

On Christmas Eve, 1985, transit police evicted a homeless woman known only as “Mama” from Grand Central Terminal into the freezing cold. The next morning, she entered the Terminal, laid on a bench, and passed away of pneumonia.
Mama was one of the hundreds of homeless people George T. McDonald grew close with over 700 consecutive nights handing out food to those who called the Terminal home. They appreciated his help, but again and again, they told George the same thing: “What I really need is a room and a job to pay for it.”
Mama’s death made George realize that merely providing clothing and food would never create real change. It was in her memory that George founded The Doe Fund, named for the pseudonym authorities used on her death certificate. Together with his wife, Harriet Karr-McDonald, they created Ready, Willing & Able to help people rebuild and achieve economic mobility after homelessness and incarceration.
Today, Ready, Willing & Able has helped nearly 30,000 individuals transform their lives. Though George McDonald passed away in early 2021, The Doe Fund will continue his vision for generations to come.
Executive Staff
Robert Cornegy, Jr.
Executive Vice President
Robert’s longtime partnership with The Doe Fund began when he opened an addiction treatment facility in his Bedford-Stuyvesant community using drug testing equipment from our Gates Avenue transitional residence. Robert then served as a City Council Member for NYC’s 36th District from 2014-2022. As one of the Council’s most prolific legislators, he left a legacy of initiatives that advance racial and economic justice and improve the lives of vulnerable New Yorkers. This includes the Kalief Browder Bill, which makes it mandatory for the Department of Corrections to provide mental health, educational, and vocational services to detainees before they are sentenced.
In his role as EVP, Robert identifies and secures funds and political capital to execute our mission and key strategic objectives. He introduces key stakeholders in government and the private sectors to our work and goals. An expert in small business development, Robert also advances the organization’s social enterprises and explores innovative new avenues.
John McDonald*
Executive Vice President
A seasoned corporate leader with expertise in financial analysis, management, and real estate development, John oversees The Doe Fund’s growing portfolio of transitional, affordable, and supportive housing—most of which he himself developed—as well as their operations, financing ,and partnerships with City, State, and private entities. In his prior role as Chief Financial Officer, John managed The Doe Fund’s finances through a period of exponential growth over the course of twenty years. Prior to joining The Doe Fund, John held positions at Salomon Brothers and Bell Atlantic Corporation. He holds a degree in Financial Management from the University of North Carolina.
Anthony Mangione*
Chief Financial Officer
As Chief Financial Officer at The Doe Fund, Anthony helps develop and implement cost-effective, holistic programs that meet the needs of a diverse population working to break the cycles of homelessness, addiction, and criminal recidivism. In addition, he helps in developing supportive housing, using innovative financing strategies and historic restoration to revitalize buildings and neighborhoods while increasing the supply of affordable housing for people with the greatest economic need. Prior to that, Anthony honed his professional audit, accounting and consulting experience working with higher education institutions, large national and international organizations, religious organizations, social services agencies, foundations, cultural institutions and professional associations.
Felipe Vargas
Vice President of Programs
As Vice President of Programs for the organization, Felipe directly oversees all aspects of the Ready, Willing & Able transitional work program across three New York City facilities as well as the services provided to clients in the The Doe Fund’s portfolio of supportive housing developments. He previously served as the Director of Criminal Justice Programs and Project Director of CUNY’s Next Steps Program, building on years of direct service experience with incarcerated men and women. Felipe has led many program initiatives and innovations at The Doe Fund, including most recently the introduction of onsite parole services and special programming for homeless men under community supervision at the Peter Jay Sharp Center for Opportunity.
* indicates an Officer of the Corporation
Board of Directors
Matthew Azznara
Vice President, Global Digital Product Manager, PIMCO
Nadia Block
Manager, Block Family Foundation
Christian Diez
Chief Financial Officer, Two Sigma Private Investments
Frank Gribbon
Former Deputy Commissioner, Communications, FDNY
Melique Jones
Chief People Officer, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Sunil Kapadia
Director, Strategy and Operations, Google
Steve Koppel (Chairman of the Board)
Attorney (Partner), Sidley Austin LLP
Harriet Karr-McDonald (President)
President, The Doe Fund
Rob Morse
Head of Data Strategy and Sourcing, PDT Partners
Julian Riley, Jr.
Founder & CEO, Harlem Blue Premium Beer
David Shapiro
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, KPS Capital Partners
Bill Thompson
Senior Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer, Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co., LLC
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, The City University of New York
Former Comptroller of New York City
Josh Weisenbeck
Partner, Private Equity, KKR
Jesse Wilkins
Attorney (Partner), Preston and Wilkins, LLC