a highly accomplished strategy and thought leader with a proven growth record for nonprofit organizations. In 2022, she became the executive director for the Alice Paul Center for Gender Justice (formerly Alice Paul Institute), named after outspoken feminist activist Alice Paul who hails from Mount Laurel. Continuing Paul’s mission, the center works toward building a movement of gender justice and the empowerment of girls and young women. In just two years, Glashan Rupisan has led major organizational transition, boosted funding, and strengthened the organization’s visibility and impact on the gender justice ecosystem. In 2023, she became a member of the Philadelphia Forum of Executive Women—a nonprofit dedicated to advancing women in executive leadership roles.

Glashan Rupisan has served on various nonprofit committees including Dance USA’s National Host Committee, N.J. History Conference Planning Committee, Philadelphia 250 Women’s Committee and the Forum’s Pay Equity Committee. She also serves on the board of the Leah Stein Dance Company in Philadelphia. Glashan Rupisan holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from Temple University and a Women in Leadership certificate from Yale University.

Ginny Hill

Throughout her career, Hill has championed the development of leadership skills in girls and young women, inspiring them to step into their potential. As CEO of the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey (GSCSNJ), Hill has expanded the organization’s reach, welcoming 14,345 new members this year and making Girl Scouting accessible to more girls and families than ever before.

In 2023, Hill and her team opened the Girl Scout DreamLab in North Brunswick, the third of its kind in the country, exemplifying their commitment to innovation. This forward-thinking space offers girls hands-on experiences in STEM, creativity and outdoor skills, fostering both exploration and confidence. The DreamLab is more than just a learning center—it marks a pivotal moment in Girl Scouting’s evolution, a testament to Hill’s leadership and the organization’s readiness to develop at the “speed of girls.” Under Hill’s guidance, her local Girl Scout Council is embracing innovative solutions to meet the needs of both today’s and tomorrow’s girls, ensuring they have access to the experiences and core values that have defined Girl Scouting for over a century.

Hill is optimistic about the future of the Girl Scout movement, seeing it as more than just preparing girls for the challenges ahead—it’s about empowering them to shape the future. Under her leadership, Girl Scouts is a vital force in helping girls from Central and Southern New Jersey build confidence, develop leadership skills, and navigate life with purpose and joy. As girls face new challenges and opportunities, Girl Scouts remains a powerful partner in helping them grow into capable, resilient leaders who will make a lasting difference in their communities and beyond.

Meredith Lorrilliere

Lorrilliere’s start into nonprofits and charity began nearly a decade ago in 2014 when she joined the South Jersey Young Professionals Association (SJYPA)—a nonprofit composed of young South Jersey professionals invested in making a lasting and positive impact on the community by supporting local charities through donations. It was within this organization that Lorrilliere initially joined the planning committee and the marketing efforts for Halo Ball, SJYPA’s largest annual event.

During her run with SJYPA Halo Ball raised about $400,000 for Camp No Worries, Acenda and Hopeworks, and supported several other organizations with smaller donations including Bancroft, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Cathedral Kitchen, Catholic Partnership Schools, Covenant House, Food Bank of South Jersey, Joseph’s Fund, Operation Yellow Ribbon, Pride Paws and The Salvation Army Camden Kroc Center. After one year with SJYPA Lorrilliere was elected to serve on the board of trustees and in 2017 became the secretary, a position she held through 2020.

Today, Lorrilliere proudly oversees development of programming for The Chamber of Commerce of South Jersey’s (CCSNJ) Nonprofit Council. In this role she helps over 100 nonprofit members grow their organizations via a forum for sharing best practices and strategies that can be used to advance their missions. Lorrilliere also coordinates CCSNJ’s Day of Service where member companies are recruited to participate in service projects at up to 10 different nonprofits in a single day.

Lorrilliere has served on The Salvation Army Camden Kroc Center’s community relations and development committee since 2023 and served on the organization’s 10th anniversary committee in 2024. She is also currently serving on the planning committee for Hopeworks’ 25th anniversary, which will be celebrated in September 2025.

Nicole Roberts

The daughter of founding members of the Homestead Youth Association (HYA) in Pennsauken, Roberts learned the value of community-based recreational opportunities at an early age. Participating in HYA’s programs led her to understand the value of donating her time and talents in service to others. From this experience Roberts naturally developed a passion for her own volunteer work. The Roberts have been actively involved in the Pennsauken Youth Athletic Association (PYAA), volunteering their time as their children participated in various sports programs. Additionally, Roberts has served on the board of the South Jersey Rising Stars AAU basketball organization for the past 20 years, focusing on youth development and athletics. Her commitment to community service extends to her work with the Obsidian Charitable Foundation (OCF), a nonprofit organization aimed at supporting underserved communities.

In December 2020, Roberts was appointed to serve on Pennsauken Township Committee, becoming the first African American woman to serve on the township’s governing body. Her swearing-in at the township’s reorganization meeting in January 2022 marked another milestone as she took on the role of Pennsauken Township’s first African American female deputy mayor. Presently, Roberts is the liaison to the Library Board, Environmental Commission, Shade Tree Commission and Pennsauken Historical Society. She actively supports a variety of municipal endeavors, including the new municipal building and library project, the forthcoming community center project, and several recreational and open space initiatives.

Roberts is a lifelong resident of Pennsauken, rooted in a strong foundation in community service and education. With over 20 years in the educational field, she has dedicated 15 of those years to the Pennsauken School District, contributing to the development and support of local students.

Marguerite Stubbs

Dedicated to the field of education, Stubbs spent her career and post retirement years in academic institutions supporting students and guiding them to reach their fullest potential. She began her career as a teacher after graduating from Glassboro State College before returning to school at Temple University to become a guidance counselor. Later Stubbs became the director of counseling and career advancement, kicking off a long professional career at Rowan University where she held many titles including interim associate provost for academic and student services, associate dean of students and dean of students before retiring in 2003.

Throughout her life Stubbs has made impact through her involvement with charitable and educational organizations. At Rowan she served as the treasurer for the alumni board, administrator for the Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship, and is a founding member of the Women’s Studies Advisory Board and The Professional Women’s Network. Previously, Stubbs held positions as an advisory board member for the Center for People in Transition, treasurer and president of the Volunteer Center of South Jersey and chair of the Gloucester County Commission for Women. She was also a member of The American Association for Counseling and Development, Phi Delta Kappa, The American Association of Women Deans and Counselors, and more. She is also currently the president of the Pennsauken High School Golden Anniversary Club.

Highlighting her commitment to her community, Stubbs has received several awards including Rowan’s Management Institution’s Outstanding Leadership Staff Award, Rowan SGA’s Wayne S. Hoffner Outstanding Achievement Award, the Rowan Alumni Ambassador Award and the Outstanding Women Achievement Award from Alpha Phi Alpha. In 2005 she was inducted to Rowan’s Wall of Fame.

Stubbs’ love for Rowan University and the students she works with there are further exemplified through the Piazza Stubbs Scholarship Endowment, created and funded by her and her late husband William to support one senior education or communication student annually.

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Published and copyrighted in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 21, Issue 7 (October 2024)

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Author: Elena Laughton and Chelsea Valcourt

Super Women

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