Credit: Photo by R. Kennedy for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®
TASK FORCE MEMBERS
The Task Force consists of city officials and members from various fields related to historic preservation, such as planners, architects, community leaders, archaeologists, developers, and preservationists. Members are donating their time to this project. Harris Steinberg, who directs Drexel’s Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, chairs the Task Force. Dominique Hawkins, a respected architect and preservationist, serves as Vice Chair. Each Task Force member serves on one of four subcommittees, which will address the four tasks listed above. In addition, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is providing technical advice and research about best practices from across the country. Task Force member Seri Worden, a senior field officer with the National Trust, will help provide data, mapping and research on effective preservation approaches used by peer cities.
Leonidas Addimando
Building Industry Association
Leo Addimando is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Alterra Property Group, LLC . In addition to experience with a diverse range of real estate product types, Leo has also invested in over 15 states, built over 1,000 residential units, structured complex tax credit transactions, and overseen all aspects of numerous real estate development projects. Previously, Leo was an early employee of Orbitz.com, serving the company for three years in numerous business and corporate development capacities. Before working at Orbitz, Leo worked as an Associate for the Boston Consulting Group in various management consulting capacities, and across numerous industry groups. Prior to that, he was the co-founder of both a media start-up and an internet start-up. Leo has an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Michigan. Leo is a Board Member of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Building Industry Association, and the Old City District.
peter angelides
Financial Analyst
Dr. Peter Angelides is Principal of Econsult Solutions, Inc. (ESI). Dr. Angelides, who is trained in both economics and city planning, directs financial and economic analyses for projects in economic development, transportation, valuation and litigation. He has conducted financial analysis of several historic properties, and has assisted in attempts to preserve historic elements of significant buildings. He also serves as a Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and as board member or in another contributing role for several civic and professional organizations, including the Design Advocacy Group, The Urban Land Institute, the American Institute for Certified Planners, and the Racquet Club of Philadelphia.
oscar beisert
Preservationist
Oscar Beisert’s local preservation efforts began after he observed the demolition of an unusual row of four undesignated Federal style, frame dwellings (c. late 1700s) across from Penn Treaty Park. Since then, he has successfully nominated dozens of properties to the local register. With a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in American Studies—American Architectural History and Decorative Arts, he has almost ten years of experience in Historic Preservation and Section 106 Compliance. Oscar works for the Federal government, is the founder of the Keeping Society of Philadelphia, and has recently renovated a 1880s carriage repository in Germantown. For his work in Philadelphia, Beisert has received the Board of Directors Award for exceptional contribution to historic preservation, as well as recognition from Save Our Sites and the University City Historical Society.
Duane Bumb
Commerce Department
Duane Bumb has served the City of Philadelphia for over 20 years. In his current capacity as Senior Deputy Commerce Director of Business Development, Duane is responsible for implementation of economic development initiatives for the City including business attraction and retention efforts, international trade, major real estate development projects and workforce development coordination. Duane has more than 30 years of professional experience in economic development policymaking and implementation.
Catherine Califano
Department of Planning & Development
Catherine Califano is the First Deputy Director of the Department of Planning & Development. Her responsibilities include coordinating the department’s performance metrics; working with intergovernmental legislative initiatives; identifying and securing additional resources to attract and promote development within the City. Ms. Califano holds a Master's from the Fels Center at the University of Pennsylvania. She has nearly two decades of experience in government and non-profit work related to planning, program administration, policy evaluation and development strategies through public and private partnerships. Prior to joining the Administration, she served as the Associate Director of Policy Solutions at the Reinvestment Fund; Deputy Secretary of the City's Office of Housing and Community Development; and Director of Economic Development for the Philadelphia Empowerment Zone and Renewal Communities.
Carl Dress
AIA Representative
Carl Dress is a Preservation Architect and founding member of Heritage Design Collaborative. Over the course of the last 25 years he has become an important member of the preservation community in Philadelphia. His most recent accomplishment being the award-winning restoration of the East Park Canoe House on Philadelphia’s Boathouse Row. Since 2010 he has been the co-chair of AIA Philadelphia’s Historic Preservation Committee. Carl began his architectural education at Pratt Institute completing the BArch program in 1983. Prior to departing from New York City, he worked professionally for notable preservationists, Robert Meadows and Jan Hird Pokorny. Upon completion of the 2-year MArch program at Cornell University, he relocated to Philadelphia. He lives in Narberth, Pennsylvania with his architect-wife and their two sons.
