Edward W. Wilson, Acting President & CEO

Ed Wilson joined 10,000 Friends in 2006 with nearly 25 years of experience in applied research, evaluation and strategic planning for public, non-profit and philanthropic organizations. For more than 12 years he worked as a consultant, providing services in program evaluation and strategy development to public interest organizations working in a broad range of fields, including smart growth advocacy, environmental protection, forest conservation, sustainable agriculture, and urban revitalization. His clients included the Heinz Endowments, the William Penn Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Surdna Foundation, the Beldon Fund, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Heifer International, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).  Between 1997 and 2006 he operated an independent consulting practice based in south-central Pennsylvania.  Prior to that he was a Senior Project Manager at the OMG Center, a nonprofit consulting firm in Philadelphia; a Program Officer in Evaluation at the Pew Charitable Trusts in Philadelphia; and an Assistant Professor of Urban Planning at the State University of New York at Buffalo.  Ed has B.A. in Anthropology from Franklin and Marshall College, an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Social Systems Sciences from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  He was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow.

Grant Ervin, Regional Director - Southwest PA 

Grant Ervin comes to 10,000 Friends from the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG) where served as Program Manager overseeing the operation of the organization's community and governmental affairs programs. He has focused on community legislative work, program development and the recycling of tax delinquent real estate. Grant is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he obtained a Masters Degree in Public and International Affairs and Washington and Jefferson College where he earned degrees in political science and history.

Marilyn Wood, Director of Regional Initiatives and Statewide Campaigns

Marilyn Wood has a wide range of professional expertise as a senior-level entrepreneur with experience in governmental, academic and non profit sectors. As the Regional Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs, she worked closely with the Governor's Office, the Chamber of Commerce, corporate executives, and public officials to create the Philadelphia Plan, a public private partnership that leveraged $2.5 million for community development in its first year with tax credits from the Commonwealth. She awarded $5 million in government contracts in five areas of community development: weatherization, housing, local government, planning, and human resources; promoted the Governor's initiatives regionally; and resolved issues with local governmental and political officials. She also participated in policy development for affordable housing, community development and local government at the state level and assisted the state Department of Commerce in attracting new businesses. In addition, Marilyn has held executive leadership positions at the Community Women's Education Project, the Center for Intergenerational Learning at Temple University, and New Threads, inc., a not-for-profit business she founded in 1995. She has a masters degree from Cornell University in Communication.

Andrea McCormick, Administrative Assistant

Andrea McCormick joined 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania in September 2005 as administrative assistant for the Harrisburg office.  She comes to the organization from a varied background, including hazardous waste remediation, local government and industrial real estate.  She has a BS in Geology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.