Staff Bios

Matt Bergheiser joined UCD as Executive Director in 2009 and was promoted to President in 2016. In his previous work as Philadelphia Regional Director of the Knight Foundation, he gave away money for a living. As a result - in stark contrast to his time at UCD – everyone treated him nicely and laughed at all his jokes. He is board chair of the Barra Foundation, and chair emeritus of Community College of Philadelphia. Matt believes passionately in cities and in creating opportunities for people and places to thrive. He holds a B.A. from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Click here for Matt Bergheiser’s full biography.

Daniel Atik is the Career Specialist for The Skills Initiative. In this role, Daniel supports program alumni by connecting them with career opportunities that further their career development. Prior to joining The Skills Initiative, Daniel worked in workforce development as an Employment Specialist at The Welcoming Center where he helped connect immigrant professionals who were under/unemployed with employment that aligned with their professional backgrounds. As a workforce development professional, Daniel is committed to helping Philadelphians realize their full career potential by connecting them with high-quality employment. Daniel holds a Bachelor's Degree from Wesleyan University. In his free time, Daniel loves to read, play strategy games, watch horror movies, and spend time with family and friends. 

Morris Burns is the Manager for Applicant Experience at The Skills Initiative. With 10 years of experience in nonprofit management, Morris worked as a community builder, transitional manager, client conversion associate, and social services advocate prior to joining The Skills Initiative. He provides direct support to program applicants, guiding them through the application process, and identifying areas for improvement to make the process more efficient and equitable. Morris is currently pursuing a CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) certification to expand his knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies, which will further drive applicant and organizational success. Morris enjoys spending time with family, outdoor fitness, and baking cakes.

Joe joined UCD in July 2024 and works as the Manager of Research & Analysis. He has a background in Urban Studies, holding a degree in Growth and Structure of Cities from Haverford College and prior experience in city government with the city of Cincinnati. Prior to joining UCD, Joe spent 3 years working for a custom market research company in Philadelphia. He enjoys telling insightful stories with data, and is passionate about improving the quality of life, business, and transportation in West Philadelphia, enriching the work UCD does with data. In his free time, he enjoys going on walks around the neighborhood, exploring the depths of Wikipedia, gardening, and playing video games.

Brian English joined UCD in 2016 as the General Manager of Green City Works. Brian has worked in the landscaping industry for over 20 years. His experiences range from managing start-up and established design-build landscape firms to serving as Director of Property Management for a land trust. At the land trust, Brian was responsible for enacting environmentally focused initiatives on sites owned by the land trust, in addition to assisting regional land owners with productive and sustainable land management strategies. Brian has long been active in the promotion of native horticulture and urban greening and sees Philadelphia as the ideal place to express these interests. After spending time managing a company serving the New York City region, Brian recently returned home to the Philadelphia area, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Cait Garozzo has been a part of Philadelphia workforce development since 2010, serving as a case manager, curriculum developer, trainer, and program director for several organizations. Her experience and passion are in designing holistic and responsive programs aimed at preparing people for the modern workforce and building sustainable partnerships across organizations and individuals. Prior to joining UCD in 2017, Cait was the program director for Career Wardrobe where she oversaw the organization's regional expansion. Cait holds a Bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey and a graduate certificate in Social Impact Strategy from The University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Cait most enjoys spending time in nature with her husband, two beautiful sons, and their family dog. She is always up for a good book recommendation and is slowly becoming a decent Times crossword solver.

Nate joined UCD in 2012, and has served as the Director of Planning and Design since Summer 2015. Nate uses his urban design expertise and dedicated enthusiasm to further enhance urban quality of life issues throughout University City. Nate was instrumental in launching Green City Works, UCD’s new landscaping social venture, and serves as a quality and design consultant for all landscaping projects that the venture executes. Before UCD, Nate worked as a landscape architect/urban designer for two firms in Philadelphia, and from 2010-2015, he served as an adjunct professor of landscape architecture at Philadelphia University, heading the urban design and community design studios. Nate is also one of the founding members of Open Streets PHL and has served as the External Communications Director for the organization. Nate holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY. 

