About Us
Meet Our Team
We believe and are invested fully in the mission and vision of our nonprofit and community-based clients. Our mission is to help organizations grow and develop, obtain funding, and live out their missions and visions successfully. We do not view ourselves as just a consultant, we consider ourselves part of your organization.
We have worked with a variety of public agencies and nonprofit organizations with missions that include arts, after-school programming, youth, criminal justice re-entry issues, public safety, violence prevention, trauma, housing, workforce development, addiction/recovery, economic development, sustainability and international assistance.
“We worked with The Farester Institute on a grant application and a very short deadline. The Farester Institute was fast, thorough, responsive, and professional. The group was very capable of assembling a high-quality grant application and did so with confidence. I would highly recommend working with this team.”
Meet Erika
Executive Director
Erika has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Master of Science in Administration of Justice from Mercyhurst University, and a Ph.D. in Administration and Leadership Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her previous work experience includes more than 5 years as a U.S. Probation Officer, positions as a graduate assistant and research analyst at the Mercyhurst University Civic Institute, a position as an adjunct faculty member at a local community college, and work experiences in the mental health and juvenile justice systems.
Through her previous experience as a research analyst and current work as a grant writing and organizational development consultant, Erika has discovered that her passion lies in helping nonprofit and public organizations improve and obtain funding to support their missions.
Meet Brian
Senior Nonprofit Consultant
Brian has over 20 years of service with one of the nation’s largest public pension funds as a Regional Administrator. He is a certified consultant for Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations’ Standards for Excellence program. He is also an Iraq war veteran serving in the Army Reserve for 20 years, retiring at the rank of major.
Brian’s education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Master of Arts in Employment and Labor Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in Administration and Leadership Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Board Members
Mathilda Spencer, Ph.D.
Board Chair
Dr. Spencer has worked in the human services/criminal justice field for more than 30 years. Her teaching experience includes teaching sociology and supervising practicum students at Westmoreland County Community College and teaching criminology courses at Point Park University. Prior to joining Cal U she was the Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville and her responsibilities included oversight of the newly formed criminal justice curriculum.
Prior to joining UPT in August 2012, Dr. Spencer was an adult probation/parole officer for Allegheny County Adult Probation and Parole. In this role Dr. Spencer supervised the domestic violence caseload and independently contracted as a pre-sentence investigator. As a juvenile probation officer Dr. Spencer worked with juvenile sex offenders and was the supervisor of both the investigations and school-based probation units.
Brian Farester
Board Treasurer
Brian has over 20 years of service with one of the nation’s largest public pension funds as a Regional Administrator. He is a certified consultant for Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations’ Standards for Excellence program. He is also an Iraq war veteran serving in the Army Reserve for 20 years, retiring at the rank of major.
Brian’s education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Master of Arts in Employment and Labor Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in Administration and Leadership Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Shawn Farester
Board Secretary
Shawn Farester is an artist who lives and works in Kittanning, Pennsylvania (60 miles Northeast of Pittsburgh). A classically trained sculptor, holding a BFA, Shawn creates artwork ranging from large metal sculptures to portrait busts. Shawn focuses on human form because he can convey both emotion and a message through his work. Shawn grew up in a Southwestern Pennsylvanian lower working-class family. Shawn actively participates in state and national shows. “I value looking to the great masters of the past and use their lessons to create something new. They offer timeless lessons that everyone can relate to.”