Staff
Peter McLallen
Executive Director. Peter joined Voice and Vision in 2025 as the second executive director, following in the footsteps of co-founder Valerie Melroy. He comes with significant experience in adult and online higher education having held leadership positions at Eastern University, Saint Joseph’s University, Rosemont College, and William Carey International University (WCIU). He is a founding steering committee member of the Women’s Institute at WCIU.
He earned a Ph.D. in International Psychology from the Chicago School, where his research focused on social identity and work engagement, an MBA from Eastern University, and a master’s in African studies from the University of Illinois, Urbana. He has been married to Nicola for over 27 years, and they have three children Tate, John, and Lia, as well as a dog named Ellie. He serves on the leadership team of his church and plays in the handbell choir. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, walking, and listening to music and podcasts.
Karen Plummer
Associate Director/IM4Q Coordinator. Karen has worked at Voice and Vision since 2003. She’s worked in all departments as well as developed and implemented the Family and Youth Connection initiatives, which were both focused on peer support and education. She created the Family Advisory Committee to engage the voice of families and young adults so that the child-serving systems would better understand their needs and wants. She is the Project Manager of the series of Help and Hope Guides distributed to thousands throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. Karen was educated in England where her focus was Business. She lived overseas and traveled extensively. In 2021, Karen was appointed by Governor Wolf representing a non-profit on the PA Developmental Disabilities Council.
Currently, she lives with her husband and has three children and 13 grandchildren. Her desire is to see that all people are accepted as people first and that their voice be the driving force in the development of their futures and the supports necessary to live a fulfilling life. She wants to see communities embrace this need and be part of the solution in creating support and acceptance.
Sheri Shifman
Director of Business Affairs. Sheri joined Voice and Vision, Inc. in January 2012 as the Business Office and HR Manager. In her current role, she oversees the business operations of Voice & Vision, including office administration, financial management and budgeting, and supports human resources activities. She works closely with the Executive Director and the leadership team to ensure the organization runs efficiently and effectively. Sheri has a master’s degree in Biopsychology and comes from a background working in pharmaceutical clinical research. In addition to her work at Voice and Vision, Sheri enjoys volunteering. Each week, she co-facilitates a bible study at her church and teaches an English as a Second Language class for a local literacy agency.
Susan Benzie
Director of Data, Research and Design. Susan led the Consumer and Family Satisfaction Team (CFST) in Bucks County since 2003, while using the Appreciative Inquiry philosophy of Quality Management. Currently, as Director of Data Research and Design, she provides support and mentoring to the Coordinators of Bucks, Chester, and Delaware County C/MFSTs. She is also responsible for analysis and trending of data gathered across all three Counties. Sue is the mother of five children and has lived in many areas of the country and overseas. As a licensed Social Worker, Sue brings both professional and personal experience with the behavioral health system to Voice and Vision. Her vision is to see that services and supports are truly “strengths-based” and “consumer and family driven”.
Akua Ajarko
Division Director of Satisfaction Services: Delaware and Chester Counties. Akua began working at Voice and Vision in March 2018 implementing the new Member/Family Satisfaction Team (M/FST) Program and supervising a team of Field Staff Specialists. In 2021, Akua became the Division Director of Satisfaction Services providing oversight to both the M/FST in Delaware County and the Consumer/Family Satisfaction Team in Chester County. Akua has made a personal commitment to improving the lives of marginalized individuals. Akua possesses a thorough understanding of diverse client populations, including those facing socioeconomic hardship, individuals with a history of incarceration, LGBTQ-identified persons, HIV-positive individuals, substance users, and other high-risk groups.
Akua has held diverse positions within the nonprofit sector as an Employment Specialist, Housing Coordinator, Community Integration Coordinator, HIV/Prison Linkages Coordinator, Team Leader and Training Director. Akua has worked directly with participants to get housing, health care, advocacy support, educational programs and linking HIV positive incarcerated individuals with the necessary outside services and supportive services upon release. Akua is a self-proclaimed “grower of things” has two children, enjoys creating meals and travel.
Julie Rider
Bucks County Consumer/Family Satisfaction Team (C/FST) Coordinator. Julie came to Voice and Vision in the spring of 2022 as a Field Staff Specialist and expanded her role as a Team Lead to support IM4Q (Independent Monitoring for Quality). Now as Coordinator, she oversees a passionate team of Field Staff Specialists who conduct interviews with people receiving mental health and/or substance use treatment or support services to learn about their recovery journey. Reports developed from these interviews are presented to various stakeholders to help ensure the quality of behavioral health services in Bucks County. Advocating for policies that promote each person’s strengths and reducing mental health stigma is Julie’s passion. Julie brings a strong background in project management and 25 years of personal experience with the behavioral health system to Voice and Vision. In her spare time, Julie enjoys reading, the outdoors, and sharing her love of music with her two amazing children.
Nyvia Taylor
Director of Compeer/CompeerCORPS. Nyvia (“Niv-E-uh”) joined Voice and Vision in 2026 and brings over five years of experience across program management, stakeholder engagement, operations, and workforce development. Her professional background includes serving as Care Coordinator at the Community Counseling Centers of Chicago and Director of Strategic Relationships at Radical Change Therapy. Nyvia is a Chicago native holding a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and Sustainability from American University and a Master of Health Administration from Louisiana State University. Outside of work, she enjoys watching dystopian shows, city hiking, and discovering new cuisines, with her most recent venture being a Kamayan feast!