Cheryl Cunningham has led the Chester Education Foundation (CEF) since 1994. Prior to CEF, Cheryl’s career included positions in public housing, welfare, domestic abuse and childcare. Cheryl has a Master’s degree in Management from Widener University, Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Social Welfare from Temple University and she completed a fellowship with the Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute at Bryn Mawr College.

The Delco Resources directory grew out of Cheryl’s vision for a centralized source of information for Delaware County, particularly those small, hyper-local resources that weren’t likely to appear on larger state or national directories.

To contact Cheryl, use the email cheryl@chestereducation.org.

Connector, leader, public speaker, social worker, teacher, husband, and father, Dickie Robbins is a longtime resident of Chester, PA with deep connections to the community. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from the University of Delaware, he received a Master’s degree in Social Services from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research and went on to become a Pennsylvania licensed social worker (LSW).

A supporter of Chester Education Foundation since the early 1990s, Dickie Robbins joined CEF in 2024 as the Director of the Community Resource Hub, where he oversees operations and upholds the mission to connect residents of Delaware County with the educational, health, economic, and cultural resources that can improve their lives.

To contact Dickie Robbins, use the email drobbins@chestereducation.org.

Barbara Muhammad has spent her life serving the Chester Upland community with a particular interest in housing since a very young age. Growing up in Chester, Ms. Muhammad helped runaways by using and decorating leftover cargo trains to provide a place for people to take shelter. The right to safe and decent housing for everyone — and especially those economically marginalized — led to a lifelong passion and pursuit for Ms. Muhammad and she cultivated this passion into her career.

In addition to her momentous housing work, Ms. Muhammad has served the Chester community as a founding member of The United Muslim Coalition Against Violence and Crime, a certified Relocation Specialist, board member of the former Widener Partnership Charter School, and served for 15 years as a community liaison with Professor Dr. Keith Reeves of the Political Science Department at Swarthmore College. Her other achievements include her work with the Chester Diversity Apprenticeship program, and the Chester Community Coalition. She also earned a certificate in Construction Management from the Fox Business School at Temple University.

Joining the Chester Education Foundation team as a Resource Navigator in the Community Resource Hub, Ms. Muhammad continues her lifelong mission of connecting community members with the resources and support they need.

Ms. Muhammad lives by the motto: “Every Human Need is a Human Right.”

To contact Barbara Muhammad, use the email bmuhammad@chestereducation.org.