Jefferson Employee Donates $7,500 on Behalf of The Schwartz Foundation

Repost from giving.jefferson.edu

Dwight Pedro Lewis (right), senior director, Information Systems, presents Jonah Selber (left) with a certificate of service.

When given the opportunity to direct a $15,000 gift from The Schwartz Foundation, Jonah Selber chose to recognize two organizations that have impacted his life. 

He donated $7,500 to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where Selber has worked as an office assistant in the information systems department since 1997. Selber, who was born with a development disability, also directed $7,500 to Adults with Developmental Disabilities (ADD), which offers social opportunities to people with disabilities. 

ADD plans to use the funds to start the Jonah Selber Scholarship Fund. He was honored for his gift at an event May 5, 2014. 

Dwight Pedro Lewis, senior director of information systems at Jefferson, hired Selber 17 years ago. When he first joined the department, Selber worked with a job coach to learn the necessary skills for his role at Jefferson but now works independently. Lewis’s staff learned how to more effectively communicate and give clear instructions which is key to Selber’s success. 

“We are proud that our staff in information systems is diverse and inclusive,” said Lewis. “We are family. We support and coach Jonah, and he supports all of us. Jonah brings several talents and skills to the workplace including attention to detail, focus and timeliness, and he shows up to work every day with a smile.”