NLNA Welcomes 2018 CandidatesTo This Year's Elections in May.

Greetings Neighbors! 

It is, once again, annual election time for the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association Board of Directors.  Our rapidly-growing neighborhood has seen some great progress in the past few years, however, such progress has brought newand different challenges into the purview of the NLNA. 

The annual NLNA election will be held at the General Meeting on Thursday, May 24^th, at 7:00 PM, at the NLNA Community Center at 3^rd & Fairmount Streets.  We will be electing President, Treasurer, and six at-large Board seats.  All terms are for two years.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 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.  If not, you must register.  Please bring your driver’s license or other proof of residency such as your utility bill.  Matt Ruben is running for President, and Steve Richman is running for Treasurer.  The ten candidates running for the six at-large Board seats are Claire Adler, Michael Coyne, Joe Mikuliak, Avery Amaya, Melanie Coffman, Kristen Ainsco, Jeremy Lindeman, Cristina Elena Guzman, Micah Gold-Markel, and Amy Smith-Sweeney.Below are their statements. An *asterisk indicates incumbency.

NLNA candidate’s statements

President

Matt Ruben: *In the past two years, the NLNA has expanded our meeting and event spaces to meet community demand, and nearly completed the ambitious renovation of the Center's yard into a beautiful new landscaped pavilion space. We've also been instrumental in the push for a Business Improvement District for the community, which I am hopeful we will succeed in obtaining. Over the next two years, I aim to negotiate an agreement with PennDOT for their upcoming I-95 reconstruction in Northern Liberties, with the goal of getting major improvements to the Fairmount Ave and Brown St underpasses, along with dedicated parking for the community under some portion of the highway.And most importantly, we continue to try to engage the community through meetings, events, email, and social media. My hope is that we can make progress, together, with an active NLNA board and an engaged community of neighbors and business owners.

Treasurer

Steve Richman: *Thank you very much for nominating me to serve another term as the Association's Treasurer.  For the past six years my priorities have been to ensure transparency and the prudent management of NLNA's finances, so that the organization is accountable and can continue to provide a high level of service to our community. I am pleased with the successes we have achieved in both areas and I am happy to say that our financial position today is stronger than ever.  Looking to the future, and given the dramatic changes taking place here in Northern Liberties, it is vitally important for the NLNA to be well positioned financially to meet new challenges and take advantage of new opportunities. I look forward to helping achieve those goals and appreciate your support. 

For Board at-large:

