A combat veteran & nonprofit leader proves all things are possible.
By Felicia L. Niven
Photo: Steve Robinson Photography
Tiffani Worthy has walked the hallowed halls of West Point and the sands of Iraq. She has wielded the mayor’s gavel in Willingboro and fostered change at the helm of her own nonprofit. From the battlefield to the boardroom, Worthy has fearlessly carved her path, making a difference wherever she goes. Hers is a tale of service, determination and the unwavering belief that all things are possible.
She credits both her mother and grandmother for inspiring her from the very beginning. “My grandmother told me, ‘I want you to have these different experiences living in the city, and really capitalizing on being in the city,’ and that’s what she helped make happen. She put me in private school – it was amazing. For me, that helped me understand what I wanted ATAP to be.”
ATAP is the All Things Are Possible Foundation that Worthy started with her husband in 2007. Today, the nonprofit serves Burlington County families with programs for kids outside of school hours, including before and after school care, plus full-day programs in the summer and on days when school is off. The nonprofit also has STEAM workshops, and other academic and cultural enrichment programs.
“In the African American community, with its limited resources, an organization like this can make a difference,” says Worthy. “The experiences I was fortunate enough to have as a child really made me the person I am today. I want to create that potential for these kids.”
Worthy is quick to note that her mother made sure she had many positive experiences throughout her life. Growing up in Washington, D.C., Worthy met congressmen and local politicians. “I knew these were important people,” she says. “I didn’t fully understand their roles, but I had access to changemakers. It felt like something that was naturally attainable.”
Those experiences Worthy’s mother curated for her planted seeds for the future, including conversations with doctors at Howard University where her mom worked. Worthy did an internship at Howard University Hospital, followed by an internship at NASA. “Being around different people, asking questions, being curious and a lifelong learner is so important,” she says.
Her pastor also played a role. “His son was a cadet at West Point,” says Worthy. “I was in the seventh grade, and he took us to visit. It was amazing. I saw the rigor and the discipline, and I knew I was up for a challenge. I love to serve and help others. Sign me up.” She applied to West Point, Princeton and Cornell, got into all 3, and decided on West Point.
After graduation, Worthy began her military career as an operations manager and then lead human capital officer. She was nominated to serve as company commander in the Republic of South Korea. At the time, she was just 24, the youngest commander in the division. “I was stationed about 10 miles from the demilitarized zone,” she says. “I was responsible for processing soldiers into the Second Infantry Division.”
She met her future husband, the Reverend Dr. Carlos Worthy while serving in the military. He was a scholar-athlete from Willingboro, and a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army pursuing his divinity degree. Faith has always been part of their journeys, and they connected on that, and more.
Worthy deployed to Baghdad with the 18th Airborne Corps. and earned a Bronze Star Medal. She ultimately decided the time had come to serve in a new and different way.
That is when she and her husband created the All Things Are Possible Foundation. “We wanted to offer experiences that students typically wouldn’t have in their community or that parents may not even know how to create,” she says. “We wanted the children to understand the world is theirs, and they have unlimited possibilities.”
Worthy discovered an unmet need, which catapulted the foundation to the next level. At first, it funded athletic programs and scholarships. “My daughter was 4 or 5 at the time, and we were challenged by the before/after-care programs in the public schools,” says Worthy. “I’m sure they were doing the absolute best they could with the resources they had, but our needs were not being met.” Worthy and her husband started with a summer camp in 2016 and a before/ after-care program in the fall.
Worthy also made it her mission to learn more about Willingboro, where they were now living. She and friends attended town council meetings. “It was like my own reality TV show,” she says. “All the time, we would be saying, ‘Well, why don’t they do this?’ We would go to the microphone and share our ideas, but they never listened. Eventually we got tired of not being heard.”
“I knew I had solutions to the challenges that were being presented, but the leaders were no longer listening to the people who put them in the seats.” So she and her two colleagues ran for office and unseated 3 incumbents. At the start of 2020, Worthy was sworn in as mayor of Willingboro.
In addition to navigating the pandemic, Worthy helped spearhead a strategic plan for the town. “We had seen that each time a new council came in, the whole trajectory of the town would change because there was nothing guiding how these decisions were being made,” she says. “Doing a lot of strategy work in the private sector gave me the tools to be able to create that framework. Council reviewed it, gave feedback and now we have a plan through 2026.”
Worthy served as mayor for 2 years. She remains on the town council to continue to help guide and support.
Worthy says her life is a blend of service, leadership and advocacy. “Everything I do feels like it’s the same work, and it’s all meant to make a difference.”
