Our Staff and Board

Who We Are

There are two arms of CeaseFirePA, the educational arm CeaseFire Pennsylvania Education Fund (organized under the nonprofit laws of the Commonwealth of PA and recognized as exempt from income tax under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code), and the advocacy arm CeaseFire Pennsylvania, (organized under the nonprofit laws of the Commonwealth of PA and recognized as exempt from income tax under 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Service Code).

Our Board of Directors

Officers

Shawn Kraemer, President

Alicia Chatkin, Vice President

Jill Zipin, Esq., Vice President

Howard Levin, Treasurer

Fritz Walker, Secretary

Our Staff

Adam Garber

Adam Garber is CeaseFirePA’s executive director. Before joining CeaseFire PA, he worked to protect everyone from dangers in the marketplace at U.S. PIRG where his independent investigations into toxic toys, dangerous cars, contaminated food and other threats received national coverage on CBS This Morning, the New York Times and elsewhere. Prior to that, he spent more than a decade advocating for clean air and water in Pennsylvania at the local, state and national level.  Adam lives in South Philadelphia with his wife and young son, Elon, where he enjoys studying history, exploring the city and cooking.  

Christian Soltysiak

Christian serves as CeaseFirePA’s Managing Director. Christian brings her experience as a former small business owner as well as her commitment to civic engagement through her work on Jenkintown Borough Council. She is also a proud AmeriCorps NCCC alum.

Rob Conroy

Rob Conroy is CeaseFirePA’s Director of Organizing. He is an attorney and former prosecutor, an activist who has served on the boards of several Pittsburgh nonprofits/is currently serving as board President at Pittsburgh’s Thomas Merton Center, and a journalist who has published in numerous Pennsylvania publications.

Rhona Gerber

Rhona Gerber is CeaseFirePA’s Development Director. Rhona has over twenty-five years of development experience with non-profit and political organizations both as a staff member and as a consultant during her tenure as a partner at Fleischman Gerber and Associates. She is active in many civic organizations, including her local board of elections, Wintershelter and the steering committee for the Center City Kehillah.

Max Milkman

Max Milkman is CeaseFirePA’s Program Specialist. He recently graduated from Temple University with a degree in Political Science. Max specializes in legislative outreach and youth organizing in order to support gun violence prevention policies. He has previously worked on several Pennsylvania political campaigns including helping to elect Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Max also serves as the Pennsylvania Director of March For Our Lives.

Jonathan Hanover

Jonathan Hanover is CeaseFirePA’s community organizer in Scranton. Prior to joining CeaseFirePA, Jonathan spent 15 years working military intelligence, deploying in support of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. His experience at war inspired his move from the battlefield to the political arena and informs his passion for the mission of CeaseFirePA.

Amanda Rose

Amanda Haynes-Rose is  community organizer for CeaseFirePA helping local residents, community leaders and organizations connect to our resources. Amanda has over five years of experience in volunteer services and civic engagement activities; including working with nonprofit organizations like the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service  and The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvania’s. Amanda received her bachelors of arts degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Applied Anthropology, and is a member of Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority.