Lauren Wiley, reporter, editor, and nonprofit development director, has died at 50
“She was a great manager and encouraged her staff to grow and learn as well as hit goals and succeed,” a colleague said in an online tribute.
Lauren Wiley, 50, of Philadelphia, director of local development and revenue for Open Campus Media Inc., former development director for Chalkbeat Philadelphia and executive director of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook, onetime director of fundraising and communications for the American Diabetes Association, reporter, editor, education activist, and volunteer, died Friday, Feb. 28, of a cardiac event at her home in Mount Airy.
Ms. Wiley was all about compassion, family, education, and outreach, her family and friends said. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Syracuse University, covered local education for two newspapers in New England, and discovered her affinity and skill for fundraising and nonprofit education journalism.
Later, she earned a master’s degree in public administration at Villanova University and a certificate in professional fundraising from Boston University. As a director of development at five nonprofits since 2002, she recruited new members, staffers, and volunteers, and managed donations and sponsorships for the American Diabetes Association, the Philadelphia Public School Notebook, Chalkbeat Philadelphia, and Open Campus.
“She was a great manager and encouraged her staff to grow and learn as well as hit goals and succeed,” a colleague said in an online tribute. Another colleague noted her “unique blend of personal warmth and professionalism.” A longtime friend said: “Lauren was a force of nature.”
Over more than two decades, Ms. Wiley supervised dozens of creative fundraising events and public relations campaigns. She wrote newsletters, articles, and grant applications, and helped organize workshops and staffing.
She established the annual Spring Fling fundraiser for the Henry H. Houston Elementary School Home and School Association, and supervised the NewsMatch fundraisers for the Notebook and Chalkbeat Philadelphia, and seven Step Out fundraising walks for the American Diabetes Association.
“Everyone could count on her, from big organizations down to individual friends. She always, always had your back, no matter what.”
She was a reporter at the Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Mass., and the Republican-American in Waterbury, Conn., right out of college in the 1990s. She spent nearly 10 years, from 2002 to 2012, with the American Diabetes Association and joined the Notebook in 2014, Chalkbeat in 2021, and Open Campus later in 2021.
She also worked briefly at the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute in Wayne, and as a writer and editor for Adweek and Access Media. “She was a fierce supporter of journalism and a true believer in its ability to make communities better and to hold power to account,” Maria Archangelo, chief revenue officer at Open Campus, said in a tribute.
As a board member and copresident of the Houston Home and School Association, Ms. Wiley updated the school library and playground, obtained grants, collected school supplies, advocated for more algebra classes, and championed teachers’ rights. “She was a doer, always willing to step in and get things done,” her colleagues at Houston said in a tribute. “She did it because she loved her community and her city.”
She volunteered on the board of the West Mount Airy Neighbors Association, was active with the John S. Jenks School parents association, and supported local schools openly by displaying “public and proud” signs in her front yard. She devoured current events and knocked on doors during political campaigns.
“If the school needed something or a parent needed support, she always figured out a way to help. She did it all without needing accolades or praise.”
“She was all about public service,” said her husband, Jason Ernst.
Lauren Meredith Wiley was born April 27, 1974, in Rahway, N.J. She was bright and independent as a girl, and her mother, Jan, called her “a spitfire.”
She was a top student in high school and an editor on the student newspaper at Syracuse. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 1996 and a master’s degree in 2016.
She married Jeff Partyka, and they had a son, Benjamin. After a divorce, she met Jason Ernst at a Christmas party in 2011, and they married in 2013. They had a son, Elliot, and lived in Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy.
“My top concern is upgrading the school buildings so they are healthy, and upgrading electrical plumbing and HVAC.”
“She was amazing,” her husband said, “with a super bright smile and eyes that were so intense.”
Ms. Wiley was devoted to her family and her dogs. She enjoyed cooking and gardening, and always seemed to have a cup of coffee at hand.
Her sons called her “amazing” and “caring.” Her son Benjamin said: ”I don’t want to imagine where I would be without her help.”
Her friends at Houston Elementary School said: “There was never a prouder mom. Her boys were her whole world.” Her husband said: “She was fierce and motivated, positive and determined. She went all the way through no matter what.”
In addition to her husband, sons, and parents, Michael and Jan, Ms. Wiley is survived by a brother and other relatives.
Visitation with the family is to be from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 8, at Jacob F. Ruth Funeral Home, 8413 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19118. A celebration of her life is to follow from 2 to 4 p.m.
Donations in her name may be made to the Henry H. Houston Home and School Association, 7300 Rural Lane, Philadelphia, Pa. 19119; and Open Campus Media Inc., 1 Thomas Circle N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005.