Our Board

VICE PRESIDENT

Lana Allan is Vice President of the United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia (UNA-GP). She spent over a decade at the National Constitution Center as Vice President of Content and Senior Counsel, managing constitutional content, programming, museum exhibits, digital media, and legal matters. Before that, Lana served as a legal fellow at UNA-GP and a law clerk for the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Legal Adviser, aiding in international litigation. She also worked at a labor and employment law firm in D.C. Lana holds a J.D. from George Washington University Law School, a B.A. from Penn State, and a certificate in International Human Rights Law from Oxford.

ADVOCACY CHAIR

Edward Aguilar began peace activism in 1965 at Central High School, joining the Washington March Against the Vietnam War and Student Mobilization for Peace. He later joined SANE/FREEZE and took part in the 1982 One Million Against War march. From 1985-1994, he led the Pennsylvania Lawyers Alliance for World Security, collaborating on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty CTBT. He was Executive Director of the Project for Nuclear Awareness (1996-2011) and, since 2012, serves as Pennsylvania Director for the Coalition for Peace Action, working with Rev. Bob Moore. He also worked with the Bucks County UNA before it merged with UNAGP.

SECRETARY

Ed Gracely has served on the UNA-GP board since 2011, currently as Secretary. A statistician and Drexel University professor, he was drawn toward advocacy for the UN’s goals on human rights and sustainable development. He is active in the American Statistical Association’s health sciences section and Statistics without Borders. Ed also holds leadership roles in the League of Women Voters of Camden County and previously in New Jersey, works to support Braver Angels debates, and is on the Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking Council.

Tammy, formerly an English teacher, shifted careers fueled by her passion for justice and law's role in social movements. She holds an M.A. in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from Arcadia University and an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution with distinction from SOAS, University of London. Her work spans youth violence prevention, healthcare rights, education, nuclear disarmament, environmental health, housing, climate change, and immigrant rights. As a volunteer, she supports activists through a legal collective promoting peaceful expression.

Lisa, a Philadelphia native and social worker, has worked in social services, anti-bullying, education, cross-cultural, mental health, and public health across Philly neighborhoods. She founded Peace Day Philly in 2011, launched it as a nonprofit in 2013, and has represented it at the United Nations since 2018. Lisa currently works at NAMI, the National Alliance for Mental Illness, focusing on outreach, mental health courses, and youth programs. She graduated from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research.

A passionate community leader, Maureen holds degrees in Community Development and Psychology with 15 years of experience working with marginalized communities in Kenya, Botswana, and the United States. She supported unaccompanied refugee minors and vulnerable refugees through the UNHCR. As Program Manager for the Immigrant Leadership Institute at The Welcoming Center, she advocates for immigrants and refugees. Since 2020, she also promotes civic participation as an Election Board worker with the Philadelphia Commissioners office.

Carol Parkinson-Hall, a native Philadelphian and retired public-school educator, spent her career creating after-school and mentoring programs, organizing HBCU tours and youth voter education, and helping launch Model UN in local high schools with Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Omega Chapter. Her mentoring led to UN visits, including International Day of the Girl events with Beads for Education. She joined the School District of Philadelphia teachers and the World Affairs Council on a trip to Japan to foster multicultural curricula. She holds a BFA from Howard, an MS in Arts Administration from Drexel, and an MS in Educational Administration from Gwynedd Mercy. A UNA–GP member since 2014, she joined the board in 2016.