2023 Board Election is May 31st
The NLNA will hold the 2023 Board Election during the General Meeting on Wednesday, May 31st at 7:00 pm, at the Northern Liberties Community Center at 700 N 3rd Street. This year we will be voting for Vice President, Secretary, and 5 at-large Board seats. We will have the opportunity to hear the candidates and ask questions before voting. The Election is uncontested as there are 5 candidates for 5 seats.
Voters may attend the election meeting either in-person or via zoom. All neighbors are welcome to attend the meeting, but only those who attend the meeting and are registered to vote in NLNA elections can vote.
To vote in NLNA elections you must be 18-years-of-age or older, must be a resident of Northern Liberties, or must own or operate a business with a physical location in Northern Liberties, and you must be registered with the NLNA. If you have voted in NLNA elections in the past few years you are still registered. To check to see if you are registered, click here.
If you registered on April 27th or after, your name might not be on that list.
Two ways to register:
· In person: bring your driver’s license or other proof of residency that includes your name and Northern Liberties address to the meeting. Get there early! Registration will be between 6:45 and 7:15. There will be no in-person registration after 7:15.
· On line: send a scan of your driver’s license other proof of residency that includes your name and Northern Liberties address to Rick Angeli at Ric62@yahoo.com. On line registration will end at 11:59 am on Wednesday, May 31st.
Two ways to attend the meeting and vote:
· In Person: those who attend the meeting in person, and are registered to vote in NLNA elections will receive a paper ballot after the candidates have spoken.
· On-line: You may join us virtually on Zoom by registering in advance here. You must register for the zoom meeting in advance (in addition to being registered to vote with the NLNA). After the meeting ends, a ballot will be emailed to those who are both registered to vote, and those who have attended the meeting. Please sign in by 7:15. Note: couples living in the same house will have to sign up for the zoom meeting using two different email addresses in order to receive two ballots, and enter the zoom meeting from two different devices.
The Candidates:
Barbara Saverino is running for Vice President, and Cristina Grisanti is running for Secretary. The Candidates for the 5 at-large seats (in alphabetical order) are Sana Bango, Jessica Reeves, Kevin Wilkins, Francesca Yepkhima, and Meesh Zucker.
Candidates’ statements:
Vice President: (choose one)
Barbara Saverino:
Hello. I accept the nomination for vice president of the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association. I have served and been involved in the NLNA's Operations, Fundraising, Liberty Lands and volunteer efforts over the years. My professional background in the nonprofit sector has given me a diverse skill set including strategic planning, coalition building, advocacy, grant writing and event planning. My approach to community work comes from a spirit of collaboration. I would be honored to serve as vice president to represent and advocate for you and our community.
Secretary: (choose one)
Cristina Grisanti:
Hello neighbors! My name is Cristina Grisanti. I have been a Northern Liberties homeowner (since Dec 2020), I founded my consulting firm in Northern Liberties in April 2021, I currently lease an office at the Northern Liberties WeWork, and have been a NLNA board member since October 2022. Since joining the board, I have had the opportunity to engage with neighbors, learn more about the amazing community that the NLNA supports, and spend time working with neighbors, the board and the new NLNA executive director, Amanda, on creating more structure within the organization to support future growth. I am running for the position of Secretary to continue the work we have started in a new capability as well as continue to support new neighbors’ ideas for how we can improve our neighborhood. Thank you!
Board of Directors: (Choose five)
Jessica Reeves:
Hello, I'm Jessica Reeves, MD, MPH. I've lived here in Northern Liberties for the last two years, and am looking forward to many, many more. My husband and I have lived in many places prior to No Libs because of my former career as an active duty Major in the US Army, but I chose to leave to have more time with our young family, and have found this to be the perfect community and neighborhood for us.
I became more involved with NLNA because of Liberty Lands park originally. I have a 2 and a 5 year old who love playing there, and I love that for them. My specialty is preventative and occupational medicine, so safety is something that is near and dear to my heart, and I want to ensure that my children and all the other neighborhood kids have access to the safest and best-maintained park possible.
But the playground isn't the only project in our growing community that I’m passionate about, so I elected to run. I hope I can bring some of my statistical and tactical knowledge to help our neighborhood, from the schools to health initiatives to any other area where I might be of service. Thank you for your time and consideration."
