Our Mission


The mission of Women for Progress is to raise awareness, educate and connect individuals to activism on a wide range of progressive issues including women’s health, gun violence prevention, environmental protection, human rights and equality for all.


Our Founder & Board President


Erin Chung


Erin Chung President and Founder of Women for Progress

“I founded Women for Progress with a small group of progressive women in the wake of the 2016 election.  Five years later the group is more than 2,000 women strong. We have hosted countless events and raised close to $100,000 for various organizations and causes.”

Erin holds a Master’s of Science in Nonprofit Leadership from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Work. She presently serves as the Director of Communications & External Relations at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey.


Our Board of Directors


Elizabeth Coulter

Elizabeth Coulter

Elizabeth Coulter is a strong advocate for women and girls and has dedicated her career to serving those populations through government, electoral politics, and public policy. She has her Bachelor’s of Science in Foreign Service from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where she majored in International Politics with a concentration in International Law, Norms, and Institutions.

Lizze Foley

Lizzie Foley

Lizzie Foley was a founding board member of NJ11th for Change and is a director for Action Together New Jersey. Prior to moving to New Jersey, she served on the board of an environmentally-focused school, taught women’s studies, and worked for a labor union. She holds a Master’s degree in sociology from Northeastern University and a Master’s degree in education from Harvard University.

Kelly Haggerty

Kelly Haggerty, MBA, CPA

Kelly Haggerty is a Partner/Owner with The Haggerty Group and has been practicing as a Certified Public Accountant since 2007. Kelly earned an MBA from Fordham University Gabelli School of Business in 2005. While there she was a member of 2 honor societies, Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi, Fordham.

Arati Kreibich

Dr. Arati Saldage Kreibich

Dr. Arati Sadalge Kreibich is a trained neuroscientist who has worked in the academic, pharmaceutical and nonprofit sectors. She has previously conducted and published original research on the neuroscience of drug addiction, stress, and autism at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr Kreibich obtained Bachelor’s degrees in Biology and in Psychology from Boston University, and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania.

Karen Sacks, ESQ

Karen Sacks, ESQ

Karen is the Founder and President of Sacks Consulting Group, LLC which provides consulting and coaching services to nonprofits and their executive boards on governance and fundraising matters. Karen transitioned to consulting after serving 17 years as the Founder and Executive Director of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), a legal pro bono program, which Karen grew into a statewide organization with nine distinct legal programs helping more than 4,000 indigent New Jersey residents with legal matters annually. She has received numerous awards for her work including the Dr. Martin Luther King Champion of Justice Award from the New Jersey State Governor’s Office and designation as one of 25 Top Women in the Law. Karen is an honors graduate of the University of Michigan and of NYU School of Law.

Our Leadership Team

Carla Pappalardo, Director of Programs

Carla Pappalardo
Executive Director

Marianne Vannelli, Director of Operations

Marianne Vannelli
Director of Operations

Melissa Wreski, Director of Finance

Melissa Wreski
Director of Finance

Amy Weiner, Director of Membership

Amy Weiner
Director of Membership

At-Large Leaders

Stacey Gill

Alexandra Harwin

Cari Laughman

Maria Lewis

Larisa Mendez Downes

Lisa Sciancalepore

Leighann Stahli

Our Leadership Team

Carla Pappalardo, Director of Programs

Carla Pappalardo
Director of Programs

Carla Pappalardo has been involved with Women for Progress since our first year. A lawyer by education, she has worked on several campaigns and run for local office.

Marianne Vannelli, Director of Operations

Marianne Vannelli
Director of Operations

Marianne joined WFP with decades of experience in advocacy, education, and activism in her community.
As a mom to three boys, it’s important to her to build a world that’s inclusive, just, and fair for our next generation.
Her leadership as a volunteer in working with several community foundations, along with organizing numerous WFP events and GOTV efforts, has made her contributions to this organization invaluable.

Melissa Wreski, Director of Finance

Melissa Wreski
Director of Finance

Melissa Wreski is a corporate finance executive with 20 years of experience managing accounts for companies like Konica Minolta and American Express. As a founding member of WFP, Melissa leads fundraising efforts and finance operations for the organization.
Passionate about women’s equality, Melissa devotes herself to WFP to build a better world for her daughter, and strives to engage women in issues that bring progressive social change for the next generation of women.

Amy Weiner, Director of Membership

Amy Weiner
Director of Membership

Amy Weiner is an accounting executive and CPA with 20 years of experience in both public and private accounting, as well as learning and development. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Lehigh University. In addition to her career in accounting, she is passionate and committed to being a change-agent in the community with a focus on supporting sexual assault survivors, women’s leadership and women’s empowerment.

Leighann Stahli, At Large Leader

Leighann Stahli
At Large Leader

Leighann has always leaned toward opportunities and organizations that help others. She is involved in several social action committees, is a member of the Waldwick Democratic County Committee and a founding member of Waldwick Progressives. Leighann is a proud member of Women for Progress, particularly because of their shared values, ethics and the common goal of wanting to do things that benefit society and leave a positive mark on the world.

Leighann graduated from the University of Maryland in 2001 and from NYU in 2010. She has spent the past two decades working at some of the top financial firms as an analyst and providing support for global executives.

Eliza Armstrong, At Large Leader

Eliza Armstrong
At Large Leader

Lynn Weston, At Large Leader

Lynn Weston
At Large Leader