Mike Fink
Department of Licenses & Inspections
Michael Fink has served in the Department of Licenses & Inspections (L&I) since 1982. He is certified by the International Code Council (ICC) and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Building Inspector and Plans Examiner and was awarded the ICC Code Official of the Year Award in 2009. As the Department’s Chief Code Official, Fink currently oversees the Department’s administration of the PA Uniform Construction Code, ensuring proper training and technical certification of staff and improving quality and consistency through the development and issuance of policies, procedures and code interpretations. Fink currently represents L&I as a member of the Historical Commission.
Lorraine Gomez
Community Representative
Patrick Grossi
Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia
Patrick Grossi is Director of Advocacy at the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. A public historian and place-based advocate, he is committed to accessibility, thinking seriously about non-traditional methods of engaging the past, and the equitable and inclusive preservation of the built environment. He has previously worked with the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent, Wyck Historic House & Garden, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and Friends of the Rail Park, among others. Prior to joining the Preservation Alliance Grossi served as Project Manager of Temple Contemporary's Funeral for a Home.
Julia Gutstadt
Urban Land Institute
Julia is Chief Investment Officer at Dranoff Properties where she is responsible for developing and implementing the company’s growth strategy including new project developments, land acquisition and project funding. Julia has overseen the development of many distinctly different and architecturally significant properties. These mixed-use urban developments combine luxury residential living with entertainment venues, retail shops, restaurants and transit hubs and strive to achieve architectural and urban design integrity in relation to the historic streetscape. Prior to joining Dranoff Properties, Julia worked at JPMorgan Chase in the New York Investment Bank and as a strategy consultant for Accenture in San Francisco. She has a B.S.E. in Civil Engineering from Princeton University and M.B.A. in Real Estate and Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Nan Gutterman
Preservation Architect
Nan R. Gutterman, FAIA, FAPT is an Associate and Senior Preservation Architect at VITETTA, a local architectural and engineering firm. Ms. Gutterman joined VITETTA in 1988 following a distinguished career that included the restoration of the Main Building at Ellis Island. Ms. Gutterman has extensive international training in the UK and Italy [ICCROM], and is on the forefront of conservation science related to cleaning and repairs of complex exterior building envelopes. This includes large decorative/sculptural programs such as her extensive and innovative work at Philadelphia City Hall. Ms. Gutterman was appointed to the Architectural Committee of the PHC in 2009. She gives presentations on her work to members of APT/DVC, Preservation Alliance, Center for Architecture and students at the University of Pennsylvania, preservation program.
Dominique Hawkins
Preservation Architect/Planner | Vice-Chair
Dominique M. Hawkins, completed dual Masters degrees in Architecture and Historic Preservation at the University of Pennsylvania prior to founding Preservation Design Partnership [PDP] in 1995. The firm offers full planning, design and architecture services for historic resources, including historic districts, National Historic Landmark structures and World Heritage sites. Dominique’s preservation planning work is nationally recognized, ranging from the development of Design Guidelines for historic communities, including the City of New Orleans; the preparation of a Preservation Plan for the City of St. Augustine, the oldest European settlement in the US; and the development of a flood mitigation guide for Maryland’s historic buildings. She served on the Philadelphia Historical Commission and its Financial Hardship Committee while chairing its Architectural Committee from 2010-2016.
David Hollenberg
Institutional Developer
David Hollenberg is the University of Pennsylvania’s University Architect, overseeing the design and preservation of the campus. Since 2006, he has led projects that reconcile architectural preservation and progressive design, ensuring that the campus remains distinctly “Penn.” Previously, David oversaw all historic structures in the National Park Service’s thirteen-state Northeast Region, including implementing Independence National Historical Park’s General Management Plan, for which he was a lead voice in planning $320 million in design and construction to transform Independence Mall. In private practice with John Milner Associates from 1975-2002, David directed design for the reuse of landmarks including the Fairmount Water Works, Lits, and Reading Terminal Headhouse. From 1985-94 he served on the Philadelphia Historical Commission, as Commissioner and Chair of its Architectural Committee. Since 1988 he has taught in the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation.