Erica serves as UCD's Director of Human Resources. She has extensive experience in HR Program Management & Implementation, People Leading, Performance Management, Payroll, Benefits, Absence Management, Change Management, Training Facilitation & Curriculum Creation, and Employee Relations. Erica holds a Master’s degree in Adult Education, and an Undergraduate Degree in Business Management, Human Resources Management. Erica was the 2019 recipient of the ESGR/Army National Guard Patriot Award for her dedicated service to Military Employees. She is also a published author, proud mother of her daughter Kendall, and a life-long Philadelphian.

Margaret joined the UCD team in April of 2014. She has been instrumental in organizing signature UCD events including the Dollar Stroll and Dining Days, serving as a direct liaison to local businesses and partner organizations, and overseeing programs including food trucks at The Porch at 30th, our University City MIX networking series, and much more. Prior to joining UCD, Margaret worked at Tyler Arboretum as the Special Events Manager. She loves to deploy her event-planning skills in a vibrant city-landscape.  A graduate from Gettysburg College with a B.A. in Management, Margaret enjoys cooking, running, and color-coding everything possible.

Chris Richman leads the marketing and communications efforts for University City District and The Skills Initiative. As the Director of Marketing and Communications, he oversees print and online publications, social media accounts, email communications, and video production, and writes or edits content for the UCD and Skills Initiative websites. Prior to joining UCD in 2014, Chris spent time writing jokes, acting in a dinner theater, working in children's publishing, and at Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum. Chris holds a BA in English from Elizabethtown College and an MA in Writing from Rowan University. Chris is an avid reader, loves to travel and enjoy live music and theater, is a big supporter of Philadelphia's sports teams and Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League, and serves on the board for the Olde English Dart League of Philadelphia. He lives in Passyunk Square with his wife and two cats. 

As University City District’s Vice President of Advancement, Morgan Rogers Burns crafts narratives to foster funder and stakeholder investments into the tremendous work her colleagues undertake in support of this neighborhood. In this capacity, she develops and maintains relationships with funders, local businesses, and individuals dedicated to ensuring University City’s ongoing vitality. She joined UCD in October 2017 as a Development Associate. Prior to that, she worked at the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC), first as Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator and then as External Relations Manager. It was there that her passion for fundraising and development emerged. In those roles, Morgan took on the mission-critical tasks of growing volunteer infrastructure, developing relationships with partner organizations, expanding individual giving, and redesigning the donor database for the literacy nonprofit.

Morgan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 with a B.A. in Liberal Arts and double minors in English and Jazz Studies. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with her husband, Morris, and their young daughter, driving to new places without GPS, and painting with light through photography.

Maurie leads the Keystone LifeSci Collaborative’s ongoing efforts to coordinate with industry leaders and public and community partners to address ongoing shared business priorities and enhance regional competitiveness in the life sciences industry.  

Lauren Talley is the Director of Operations for The Skills Initiative. Prior to joining The Skills Initiative team, Lauren worked to bolster Workforce Development initiatives for over 12 years in roles ranging from Team Lead, and Program Management to Director of Site-Based Programs. She has experience with strategic partnerships, grant management, site-based programming, social services, and employment services. Lauren holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from Penn State University. She is responsible for maintaining and growing our employer relationships, supporting targeted recruitment efforts, and lending her expertise to grow our impact within our employer partners’ organizations. Lauren enjoys good coffee, spending time with family, strength training, and watching her son play volleyball.

Giftie Umo is the Learning and Development Manager at The Skills Initiative, leveraging over 10 years of experience in workforce development. In her role, Giftie is responsible for implementing our signature cohort-based program, demonstrating a deep commitment to empowering individuals through skill enhancement. 
 
Giftie is passionate about the professional development of young people, and her dedication extends beyond her role. She founded an organization in rural Nigeria providing economic opportunities for teenage girls and young women. Her grassroots initiative reflects her belief in the transformative power of education and skills training. Giftie brings a wealth of experience teaching students across all levels and is pursuing a doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management at Eastern University. 
 
A resident of Philadelphia, Giftie finds joy in various pursuits. From indulging in her passion for cooking to cheering for soccer games, dancing, and reading storybooks, Giftie embodies a multifaceted and dedicated professional with a profound impact on workforce development and community empowerment.