Greater Delaware Valley Chapter Leadership

Lindsay Fortese, who has been with Breakthrough T1D for over 15 years in a variety of roles, is honored to serve the T1D community as the Executive Director of the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter.

Lindsay attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX before starting her career in the retail space as a Store Manager for Starbucks Coffee Company in Dallas, TX prior to starting with Breakthrough T1D in 2008.  In her time with Breakthrough T1D, Lindsay has built many strong relationships with staff and volunteer leaders. She provides strategic direction for fundraising initiatives and events, including Gala, Ride and Walk, and has cultivated and developed donor and corporate relationships across the chapter territory as well as across the country.

Lindsay resides in Downington, PA with her husband, Jimmy, their two sons, Jake and Zach, and their loyal dog, Garth. Lindsay enjoys reading, relaxing in Long Beach Island, NJ, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Julie McKeever joined Breakthrough T1D in 2019 as the Outreach Manger for the chapter.  While she enjoys connecting with T1D families and the community, Julie is excited to get back to her roots in Peer 2 Peer fundraising as the chapter’s Development Director, Peer 2 Peer Programs.   She will be responsible for formulating, implementing and leading strategies for chapter fundraising and development activities while continuing to passionately build relationships with corporate partners the community!

Julie earned her B.S. in Health and Human Development from The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA.   WE ARE… Penn State!  Prior to joining Breakthrough T1D, she was an Events Manager/Director for 16 years at The ALS Association, Greater Philadelphia Chapter.

Julie lives in Plymouth Meeting, PA with her husband, Andrew; their son, Nicholas; and a house full of furry friends! She is passionate about animal rescue, fostering and special needs dogs. In her free time, she enjoys doing therapy dog work with two of her dogs, Prime and Dutch, and spending time with family and friends.  Her father, Ted, had type 1 diabetes, which has always kept the Breakthrough T1D mission near and dear to her heart.

Allison Tropea oversees the Signature Events team, which includes One Dream Gala and Annual Golf Classic. Allie has always been drawn to working in a field that helps people and where she can give back to the community. Her motivation every day is her husband, Anthony, who was diagnosed with T1D in 2011.

Sara joined Breakthrough T1D in the summer of 2019 as a Development Manager, and now oversees the Breakthrough T1D Walk Philadelphia. “I absolutely love working with our teams, volunteers and corporate partners,” she shares. “Seeing the passion and energy from this dedicated community is an incredible thing to witness – not just on walk day, but all year long.”

Sara has always had a passion for volunteering and helping others, and joined Breakthrough T1D after working at two previous nonprofits. She earned a B.A. in Public Relations in 2015 from Penn State University (we are!).

Sara grew up in Fallsington, PA, and currently resides in the Collegeville neighborhood of Philadelphia. On the weekend,  you can catch her kayaking, spending time on the beach, hanging with her pets or reading. She also has a goal of visiting every National Park alongside her husband, Alex!

Ellen Cohn joined the Breakthrough T1D staff in the summer of 2021 as a Development Manager, and now oversees the Breakthrough T1D Ride, Your Way, and Run programs for our Greater Delaware Valley chapter. Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2008, she can speak firsthand to the incredible advancements brought to life by Breakthrough T1D, and is a passionate advocate for T1D awareness and funding. She is grateful every day that she gets to connect with our wonderful community through this role.

Originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Ellen moved to Pennsylvania for college and received her BA in Sociology, Education Policy, and Theater from Bryn Mawr College in 2017. Her dynamic career has seen her grace stages nationwide as an actor, singer, and dancer, craft lenses as an optician, and amplify voices as a Marketing Director for a Lancaster-based theater company. She now lives in Phoenixville, PA with her partner, Josh, and their two cats. In her free time, Ellen can often be found performing with local theater companies, reading a book, or riding her bike with the Greater Delaware Valley chapter ride team (Go Team GDV!).

Shandy joined Breakthrough T1D in the summer of 2023 as a Development Manager, One Walk Delaware and South Jersey. He is excited to bring his previous experience working with different non-profits and funding development to Breakthrough T1D. Shandy walked for the first time at our Delaware Walk in 2022 alongside his mother and niece who both have type 1 diabetes.

Shandy received his B.S in Organizational and Community Leadership from the University of Delaware in 2012. A native from Delaware, Shandy strives to create sustainable changes in his community by educating, fundraising, and building partnerships.

Shandy currently resides in Wilmington, DE with his dog Bear. He loves finding new coffee shops, going for hikes, spending time with his nieces and nephews, and traveling.

Amanda joined the Breakthrough T1D staff in 2022 and oversees Breakthrough T1D Gala. Since joining Breakthrough T1D her passion for the T1D community and finding cures has grown exceptionally.

Amanda attended The Pennsylvania State University, graduating with a degree in Biological Anthropology and a minor in Criminal Justice. Amanda’s passion for nonprofit work took flight in college with Penn State’s Dance Marathon “THON” growing into the dedication to pursue a future without diseases’ such as T1D. Amanda is so excited to join the Breakthrough T1D community as a staff member and meet the incredible individuals our organization serves!

Amanda grew up and currently resides in Montgomery County, PA. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading, crocheting and learning new skills.

