About the Alice Paul Institute

Our Mission

The mission of the Alice Paul Institute is to honor the legacy of Alice Paul’s work for gender equality through education and leadership development.

Our Vision

Gender equality for all.

who we serve

The Alice Paul Institute is committed to having a positive impact in the ongoing, intersectional struggle for gender equality. We utilize an expansive and inclusive understanding of the terms “women” and “girls” and welcome the participation of trans women and girls, non-binary and gender non-conforming people, and anyone else who identifies with women and girls.

organizational history

In 1984, a group of advocates for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) decided to ensure that the 1985 centennial of the birth of Alice Paul, the author of the ERA, would be appropriately commemorated. They founded the Alice Paul Centennial Foundation, then created a slate of leadership programs for girls and purchased an important collection of Paul’s papers and artifacts. Eventually, they were also offered the opportunity to acquire Paul’s childhood home, Paulsdale, saving the house and property from development.

Today, as the Alice Paul Institute, the organization continues to educate and empower girls and young women to view themselves as leaders, encourage civic engagement, preserve Paulsdale, and advocate for the passage of the ERA which, when enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, will give legal and lasting equal protections to people of all genders.

Strategic Goals

API builds the civic engagement needed to advance gender equality.
API effectively advances appreciation of women’s history and promotes its importance in understanding the social, economic, and political situation of women today.
API expands engagement in its leadership development programs for young women across the Delaware Valley.
API increases annual revenue to support program growth and infrastructure stabilization.
Enhance API’s core infrastructure to better secure long-term sustainability.

Staff and Directors

For general inquiries, write to info@alicepaul.org or call the office at (856) 231-1885.

Allison Titman

Executive Director

Allison Titman joined the Alice Paul Institute as Executive Director in January 2021. Previously, she held the same role at the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center in West Chester, PA. She also spent five years as an Accreditation Program Officer at the American Alliance of Museums, where she worked with museums all over the country to improve their operations and achieve accreditation. She has held leadership, curatorial, and exhibit management roles at several historic house museums in the Washington, D.C. region, as well as the Women’s Memorial at Arlington Cemetery. Allison holds an MBA, an MA in Museum Studies from the George Washington University, and a BA in Women’s Studies from Barnard College. She is very active in the museum community in the mid-Atlantic region, having served as a Board Member and Strategic Planning Committee Chair for PA Museums, President and Conference Committee Chair of the Small Museum Association, and President of the Friends of the Greenbelt Museum. Allison lives in South Philadelphia with her family and two gray cats.

atitman@alicepaul.org

Colleen Tryner

Operations Director

Operations Director Colleen Tryner came to the Alice Paul Institute in early 2016. In her time at the Alice Paul Institute, she has served as an intern, a Development Associate, and Lead Coordinator for the Girls Leadership Council (GLC). Colleen now applies her holistic knowledge of the organization and passion for coordinating to manage various day-to-day processes and projects for staff, interns, and volunteers. Colleen is a graduate of Rowan University with a B.A. in History and Art, minors in Art History and Business Administration, and a concentration in International Studies.

ctryner@alicepaul.org

rachael glashan rupisan

development Director

Rachael Glashan Rupisan holds a BFA in Dance from Temple University, which led her to non-profit management for arts & culture organizations. Over the past ten years, Rachael has established fundraising strategies for the Performance Garage, Koresh Dance Company, and most recently Pennsylvania Ballet. In addition to her development work, Rachael has consulted with a number of organizations to determine strategic goals that help forward their missions. Rachael is thrilled to be taking on this role with API, combining her love for the non-profit sector and interest in women’s issues. Rachael lives in Collingswood with her husband, children and two dogs.

rgrupisan@alicepaul.org

alyssa hunt

program Director

Alyssa Hunt is the Program Director for the Alice Paul Institute. Hunt returns to the non-profit sector after several years working as a chef and a childcare professional. Alyssa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literature with a minor in writing from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX, and pursued graduate studies in Folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is fascinated with history and narrative, and the ways in which we cultivate meaning through the stories we inherit and the ones we tell about our own lives and communities. She is thrilled to apply these passions to both continuing established programming at API, as well as developing new ways for women of all ages to engage with themselves as active history changers and makers.

ahunt@alicepaul.org

altana west

program coordinator

Program Coordinator Altana “Tane” West came to the Alice Paul Institute in 2019 to support Centennial celebrations for 100 years of women having the right to vote. New to the world of non-profit work, West became passionate about equality through her escapades in over thirty countries across six continents. With a B.A. in Law and Justice from Rowan University, she hopes to one day pursue policy writing at the local level. Alice Paul is her inspiration and she could not feel more honored to hold this position with API.

awest@alicepaul.org

leslie gray

Development Associate

Leslie Gray has been interested in the work of Alice Paul since visiting Paulsdale on a fourth grade field trip. She is thrilled to be able to use her passions for women’s issues and empowerment in her role. Leslie holds a B.A. in French Studies with a minor in Italian from Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, Quebec. She has previously worked as a high school teacher, translator, and office administrator. She is an active volunteer with Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. Leslie lives in Mount Laurel with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.

lgray@alicepaul.org

Erica Meline

Marketing Assistant

Erica Meline came to the Alice Paul Institute in 2019, first as an intern and then as Communications Assistant for the New Jersey Statewide Initiative, NJ Women Vote: The 19th Amendment at 100. She is now a part of the Alice Paul team as a Marketing Assistant, offering support in communications and marketing for the organization. Erica has a love for advocacy and is passionate about working with nonprofits to promote social justice and progressive change. Prior to her time at API, Erica worked with both the Andrew Goodman Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters IR. A recent graduate of Ramapo College, Erica received her BA in Communication Arts, and aims to blend skills like creativity, communications, and marketing with her advocacy work as she progresses in her career.

emeline@alicepaul.org

Board of directors

Deirdre Webster Cobb, Chair
Dottie Schindlinger, Vice Chair

Isolde Benyo, Treasurer
Jamie Slimm, Secretary
Jessica Abrahams
Laurel Brennan
Elizabeth Bressi-Stoppe
Susan Carter
Michelle Cohen
Lisa Hendrickson

Yvette Mitchell
Nancy Mirfin
Carol Murphy
Mary Saile
June Sernak
Dolores Szymanski
Renee Thompson
Kayla Patel, GLC Representative
Haley Cohen, GLC Representative

Interested in becoming an API board member? Email us.