Lou Iatarola
Community Representative
Lou Iatarola presently serves as President of the non-profit Historical Society of Tacony, which spearheaded the effort to designate the "Disston Estate" area as a National Historic District, achieved in 2016. Previous leadership positions include President of the Tacony Civic Association and President of the Tacony Business Association. Iatarola's work as a member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI) at the offices of Louis A. Iatarola Realty Appraisal Group takes him across the city on a variety of residential, commercial and industrial valuation assignments. Lou attended Father Judge High School and graduated in 1989 from Temple University with a double major in Marketing and Real Estate.
Bob Jaeger
Partners for Sacred Places
Bob Jaeger co-founded Partners for Sacred Places in 1989 and currently serves as its President. Mr. Jaeger was formerly with the Philadelphia Historic Preservation Corporation as Senior Vice President for the Historic Religious Properties Program. He is the co-author of Sacred Places at Risk (1998) and Strategies for Stewardship and Active Use of Older and Historic Religious Properties (1996), author of Sacred Places in Transition (1994), and editor (from 1985 to 1989) of Inspired, a bi-monthly magazine with news and technical articles on religious property preservation. Mr. Jaeger holds a Master's degree in Preservation Planning from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Roland Kassis
Developer
Founder of Kassis Ventures and managing partner of Domani Developers, Roland Kassis is the largest commercial property holder along the Frankford Avenue and Front Street corridor in Fishtown. He has completed countless residential and commercial projects in Fishtown and Northern Liberties, including the popular La Colombe, Frankford Hall, Fette Sau, and numerous others up and down Frankford Avenue.
Cory Kegerise
Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission
Cory Kegerise is the Community Preservation Coordinator for Eastern Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office. He provides technical assistance on a wide variety of preservation-related issues to local governments, community organizations, and individuals in a region stretching from Philadelphia to Wayne County. Immediately prior to joining PHMC, Cory was the Administrator of Local Programs at the Maryland Historical Trust. Cory has also served as the Executive Director of the Elfreth’s Alley Association, worked as a consultant, and as a grants manager for a National & State Heritage Area. He lives in Germantown and holds a Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s Degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Mary Washington.
Scott Maits
Community Representative
Scott Maits is a neighborhood-based historian, community activist and manager of historic assets. With a wide range of interests and a deep understanding of what truly makes Philadelphia special, he has helped to advance, make, or lead multiple projects and civic improvements, continuing to championing potentially game changing, historically related concepts to bring about better, more equable urban renewal along the Northeast Corridor and inner city. Scott has been involved in resurrecting cemeteries, pioneering tours, building trails, saving historic buildings and finding relevancy in the forgotten for communities today. He has taught students from elementary to college, consulted for neighborhoods, improved transportation, helped bring back areas and conserved lands.
Randall Mason
Preservation Academic
Randall Mason, PhD., is Chair of the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, Associate Professor of City & Regional Planning, and Executive Director of PennPraxis at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design. Before coming to Penn in 2004, he worked at the Getty Conservation Institute and the University of Maryland. His books include The Once and Future New York (2009), which won the Society of Architectural Historians’ Antoinette Forester Downing Award. He maintains an active practice in historic preservation and urban planning. Recent projects include conservation of genocide memorial sites in Rwanda; conservation planning projects in New York City, Indiana, and Washington, DC; and research on civic infrastructure and the impacts of creative placemaking.
Trapeta B. Mayson
Community Representative
Trapeta B. Mayson has extensive experience as an artist and a leader in nonprofits and social enterprises. Since 2014, Trapeta has been the Executive Director of Historic Germantown, a partnership organization serving historic sites in Northwest Philadelphia that works collaboratively to preserve its extraordinary historic assets, increase access, interpret them to the public and raise their visibility. Trapeta is on the Board of the Friends of Joseph E. Coleman Regional Library, The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliances and the Germantown Service Services District. A native of Liberia, she currently lives in Germantown and is a member of the Greene Street Artist Cooperative.She has received a Pew Fellowship in Literature and a Leeway Transformation Award, among others. Trapeta is widely published and has performed and conducted writing workshop in schools, institutions and communities nationally. She is a graduate of Temple University, Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research and Villanova University School of Business.
Shawn McCaney
Foundation Community
Shawn McCaney is the Executive Director of the William Penn Foundation, the region’s largest private foundation. Prior to his appointment as Executive Director, he led the Foundation’s Creative Communities team that previously funded historic preservation advocacy efforts in Philadelphia and more recently is exploring relationships between public space investments, innovative preservation approaches and tools, and neighborhood stabilization. Prior to joining the Foundation Shawn worked as a consultant in city planning and urban design, participating in a number of historic preservation projects, including developing the preservation guidelines for the Addison Mizner historic district in Boca Raton, Florida. Shawn is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and is a licensed Professional Planner in the state of New Jersey.
