Strategic Consulting
Our Approach
At Pelham Advisors, our consultants recognize that every municipality, county, and organization is different - and we bring a different approach to every client. Each engagement is customized based on where you are and where you'd like to go. Our job is to help you get there. We're your partner and we'll walk the road together.
Practice Areas
Our consultants partner with local government, nonprofits, and religious institutions to:
- Improve systems
- Align organizational resources and support staff
- Develop decision making frameworks
- Enhance policies
- Analyze budgets
- Engage internal and external stakeholders
More than your consultant - Your Partner
We will be your trusted partner and your sounding board. We will help you make difficult decisions and implement difficult changes. We don't just advise, we support you every step of the way.
Our Team
Brian Abernathy, Principal
Brian has served in multiple public sector roles. He finished his city career as Philadelphia’s Managing Director, overseeing all the City and County’s 30+ operating departments, 20,000 employees, and $4.8 billion budget. Brian has also led the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, negotiating millions of dollars in redevelopment projects and finding creative solutions for affordable housing. He started his city career as an aide to Councilman Frank DiCicco, analyzing the city budget, crafting legislation, and working with community groups.
Throughout his tenure with the City, Brian earned a reputation as a problem solver and consensus builder, tackling some of the City’s greatest challenges. Brian was instrumental in Philadelphia’s Zoning Code Reform, the Central Delaware Waterfront planning process, the redevelopment of Center City’s Gallery Mall, the initial response and planning following the refinery explosion, and managed several large-scale events including the Democratic National Convention, Made in America concerts, and NFL Draft. He tackled the City’s opioid and homeless crises and proved to be a strong partner with communities and businesses in improving their quality-of-life.
Brian has served on multiple boards including the Arden Theatre Company, Culture Trust, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, Planning Commission, and Board of Pensions and Retirement. He is currently a member of the Philadelphia Art Museum’s Architecture and Facilities Committee and the Catholic Leadership Institute’s Next Generation Parish Task Force. He has received Urban Land Institute’s 40 Under 40 and has been recognized by Women Against Abuse for his efforts against domestic abuse.
Brian lives with his wife and two daughters in Philadelphia.
Lorelei Gauthier
Lorelei Gauthier is a seasoned management professional with a successful track record of leading organizations, boards and departments in operational and strategic capacities. Her most recent work experiences include serving as the Chief of Staff for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of the Managing Director, where she managed operational initiatives for the largest department in Philadelphia city government, including projects related to COVID response.
Prior to joining the City, she served as Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers’ Chief Strategy Officer, responsible for creating and maintaining strategic partnerships to further FIGHT’s programmatic and clinical work; and she is a founding member/former co-chair of the Technology Learning Collaborative, Philadelphia’s first professional development association for digital equity professionals and advocates. Lorelei’s career experience includes project management of large-scale, federal and privately funded programs for youth and adults, resource development, program evaluation, strategic planning, board development and operations management in the non-profit, government and health care sectors.
Lorelei holds a B.A. in Media Studies with a minor in Visual Arts from Fordham University, an M.A. in Media Studies from the New School, and a Certificate in Fundraising from the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she has worked as a Program Officer for Public/Private Ventures, an Associate Director for the Asian Arts Initiative, and is a 2010, 2012 and 2013 photography grantee for the Leeway Foundation.
She is currently residing in the Cleveland, Ohio area and is the parent of a very enthusiastic toddler.
Elizabeth Moselle
Elizabeth Moselle is a strategist, facilitator, and real-world experience designer. She is the founder of Places for People, LLC, a consulting practice that helps organizations design environments, services, and systems that are more human-centered and intuitive. Through strategy, stakeholder engagement, research, and creative problem-solving, she supports teams to surface insights, clarify direction, and deliver dynamic, actionable solutions.
Elizabeth has two decades of experience leading initiatives that strengthen local economies, reimagine public spaces, and improve how people connect with each other and the places they share. She held leadership roles in complex public settings, including at Philadelphia International Airport, where she led a multi-year initiative to elevate customer satisfaction and culture for 33 million annual passengers and 17,000 employees. Her background also includes commercial corridor revitalization, customer experience, managing public-private partnerships, and directing multi-million-dollar capital improvement projects— all with a focus on balancing economic and community needs and building lasting institutional capacity.
At Fairmount Park Conservancy, Elizabeth directed revenue strategy and programming for parks citywide, including launching Parks on Tap, a traveling beer garden that increased visitation and generated funding for reinvestment. Earlier in her career, she directed a nationally recognized Main Street program in Northwest Philadelphia, overseeing a dramatic revitalization of the historic business district and helping form the Mt. Airy Business Improvement District, where she later served as Executive Director.
She holds a B.A. in History from the University of Michigan and a certificate in Nonprofit Executive Leadership from Bryn Mawr College.
Jocelyn Jones Arnold
Jocelyn Jones Arnold brings a deep and unique expertise in the philanthropic, nonprofit and local government sectors. Throughout her three decades of professional experience, Jocelyn served as program staff at the Philadelphia Foundation, Trustee and Board Chair of the Valentine Foundation, Assistant Director of Pembroke Philanthropy Advisors, the first Development Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, and Deputy Director for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Recovery & Grants. In this this role, Jocelyn has facilitated broad and diverse collaborations among City agencies and community partners that led to the City obtainng more than $150 million in public & private investments, grant awards and federal designations. These include the first of President Obama’s 10-year Promise Zone designations for West Philadelphia, management of a three-year federal grant and partnership between the Philadelphia Police Department, the School District of Philadelphia and local criminal justice partners which led to an unprecedented 71% decrease in the Philadelphia’s school-to-prison pipeline, and a $22M grant from FEMA that enabled the Philadelphia Fire Department to hire 168 new firefighter positions.
Jocelyn is a skilled communicator and cross-sector connector who’s areas of expertise include: Racial equity, social & economic justice, development & fundraising, grantmaking & philanthropy, community empowerment, arts & culture, criminal & Juvenile justice reform, women and girls (gender oppressed, LGBTQ & trans), civic engagement, and multi-sector partnerships.
Jocelyn serves on the board of the Gender Justice Fund, the Philadelphia Histories Collaborative and the Pennsylvania Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Corporation. She is also a member of the Philadelphia Historical Commission’s Cultural Resources Advisory Council and Bloomberg Philanthropies’, Bloomberg Cities Network. Most recently, Jocelyn was accepted for membership in the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Betsy Ross Flag House Chapter (PA) and Col. Timothy Bigelow Chapeter (MA) based on her free, African-American patriot ancestor, Jethro Jones’ six years of honorable service with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
Our Consulting Team
Pelham Advisors works with individual independent contractors depending on the needs of each client. We have established relationships and ready expertise in grant making, nonprofit management, public safety, government relations, and project management.