Francesca Yepikhina:
Hi neighbors! I moved to Philly 2 years ago and was fortunate enough to land in Northern Liberties! My spouse, my two Weimaraners, and I fell in love with Liberty Lands so much that we bought a house just a block away. I am passionate about lots of things, chief among them, community and board games. (Shout out to the NoLibs Area Board Game Group for showing me the ropes!) As soon as we landed, I looked to volunteer and met the amazing Liberty Lands committee for work day. Having a community owned park where neighbors come together to take care of it is incredible. I spent the previous 10 years volunteering at my native Washington Park and Lincoln Park in Albany, NY which are city owned and operated. Seeing the impact we as a community have on the park was so exciting! Through this, I was introduced to the NLNA and was able to work on the Operation Santa Project this winter – again seeing how our neighborhood has grass roots initiatives that support our entire community.
I want to be on the NLNA board to help bolster this community building and support Liberty Lands. In my day job I work as a Process Engineer streamlining processes and increasing efficiency. Working with both the NLNA and the LL committee I think I can offer my expertise in increasing our community outreach and engagement and adding some efficiencies to the strategy of the board. I am excited to jump in and learn from the wealth of knowledge our long-time neighbors have as well as help to bring in new minds from our community.
Kevin Wilkins:
Hello friends and neighbors! My name is Kevin Wilkins and first, thank you for electing me and giving me the opportunity to serve on the NLNA Board this past term. It has been my pleasure to work with such a vibrant, engaged group of volunteers. With that said, I’m writing to share with you that I’m up for reelection as an at-large Board Member and would be grateful to serve another term.
I’ve spent about the last 22 years on Randolph Street, which have proven to be some of the best years in an absolutely wonderful area of the City. Over the years, I’ve built many lifelong friendships and relationships throughout the community which have proven to be invaluable. Randolph is home, and these folks are family. With my work, I find myself traveling all throughout our remarkable city, yet I’m always thankful to come home to Northern Liberties each night.
Being on the Board this last term has been an incredibly wonderful and rewarding experience, one which I always highly recommend to people. If elected for another term, I will be rekindling the Quality of Life Committee, working with volunteers from throughout the neighborhood, as well as fellow Board members.
Thank you so much, and I would be honored to have you vote for me.
Bayisana Bango:
My name is Bayisana Bango & I go by Sana. I’ve lived in Philadelphia 23 years and in Northern Liberties the last six years. I'm looking to continue to serve my community through various formal and informal programs including as the chair of the Education Committee. One of the glaring holes in our community is a public school that residents of this community are comfortable sending their kids to. Relationship building and building awareness of our public schools will in the long term start to change minds and hearts about the availability of our local public schools.
I continue to manage my professional career as a technology consultant, a dad to 2 young kids, & volunteer work in the community. Part of that community work also includes the Ellen St cleanup effort which is conducted once a month as part of the Reach NoLibs.
My personal passion for community and my professional experience have given me skills that I’d like to use while helping our neighborhood. NoLibs is already a wonderful place, however we all know there's room for improvement.
I’d be honored to continue to serve on the board and serve our community.
Meesh Zucker:
Hi Neighbors! My name is Meesh Zucker and I’ve been living on Randolph Street for a little over a year now. I’m currently a Supervisory Community Planner at FEMA focused on climate resilience and have over 10 years experience working at a diverse range of urban design and landscape architecture firms. I am deeply committed to the preservation of both natural and build environment systems to ensure the long-term enjoyment by all future generations.
Since moving to the neighborhood, I have loved getting to know folks from all different walks of life. In my free time I’ve volunteered with the Liberty Lands Committee, co-led a Slow Streets application with our ED, planted trees with the Tree Tenders, and worked at the Annual Plant Sale. If elected, I would be honored to join the board to continue leading collaborative projects with neighbors, investing in the design of our public spaces, and expanding our youth programs.
Thank you for your participation!!!
The 2023 Election Committee: Claire Adler, Shakirra Clark, Caitlin Antram, Sasi Judd, Rick Angeli, and Paula Gansky