Matt McClure
Land Use Attorney
Matthew McClure is a real estate attorney with concentrated experience in historic preservation matters. A lifelong Philadelphia resident and partner at Ballard Spahr LLP, Matt leads the firm's zoning and land use practice. He has participated in some of the most significant and high-profile historic preservation matters in Philadelphia over the past 15 years, including precedential appellate court rulings. Matt regularly appears before the Philadelphia Historical Commission, the Philadelphia Zoning Board, and other city regulatory bodies. A frequent speaker on topics related to real property, Matt has made presentations and led workshops—particularly concerning historic preservation, the revamped Philadelphia Zoning Code, and other land use topics—for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, and other organizations.
Doug Mooney
Philadelphia Archaeological Forum
Douglas Mooney is the President of the Philadelphia Archaeological Forum, an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to improving archaeological preservation in the city, and also serves on the Philadelphia Historical Commission’s Committee on Historic Designation. In addition, he is an active professional archaeologist with nearly 30 years’ experience in Cultural Resource Management. In his professional capacity he has worked in and around the City of Philadelphia for nearly 20 years, and among the many archaeological investigations he has directed were those at the National Constitution Center and President’s House Sites in Independence Mall. Mr. Mooney’s professional expertise encompasses prehistoric, historic, urban, and mortuary archaeological investigations.
Justino Navarro
Community Representative
President of the Spring Garden Civic Association, Justino was born and raised in Spring Garden, and attended high school in Puerto Rico. Upon returning to Philadelphia, he attended Temple University, and then worked for many years as a senior contract manager at SmithKline, now Glaxo SmithKline. Justino was a founding member of the North Street Garden at Sydenham and North Streets in 1992, of The Spring Gardens community garden in 1995, and the Spring Garden CDC, of which he serves as Vice President. He is a Tree Tender, and has been active in numerous community projects, including tree plantings and community cleanups. He was a key player in the project to rehab 58 units of PHA housing in the eastern end of the community, including helping to assure that the facades were properly historically restored. He was the lead community representative in the dramatic renovations of the Roberto Clemente Playground in 2010-11, carried out through a City-CDC partnership. Justino also serves on the Steering Committee of The Spring Gardens, as Co-Chair of the Annual Reunion and Community Festival at Roberto Clemente Playground, and as a Democratic Committee person in the 8th ward, 26th division.
Elhadji Ndiaye
Department of Housing & Community Development
Elhadji is the Neighborhood Program Coordination Supervisor in the Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) Department. He monitors the NAC programs funded by DHCD. This includes making sure they meet contractual obligations, i.e. provide necessary services to the community to keep them informed, aware, and engaged. This also includes monitoring the NACs to ensure they stay within their specified budget and submit invoices to DHCD properly and promptly.
Aparna Palantino
Department of Parks & Recreation
Aparna Palantino currently serves as the Deputy Commissioner for Capital Infrastructure and Natural Lands Management with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. She is responsible for the oversight of planning, capital projects, property management, urban forestry and ecosystem management for the department’s 430+ sites spanning over 10,200 acres. She works closely with many City Departments, State and Federal agencies, City Council members, non-profit partners and communities to develop projects and policies with a focus on civic engagement, equity, sustainability and preservation. She has over 20 years of Design and Construction Management experience and, in her former role with the Department of Public Property, has implemented projects for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Free Library of Philadelphia, Office of Supportive Housing, Department of Public Health, Philadelphia Police Department, and Department of Human Services. Aparna studied architecture at Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology in Ahmedabad, India and at ETH in Zurich Switzerland with additional studies in Economics. She now lives with her family in the Fairmount section of the city.
Laura Spina
City Planning Commission
Laura joined the Philadelphia City Planning Commission in 2006 after working as a planner with the City’s Historical Commission for ten years. As Director of the Community Planning Division she oversees a staff of eleven planners and manages Philadelphia2035: District Plans, the City’s first comprehensive plan since 1960. Previously, she was the community planner for Center City, working with neighborhood groups and City agencies in shaping the development that occurs in the heart of Philadelphia. Laura also worked on other projects, including Philadelphia 2035: A Citywide Vision; the new zoning code, and the Philadelphia Rowhouse Manual. During her tenure with the Historical Commission, she researched and wrote nominations and provided the public outreach for six historic districts, and reviewed plans for building permits.