Megan Dougherty joined the Breakthrough T1D staff in 2019 but has been a part of the Breakthrough T1D community after her T1D diagnosis in 1998.  As a volunteer Megan has had the opportunity to participate with Breakthrough T1D as a youth ambassador, in children’s congress, as a captain of a Wilmington, DE walk team for many years, and a gala procurement & décor volunteer in Delaware.  Megan is currently our Community Engagement Manager working with the T1D community to provide information, connect and support each other; she is in charge of our Summer Series, TypeOneNation Summit and supports our One Walk team. 

Megan is a Newark, Delaware, townie and a graduate of the University of Delaware with a B.S. in Human Services. She now lives in the city of Philadelphia with her boyfriend and two cats, Dunkin D and Ginger Snap. Megan enjoys traveling, volunteering, sewing, reading, spending time with friends, and visiting new restaurants!

Emma joined Breakthrough T1D in August 2022 as a Development Manager, overseeing fundraising and donor retention. After graduating from Immaculata University in 2017 with a B.A. in Social Work, Emma began her nonprofit career and quickly discovered a passion for development work, specifically the relationship-building it entails. In her role as Development Manager, Emma will be responsible for driving mission-focused stewardship for the Chapter.

Emma fell in love with the natural beauty of Chester County and the offerings of Philadelphia in college and has happily resided locally ever since. Outside of work, she enjoys being outdoors, reading, and any time spent with her partner, Andrew, and son, Rory.

Rachel Jaffe joined the Breakthrough T1D staff in 2022, after two and a half decades of involvement as a Walk Team Co-Captain, Youth Ambassador, Children’s Congress delegate and volunteer.

As a Development Coordinator for the Greater Delaware Valley chapter, Rachel oversees the chapter’s Golf Classic and Gala auction, and supports communications. Having been diagnosed with T1D in 1998–and with a dad, younger brother, sister-in-law and brother-in-law all also living with T1D—and a mom heavily involved in T1D fundraising efforts–Rachel is extremely passionate about Breakthrough T1D’s mission and community.

A lifelong Philadelphian, Rachel graduated in 2015 from Haverford College with a B.A. in English and a Creative Writing minor. She worked in children’s publishing and as a bookseller before pursuing an M.A. and M.F.A. in Children’s Literature and Writing for Children in New England. Rachel now resides with her husband and hilarious rescue pup, just a few minutes from the rest of her family (including, of course, the family dogs). In her free time, Rachel can be found writing, painting, volunteering on the board of her local fire company, giving her potted plants pep talks, and meandering through her neighborhood…greeting every single animal that walks by.

Margo Raube joined Breakthrough T1D in the summer of 2023 as a Development Coordinator for the Signature Events team, where she helps plan the One Dream Gala and Annual Golf Classic.

Margo has a wide range of experience that spans from her early days in television promotion and public relations to her successful transitions into live theater events and community management. As a parent of a child with T1D, Margo brings a unique perspective to her role. She understands firsthand the daily challenges and struggles that those with the disease face. This has motivated her to combine her strengths in event coordination and relationship building with her passion to improve lives.

Originally from Reading, PA, Margo moved to the Philadelphia area after earning a B.A. in Communications from La Salle University. In her free time, Margo enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters, walking in the woods, solving jigsaw puzzles, and exploring new places. Breakthrough T1D’s vision of a world without Type 1 inspires Margo, and through her work, she’s hoping to make a difference in finding a cure.

Morgan joined the Breakthrough T1D family in August of 2023 as the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter’s Development Assistant. In this role, Morgan is responsible for volunteer intake, stewardship, and general office operations.

She recently graduated from Kutztown University with a B.A in Communications in the Spring of 2023. With her drive for helping those around her, Morgan feels grateful to begin her career in a nonprofit that hones in on passion, research, and community. With her grandfather living with T1D, she has seen firsthand the advancements that have and will continue to evolve. Aside from work, Morgan resides in Pottstown, PA, and enjoys reading, dancing, and spending time with her family and friends.

She is excited to grow within Breakthrough T1D and contribute to turning Type 1 into Type None!

Gerry is a Partner in the Audit and Assurance practice of Deloitte & Touche LLP, with over 17 years of public accounting experience.  In his role, Gerry works directly with multi-national SEC registrants in audit and technical accounting advisory roles.  During his tenure, he has served organizations in the commodities, chemicals, technology, and defense sectors.  He works closely with clients on market offerings and other strategic initiatives.  In addition, Gerry has served as an advisor to public companies as it relates to technical accounting, internal controls, and compliance with regulations under Sarbanes-Oxley.

Gerry has served in multiple leadership roles in the Breakthrough T1D Greater Delaware Valley chapter, including roles on the Breakthrough T1D Gala corporate committee and Nominating and Board Development committee, led the One Walk Philadelphia Deloitte corporate team for many years, and served on our Executive Council this fiscal year as President Elect.

Gerry, wife Ashley, and their two children Charles and Kennedy have been actively involved in the Breakthrough T1D community since 2011.  The Miceli’s have several family connections to the cause, including Gerry (T1D) and multiple direct family members who have T1D.

Gerry is a graduate of Juniata College, a Certified Public Accountant, and a member of the American and Pennsylvania Institutes of Certified Public Accountants.