Board of Directors
Animal Welfare Association is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of professional and knowledgeable volunteers who care deeply about the welfare of animals. They generously give their time and efforts to safeguard the organization’s vision, mission and values. The board is responsible for AWA’s strategic and long-range goals and ensures AWA’s strength and financial integrity.
The board members look forward to meeting donors, supporters, clients, other community members and their four-legged friends at AWA events. The board welcomes constructive feedback and will respond as appropriate when provided with full contact information: board@awanj.org
Any questions on the day-to-day operations of AWA including volunteering, adopting or about the clinic, please contact the appropriate AWA staff member or the Executive Director. Staff contact information here
Jonathan G. Furlow
President
Jonathan G. Furlow
President
Jonathan Furlow CPA
Jonathan Furlow is the sole proprietor of Jonathan Furlow CPA and is a graduate of Drexel LeBow College of Business. Mr. Furlow is humble about his endeavors but is active behind the scenes in the community. He is an avid lover of dogs and cats. He is currently without a pet after the loss of his two beloved dogs adopted from AWA. He is actively tending to feral cats to help his neighborhood. He is married and has two daughters. He enjoys scuba diving and traveling to the Caribbean islands and various tropical locations with this family.
Steve Cohen
Vice President
Steve Cohen
Vice President
MDAdvantage Insurance Company
Stephen B. Cohen serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of MDAdvantage Insurance Company. Mr. Cohen’s experience spans 35 years in finance and accounting within the insurance industry. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree with concentrations in Finance and Accounting from Drexel University. He is Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees, New Jersey. Mr. Cohen resides in Marlton, New Jersey with his wife, Sheila, and two dogs, Darby and Irie, both rescues from the Animal Welfare Association.
Dr. Carolyn Bekes, M.D.
General Board
Dr. Carolyn Bekes, M.D.
General Board
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Carolyn Bekes, M.D. is a critical care physician who is currently a Professor of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Dr. Bekes has served as the President of the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the Chair of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, and Chair of the Critical Care Education and Research Foundation. A resident of Cherry Hill, Dr. Bekes is on the board of Directors for Animal Welfare Association, and has been a foster mother for two Vietnamese children, and has had many cats and a dog – all rescues.
Jules Thiessen
Secretary
Jules Thiessen
Secretary
Test America Laboratories
Jules Thiessen is a resident of Mt. Holly and was a member of the planning board. Additionally, he was the former mayor of Mt. Holly and now serves as a councilman. He is the Executive Director of Sales with Test America Laboratories, Inc. Mr. Thiessen is a world traveler and has many trips on his passport. Jules and his wife Kathryn, love cats and dogs have one dog, three indoor carts, a feral colony of six, and own two horses.
Lynn Fryckberg
General Board
Lynn Fryckberg
General Board
UBS Financial Services
Lynn P. Fryckberg is a Senior Vice President – Wealth Management, Wealth Advisor, Financial Advisor and Portfolio Manager at UBS Financial Services. Lynn graduated from Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia University) with a Bachelor of Science degree. She believes a balanced life is the essence of happiness; therefore she is devoted to her community volunteer efforts. Lynn believes her participation on a non-profit foundation hospital board and animal welfare board in South Jersey makes her community a more rewarding place to live and work. She has been married to her husband, Harry, for over 38 years. He and their son, Harry, are her most valuable assets.
Dennis Skalkowski
General Board
Dennis Skalkowski
General Board
Bowman & Company LLP
Dennis Skalkowski currently serves as a Partner at Bowman & Company LLP after joining the Firm in 2003. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Public School Accountant (PSA) licensed to practice in New Jersey. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Rutgers University. His career includes extensive experience with auditing and accounting services of not-for-profit organizations, private schools for the disabled, governmental entities and not-for-profit organizations with audits conducted in accordance with Government Auditing Standards and the Single Audit Act, joint insurance funds, county insurance fund commissions, construction contractors, medical practices, retail, and wholesalers. He also serves as a team member performing peer reviews of other CPA firms. Dennis enjoys travelling, lifting heavy things at the gym, and is avid lover of dogs and cats. In the past he has adopted animals from the AWA and enjoys spending time with his cat John Lennon.
Rebecca Acevedo
General Board
Rebecca Acevedo
General Board
WSFS Bank
Rebecca is Senior Vice President of Communication at WSFS. She’s an experienced communications professional and a strong leader with 20+ years of experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree from LaSalle University and a master’s in corporate communication from Rowan University. Rebecca’s an active member of her community volunteering at food banks and as a mentor; she also serves on the board of the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees, NJ. She and her husband have a fluffy Pomeranian named Bijou.
Richard Dressel, Esq.
General Board
Richard Dressel, Esq.
General Board
Lex Nova Law, LLC
Rick Dressel is chair of the Bankruptcy, Financial Restructuring and Risk Management Department and concentrates his practice in bankruptcy and financial workouts, representing individual and corporate debtors in Chapter 11 reorganization and Chapter 7 liquidation proceedings, as well as individuals in Chapter 13 proceedings. Among his published works, Mr. Dressel has served as co-editor of the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education Bankruptcy Practical Skills Series. Mr. Dressel is an active participant in the Rutgers University School of Law–Camden “Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project.” In addition, he serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees, NJ. He is a dog lover and currently without a pet.
Jennifer Wnek, Esq.
General Board
Jennifer Wnek, Esq.
General Board
Jenn Wnek, Partner at DLA Piper, has two decades of experience representing clients in the energy and transportation spaces, including 12 years in private practice and 8 years leading the legal department for the renewables, gas, and electric commodity trading, generation, transportation, and other non-utility business of a publicly traded energy holding company.
Jenn’s practice is devoted to furthering the path to net zero by advising clients in all aspects of the acquisition, disposition, and financing of energy transition projects and businesses. She is known for her creative and commercial approach to structuring transactions and developing and applying financing solutions that maximize the capital stack while achieving tax and other key business, societal, and other objectives. She is actively participating in guiding the development of the renewable tax credit transfer market as well as guiding her clients through the qualification requirements for new tax credit adders and compliance with prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements introduced under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Tim Ammon
General Board
Tim Ammon
General Board
Center for Effective School Operations
Tim is the Managing Partner for the Center for Effective School Operations consulting operations where he has responsibility for business development, marketing support, and client service delivery for an international client base of school districts, state and provincial education agencies, and national advocacy organizations. He graduated from American University with a Master of Public Administration and from Salisbury University with a degree in History. Tim was a pilot who has previously flown for Pilots n Paws and Animal Rescue Flights delivering a variety of animals from shelters to new homes.
Yasmeen S. Khaleel, Esq.
General Board
Yasmeen S. Khaleel, Esq.
General Board
Capehart Scatchard
Yasmeen S. Khaleel, Esq. is Chair of Capehart Scatchard’s Business & Tax and Trusts & Estates Groups and a Shareholder in the firm’s Health Care Group. Yasmeen is a member of the Estate and Financial Planning Council of Southern New Jersey and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Animal Welfare Association. She is also President of the Asian Indian Professionals, Inc. and is a Committee Member of the Samaritan Hospice and Health Care Planned Giving Committee. She is the proud owner of a dog.