Mark Squilla
City Council Representative
Mark Squilla represents City Council’s First District, a diverse and growing area that stretches along the Delaware River from his native South Philadelphia across Center City, Chinatown, Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Kensington and Port Richmond. Because many historic sites are located in the First Council District, Councilman Squilla will be able to share current issues he is facing in his district with the Historical Preservation Task Force members. First elected in 2011, Councilman Squilla’s life in public service began nearly two decades earlier, when he brought his Whitman neighbors together to save their local park, Burke Playground. When the City gave the space to the community’s oversight, Mr. Squilla coordinated the efforts that resulted in a complete, neighborhood-led renovation. Councilman Squilla understands the importance of bring all parties together to achieve a common goal and will use collaborative common sense when deliberating matters before the Task Force.
Harris Steinberg
Chair
Harris M. Steinberg, FAIA, is the founding executive director of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University with a joint appointment as a distinguished teaching professor in Westpahl College of Media Arts and Design. The Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation forges innovative strategies to equitably advance cities. The institute draws inspiration from Drexel’s commitment to civic engagement and experiential education to train the next generation of urban leaders. Harris received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Pennsylvania and his Master of Architecture degree from Penn where he was awarded the Paul Phillipe Cret Prize for Architectural Design. He served as a member of the Philadelphia Historical Commission from 2001 to 2006.
Bob Thomas
Philadelphia Historical Commission
Bob Thomas is a founding partner of Campbell Thomas & Co. Architects, a firm noted since 1976 for historic preservation, energy conscious design, community development, greenways, accessible design and appropriate technology. Mr. Thomas’ accomplishments in historic preservation, particularly related to the revitalization of older towns and cities, led to his first being appointed to the Philadelphia Historical Commission in 1998, where he now serves as Chair. He is an expert in historic preservation and sustainable design. He has applied this knowledge successfully towards projects such as the restoration of the magnificent Brentwood Apartments facing Fairmount Park, the adaptive reuse of the Chamounix Mansion Carriage House within Fairmount Park, and the reconstruction of an historic Fairmount Park guardhouse within Rittenhouse Square for use by the Philadelphia Police.
Fon Wang
Preservation Architect/Community Representative
Fon S. Wang, AIA, is the Director of Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse for Ballinger, a 200-person architecture/engineering firm based in Center City, Philadelphia. Fon began her career in 1998 upon completion of her Bachelor of Architecture at Syracuse University. Prior to joining Ballinger, she led a community-based architecture and preservation firm. Recent notable projects include renovations of the Corn Exchange National Bank in Old City for the cloud hosting company Linode, the former Provident Life Mutual Insurance Building in West Philadelphia for the City of Philadelphia, and Wayne Junction station in Nicetown, PA. Fon serves as a lecturer for the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Program in Historic Preservation and is a board member of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. She was the recipient of the Young Architect Award in 2015. Fon is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia and currently resides in Queen Village with her family.
Seri Worden
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Seri Worden is a senior field officer at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is the project manager for the Historic Neighborhoods of Philadelphia National Treasure. She has fifteen years of experience in historic preservation and not-for-profit organizations, at the executive level and as a lecturer, writer, and researcher. Prior to joining the Trust, Seri was the associate curator of the Museum of the City of New York’s exhibition, Saving Place: Fifty Years of New York City Landmarks. She has held positions as Director of the Fitch Foundation, Director of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, and has consulted for the New York Landmarks Conservancy, DOCOMOMO, and the Center for Building Knowledge at NJIT. Seri received her M.S. in historic preservation from Columbia University and her B.A. in art history from Boston University.
James Wright
Community development
James has 15 years experience in neighborhood planning, economic and real estate development, and galvanizing multiple stakeholders to leverage community assets, specifically business corridors. He has served as the Lancaster Avenue commercial corridor manager for nine years. James holds an MBA in Urban Economic Development from Eastern University. He was recognized as a 2016 Rising Star by the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations. James became a member of the Emerging Leaders Program of the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and of Next City's Vanguard Class in 2010. Prior to PEC, James handled real estate development at New Kensington Community Development Corporation. He serves on the boards of Mighty Writers, West Philly Tool Library and Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations.