Access Services - Creating Better Ways To Serve People With Special Needs

Rob, President and CEO of Access Services, oversees services to 2,000 people in need of specialized supports in eastern Pennsylvania.  He is responsible for a $24.6 million operating budget and manages 640 employees, 250 foster families and over 100 therapists and other independent contractors. Beginning his career at Access Services in 1980 as an entry level program staff employee, Rob was able to advance within the organization to his current position.  

Rob graduated from Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania in 1980 with a degree in social work.  From there he went on to receive his Masters of Social Work from the Marywood Graduate School of Social Work, Scranton, Pennsylvania and achieved the status of Licensed Social Worker from the state in 1995.

Dedicated to serving the community, Rob founded The Peacemaker Center in Chester County and is also a board member of the Pennsylvania Association of Resources (PAR) which serves people with autism and intellectual disabilities and MAX, an association of Southeastern Pennsylvania mental health and mental retardation providers.  Additionally, Rob is a member of multiple professional associations.

Rob is committed to providing exceptional services for children and adults with special needs and he embraces the challenges that arise in the field of social work. His career is more than just a job; it is a way of life.  For more than ten years, Rob and Judy, his wife, opened their home as Foster Care and Lifesharing providers. The Reids reside in Downingtown, Pennsylvania with their three children and are members of the Calvary Fellowship Church in Downingtown.

“The most rewarding moments come when you see people make positive changes in their lives and realize you played an important role.”

Barbara  Matyszczak (aka Barb Matty) is serving her second term on the Board of Directors. Barb provides leadership to the Agency’s church relations efforts and serves on the Resource Advisory and Real Estate Committees. Since obtaining her real estate license in 1991, Barb has successfully built a referral based business in which over 98% of her business comes via referrals from happy customers. Barb is a 2005 inductee into the ReMax Hall of Fame for lifetime commissions earned. She holds a BS in Agriculture from the University of Kentucky, earned the Graduate of the Real Estate Institute (GRI), the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) and the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designations throughout her successful career. Barb is active in many church and Christian organizations and loves quilting and scrap booking memories for her family. Barb lives in North Wales with her husband and two sons.

Wakaki is serving his first term on the Board of Directors.  He is currently employed as a systems architect for IBM and provides consulting services for various Fortune 500 companies.  He is an Open Group Master Certified IT Specialist and participates on IBM's IT Specialist Board.  Furthermore, he was a primary contributor on a team that authored an IBM Systems Architect Redbook.  Wakaki attended Drexel University where he received a B.S. majoring in Systems Analysis and Development from the College of Information Science and Technology.  While in college, he established his own computer consulting business.

In addition, Minister Thompson enrolled in Bethel Seminary and received a Certificate in Theological Studies and is continuing his studies to attain a Masters of Divinity degree.  Wakaki is licensed as a Minister by Bethlehem Baptist Church and resides in Abington with his wife and son.

Bill is a long time Board member and serves as the Board Treasurer and Assistant Secretary. An entrepreneurial Certified Public Accountant, Bill founded Barbera & Associates of Huntingdon Valley out of his vision to provide small business owners comprehensive services including business consultation, tax compliance, preparation and planning together with regular accounting services. He has over 20 years of accounting, tax and business experience with a broad based public and private management background. Bill is a graduate of St. Joseph’s University with a degree in accounting. He lives in Bensalem with his wife and three children.

In his first term on the Board, Tom will hold the position of Secretary.  He is a Staff Nurse at Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in congestive heart failure, IV devices and electrophysiology regarding cardiac resynchronization therapy.  Tom also worked at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in the Electrophysiology Lab.  Prior to his nursing career, Tom was a teacher and athletic director and taught health, earth science and chemistry.  He has a B.S. in Physical Education and Health from the King's College-Briarcliff Manor and a B.S. in Nursing from Temple University.  Tom resides in Fort Washington with his wife and children.

Overseeing the accounting for the Children’s Hospital Foundation’s $1 billion in assets, Robert serves as Accounting Manager for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Before working at Children’s Hospital he served as Accounting Manager for Holy Redeemer Hospital in Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania where he oversaw system-wide tax issues, prepared monthly financial statements for Holy Redeemer Physicians Services & Drueding Center (a women’s shelter) and reviewed all Form 990 submissions among other tasks. Robert earned a BS in Accounting and a BS in Marketing from LaSalle University in Philadelphia.

Carol served as Executive Director of Access Services in the 1980s and brings that experience to the Board of Directors on which she has sat since 2005. Her life-long commitment to the nonprofit sector began with the American Red Cross during the Vietnam War era. Carol then moved to medical social work before going into hospital administration when she retired as the Administrator of a continuing care retirement community in Philadelphia from 1986-2000.  Carol enjoys spending time with family, traveling, entertaining and pursuing world missions. She holds a BS in Bible and Christian Education from Philadelphia Biblical University and a Masters degree in Social Work from the Temple University School of Social Administration.

Former Chairperson of the Board and previous Development Committee Chair, Linda has helped steer the growth of Access Services as a Board member from 1992-1997 and then from 2003 to the present. Linda brings extensive fund development experience in the not-for-profit setting to the Board. In 2010, she joined the Bancroft team as the Director of Campaign Operations and moved to the Senior Director of Development position in 2011. Through coordinated annual and campaign efforts, Bancroft’s private funding doubled in fiscal year 2011. From 1994-2010, Linda served as the Director of Development at Elwyn. She implemented the effort that led to Elwyn’s increase in development income of $3 million in cash and pledges during that time. Linda earned a BA in English from Temple University and a MA in Biblical Studies from Columbia International University in South Carolina. She also holds the Certificate in Fundraising Management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Rob has served on the board for over 15 years. Rob is a Managing Director and Practice Leader of the International Assignment Services (IAS) group of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Philadelphia. He has over 25 years of public accounting experience, 15 of which have been with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Having worked with several multinational corporations, Rob has assisted companies in assignment policy design, accounting and reserve planning, administrative outsourcing, effective U.S./foreign tax planning as well as compliance services. Rob holds a BS in Accounting and Finance from Drexel University and is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Financial Planner and he has been granted the Personal Financial Specialist designation by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Wally was born and raised in Hatboro, PA and graduated from Hatboro-Horsham High School in 1968. He attended Gettysburg College and majored in Business Administration, graduating there in 1972.
Wally spent most of his working life (25 years) at the College Settlement Camps: a private non-profit organization dedicated to serving economically disadvantaged youth from Philadelphia. He was the Assistant Director, responsible for implementing resident summer programs and Fall/Spring resident outdoor school experiences for students from the five-county area. Wally has three grown sons – Kevin, Kyle, and Mark. He is currently self-employed as a consultant for schools, camps, and nature centers. His hobbies include sports of all sorts, broadcasting, music, guitar playing, baking and being outdoors.