Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region Announces New Board Member Appointments

Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region (BBBS Independence), a one-to-one youth mentoring non-profit serving Southeastern PA & Southern NJ, voted in three new members to their governing board of directors in their most recent meeting: Andrew Benioff, Founder & Managing Partner, Llenrock Group, LLC; Joseph R. Genovesi, President, THRIVEST Funding, LLC; and Joseph M. Marrone, Esquire, Founder & Managing Partner, Marrone Law Firm, LLC. They will each serve three-year terms. BBBS Independence also announced the appointment of their new Board Chair, Paul D. Ridder, President, Tasty Baking Company. Mr. Ridder will serve a two-year term.

More information about each board member can be found below.
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Paul D. Ridder – Board Chair, BBBS Independence
President – Tasty Baking Company

Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region – Paul D. RidderPaul D. Ridder has been the President of Tasty Baking Company since May 2011. Prior to that, he was Tasty Baking Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Tasty Baking Company is one of the country’s leading bakers of snack cakes, pies, cookies and donuts. The company, headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, was founded in 1914 and is the manufacturer of the popular Tastykake brand.

In his role as President, Paul is responsible for all aspects of the operations of Tasty Baking Company, including leveraging the merger with Flowers Foods to expand Tastykake into a national brand, as well as to deliver new and innovative products. During Paul’s tenure as President, the reach of the Tastykake brand has more than doubled and now reaches 75% of the U.S. Population.

As an active member of the community, Paul lends his expertise to various organizations. Currently, he serves on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, CHOP Corporate Council, the Philadelphia Zoo, and the Villanova University – Dean’s Advisory Council.
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Andrew L. Benioff – New Board Member, BBBS Independence
Founder & Managing Partner – Llenrock Group, LLC

Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region – Andrew L. BenioffAndrew Benioff is the Founder and Managing Partner of Llenrock Group, LLC, a real estate investment banking and advisory firm, and a Principal at Linden Lane Capital Partners, LLC, a value-added real estate investment firm. Mr. Benioff previously served as managing partner and head of the hospitality and leisure finance group at a Philadelphia-based real estate investment-banking company.

Mr. Benioff has 15 years’ experience in the operation and management of luxury hotels. He has held management and executive level positions at Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, Nikko Hotels International, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in the U.S., and a traditional Ryokan (Inn) in Atami, Japan.

Mr. Benioff is Chairman of the Philadelphia chapter of the Cornell Real Estate Council and is Founder and Chairman of the Philadelphia Real Estate Council. He also serves on the governing board for Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region. He received his M.B.A. with a focus on Finance and Real Estate from Cornell University’s S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management and holds a B.A. from Connecticut College.

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Joseph R. Genovesi – New Board Member, BBBS Independence
President – THRIVEST Funding, LLC

Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region – Jospeh R. GenovesiMr. Genovesi has over 15 years of experience in the alternative investment industry, the last five of which he was focused on the specialty finance/factoring sector. Most recently as the President of a $200M post-settlement legal funding company that focused on accelerating legal fees to attorneys with settled cases. Mr. Genovesi was the SVP at an alternative investment advisory firm and was responsible for manager due diligence and new business development. Prior to that he was VP at a global asset manager with over $3 billion in hedge fund investments and responsible for manager due diligence and sourcing new managers for portfolios.

Mr. Genovesi has his MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance from Villanova University. He is a Council Member of Villanova University’s Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. He also is a Board Member for Big Brother Big Sisters of Northern New Jersey.
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Joseph M. Marrone, Esquire – New Board Member, BBBS Independence
Founder & Managing Partner – Marrone Law Firm, LLC

Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region – Joseph M. Marrone, Esq. founded the Marrone Law Firm, LLC over two decades ago, in 1993. Since its establishment, Joseph has successfully served as the firm’s Managing Partner and sole proprietor. He has worked tirelessly to build his firm from the ground up, developing a reputation for dedication and the willingness to fight for the needs of those he represents. The heart of the Marrone Law Firm, LLC is based in Center City Philadelphia which has allowed Joseph to cultivate a strong foundation in the Greater Philadelphia Area. In order to better his serve clients, Joseph expanded his practice into New Jersey, with an additional office in Cherry Hill, NJ.

Joseph, a native to Philadelphia, received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. He went on to pursue his Juris Doctor from Western Michigan University. Joseph graduated from law school in 1991, moving on to earn bar admissions in New Jersey (1991), Pennsylvania (1992), and New York (2004). He is also licensed to practice in the U.S. District Courts of the aforementioned states, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. After graduating law school, Joseph worked as a political advisor to former Governor of Pennsylvania, Edward Rendell for his mayoral campaign in Philadelphia. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Assistant City Solicitor in the Rendell administration and spent countless hours representing the City of Philadelphia.

In addition to achieving impressive results for his clients, Joseph was selected as an “Awesome Attorney’” in South Jersey Magazine by reader’s choice in 2014, 2016 & 2017; and as a 2014 “Top Attorney” in Philadelphia Life/Suburban Life Magazine during December 2014. Joseph was also honored by U.S. News and World Report in 2016 & 2017 in the category of “Best Law Firms” for the areas of Plaintiff Personal Injury Litigation and Plaintiff Medical Malpractice Law. In both 2016 & 2017, The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys recognized his achievements by awarding him the prestigious “10 Best” Personal Injury Attorneys for Client Satisfaction in Pennsylvania.

Due to his great level of achievement and respect among his peers which Joseph Marrone has garnered during his tenure in the legal field, he has appeared on NBC and FOX as a legal analyst both locally and on the West Coast.

Among other nationally aired radio interviews, Joseph has been invited to be a regular legal contributor on the nationally syndicated, iHeart Radio show, “This Morning – America’s First News with Gordon Deal”, speaking on a variety of legal topics making today’s headlines.