Healthy NewsWorks is pleased to announce that Martha E. Morse has joined the board of directors.
Marty began her career as a corporate lawyer who did mergers and acquisitions and securities work at several firms and then moved to philanthropy. Most recently, she served as the executive director of The Edna G. Kynett Memorial Foundation, Inc., which funds research, continuing medical education, and community health projects focused on cardiovascular disease and underserved populations.
She first encountered Healthy NewsWorks during a grant-related site visit for Kynett.
“After ten minutes in the classroom with the Healthy NewsWorks students, I was completely sold,” said Marty. “The children’s joy in the project, the seriousness with which they approached their work, and the staff’s willingness to make every effort to ensure that the students not only understood the importance of their research but also the craft of reporting were all compelling. And of course, the need for careful analysis and the uncovering of misinformation has grown exponentially since then.”
Marty also serves on the grants committee for the Philadelphia Bar Foundation and on the boards of directors of both the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and Bryn Mawr Film Institute. She was previously on the boards of Living beyond Breast Cancer, Community Volunteers in Medicine, the Agnes Irwin School, and the Breakthrough Collaborative.
“I am very excited about joining the Board and working with the staff and other Board members to expand Heathy NewsWorks’ reach,” said Marty. “There are so many children in the Delaware Valley who would benefit from the program and the chance not only to acquire crucial knowledge and skills but have a great time doing so.”
“We are thrilled to have Marty join the board,” said Healthy NewsWorks Executive Director Marian Uhlman. “Her experience at the Kynett Foundation and her continued support of our health-focused initiatives will be invaluable to our organization.”
In addition to Marty, the board recently welcomed attorney Shoba Babu as an observer for the next year.
Shoba was born and raised in Philadelphia, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her law degree from Temple University. She now serves as an assistant city solicitor in the City of Philadelphia Tax Litigation and Collections Unit.
Her background as a student journalist made her particularly interested in Healthy NewsWorks’ mission. “Some of my fondest memories in undergrad were from writing for the school newspaper, the Daily Pennsylvanian,” said Shoba. “I’m beyond elated to help Philly-area kids experience the gift of journalism.”
The Board Observer Program is a partnership between the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, the Delivery of Legal Services Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association.
The program offers young lawyers the opportunity to serve on the board of a local nonprofit organization for a year, building connections within the community and benefiting both the observer and the participating organization. Conor Foley served as an observer with Healthy NewsWorks in 2024.