(choose 6)Kristen Ainsco:Prior to buying my first house in Northern Liberties, I lived in Old City for twelve years. As soon as I moved to this neighborhood, there was a stark difference, even though there was only a few blocks away. The sense of community and involvement from the neighbors to improve the neighborhood is evident just from walking around. I have attended several meetings and was astonished at the ability of the neighborhood to try and resolve issues. I myself am a problem resolver by trade. Currently, I am an assistant teaching professor at Drexel and work with ONO, a consulting business to help improve small business come to market and/or develop strategies to create a sustainable business in this retail climate. As part of my visual merchandising class, I have developed a community partnership in Philadelphia, where students go into corridors and work with small businesses to understand and install a new window design. Through this course, I have also built relationships with Project HOME, Macy's, Plaza Art, Corzo, University of the Arts, NextFab, and the small business association. In addition to my teaching experience and cultivation of community partnerships and projects, I have worked extensively with the Corzo Center. Every second Wednesday, I am available for office hours to meet with anyone from the community who wants to learn about how to price their products, develop brand strategies or have any questions about merchandising in general. Through these meetings, I have paired start-up businesses with other teaching faculty and members of the community that could help bring their business to the next level. But, I also have many other passions, interests and hobbies and would love to use my skills to enhance the neighborhood. I hope that you consider my nomination and my desire to continue to improve Northern Liberties.Joe Mikuliak: *If you want to live in a friendlier neighborhood, being the first to say, “Hello” works.  Participating in the NLNA will work too. I have been active in Northern Liberties since I moved here in 1977.  My wife and I had three children; they went to many local events with us and attended public schools K to 12.  I started out on the advisory board of the NL Rec center and I am a current member of the NLNA board.  (The NLNA logo on our office and the Little Free Library Box are two things I worked to make happen.)  And I have been on the zoning committee since 1987.  The community has paid me back with friendships and fun.  I hope to continue helping our neighborhood with another term as a board member.  Thank you.Claire Adler:I'm a relatively new to Northern Liberties, but I bought my home here (on the tiny brick path known as Bristow Place!) with the intention of getting to know and bettering my community. I did so right away, attending my first NLNA event even before I moved in. I regularly attend zoning meetings, and I'm currently the only non-board member to consistently attend NLNA board meetings. I've started an NLNA Instagram page (@northern_liberties) and a public Facebook page for the NLNA to increase our outreach, which is one of the goals I would further if elected to the Board. I’ve volunteered at the Plant Sale and worked at the polls on election day this past fall and in the primaries this spring, and for those of you I haven't met at an NLNA event, I probably knocked on your door as I'm also running for Democratic Committeeperson.I'm currently enrolled in a course called the Philadelphia Citizens Planning Institute in which I learn about neighborhood organizing and sensible zoning and development. In this course, I am working on a plan to turn the empty lot behind my house into a "pocket park" and a community gathering space. I've been working with a few neighbors on the 100 block of Fairmount Ave the last few weeks to turn it from trash dump to an open space all neighbors can use.When I'm not at NLNA meetings or working in the new "pocket park," I'm curating the cheese menu and teaching cheese classes at Tria in Center City. Or you can often find me at Bourbon and Branch.Melanie Coffman:Thank you for considering me as a candidate for the NLNA Board of Directors.  I’m proud to be part of this neighborhood, and all the hard work everyone has put in to it to make it what it is today.  I have lived in many different parts of the country over the years, some of the places had a strong sense of community, and some did not.  I recognize how special the sense of community is in Northern Liberties and I want to contribute to this as a board member of the NLNA.I moved to Philly in 2013 and to Northern Liberties in February 2015. My husband, Ryan and I bought a home on Brown St where we live with our little pup, Chana (Chew Chew) My professional background is in community/public health nursing, and I have been an RN for over 11 years.Since moving to the neighborhood, I have gladly volunteered for a number of events, and activities such as Quality of Life Committee, Town Watch, and Orkney Park clean-up, Orianna Hill Park, the annual Neighborhood Clean-up and Spooky Garden.  I also regularly attend the NLNA “meet and greets” and community meetings to stay in touch with the latest developments and discussions about Northern Liberties.  I view serving on the NLNA board as a chance to deepen my involvement in contributing to the strong sense of community in Northern Liberties.If elected to serve on the NLNA board, I’d like to continue to work on reducing litter and fundraising activities, but am open to collaborating with board members and listening to the neighbors to identify additional areas that I could contribute to as an NLNA board member.  Thank you again.Avery Amaya:My name is Avery Amaya. I've been a member of the Northern Liberties community since 2008. My wife and I live on Orianna Street between Poplar and Wildey along with our 6-year-old daughter Zori, our 8-year-old son Logan, and our 1-year old dog Ginger Ale. We very much enjoy the neighborhood and frequently make use of Liberty Lands park, Northern Liberties Rec Center and "Cement Park", Orkney Park, and of course we take advantage of all of the great retail and dining options in the area. Prior to purchasing our home in Northern Liberties, we spent 2 years renting in Old City. Prior to that we lived in Colchester (England), Chicago, Dallas, and Colorado. I was born and raised in Colorado.Professionally, I am the Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing all sales and marketing activities at WebLinc Commerce, a local software company that sells and supports two products, Workarea Commerce Platform and Orderbot Order Management System. I studied at the University of Colorado, Boulder and the University of Northern Colorado where I earned a bachelor's degree in International Relations. In 2009 I earned my MBA at Drexel University. I currently volunteer as a coach and advisory board member with Northwest Lacrosse, a non-profit sports program for boys and girls in Philadelphia with a focus on developing student athletes in an alternative sport through teamwork and emphasis on academic performance. Until recently I also served as a volunteer member of the Drexel Executive MBA Alumni Board, advising the university's President. I would like to become a contributing member of the board because of my appreciation of the neighborhood and also to do my part in supporting our community's ongoing growth and evolution. My most relevant experience was gained during my time as a young adult in Colorado where I was very active in both appointed and elected roles in the City of Greeley. In 1998 I was elected as the City Councilmember for District II. Leading up to that point I worked on a variety of state and national candidate campaigns. I was also an appointed member of the Greeley Planning Committee and the Greeley-Weld (County) Economic Development Action Partnership (EDAP). I also grew up around grass-roots activism and politics as my father was the first Latino/native American Student-body President at Adams State College, and the first Latino/native County Commissioner for Alamosa, County Colorado. In accepting this nomination, I accept that serving my community is a legitimate and important commitment and I look forward to the opportunity to serve my neighbors, our community, and our great city.  Michael Coyne: *I am pleased to have been nominated to serve again on the board of the NLNA.It has been my pleasure to serve on the Fundraising and Membership Committees with a group of hard-working and dedicated board members, friends, and neighbors. I’m also a member of the Finance Committee.Going forward, I see two ongoing issues will be a continuing challenge for the board:

1. Continue to work to increase awareness of the NLNA and what we do in the community
2. Work to increase greater involvement by the people who live here. If everyone chips in a little with their time and incredible talents, I think we can accomplish a lot to make NL an even better place to live.

Thank you for your consideration. Amy Smith-SweeneyYou might know me from facebook. You might know me from back in the day when I was living part time on Fairmont, during my early days at the Electric factory , or when I met my husband 19 years ago at the Standard Tap, or karaoke at the Abbaye or 700 club happy hour. You may have seen me as a bride getting married at Cescaphe. Or maybe your kids played at Liberty Lands with my children now 14 and 11. Maybe you saw me pull some weeds, or advise you about a plant, sweep my sidewalk or marathon shovel over the years, or work at the 21st division polling place during elections, or serve you a cold beer at the 2nd street festival.Maybe you just saw me walking to the Palm with paint on my mom jeans and rock tee shirt. I'm one of those Jill of all trades. I've served as a democratic committee person for 6 years. I currently work from home cyber schooling my son. I also pick up sewing projects and work on my fixer upper house. When I am not enjoying the glamorous life I get involved where ever I am needed. Since coming to this neighborhood I have valued my neighbors and our sense of community. When people ask I try to answer the call. Thank you for the nomination.Micah Gold-Markel I’m running for the NLNA board because I’m excited to see the neighborhood growing and want to be a part, along with my fellow neighbors, of thinking about how we can ensure the growth benefits a wide array of people. I served on the board over 10 years ago and am very familiar with how it works and how to get stuff done. I run a local solar business with over 35 employees so I understand how to manage organizations and budgets. Having lived here for over 15 years I have relationships with old and new neighbors and will bring the information I learn from those relationships to my role as a board member. Thanks for your consideration.Jeremy Lindemann*Cristina Elena Guzman (CEG)Owner of Philadelphia's most reputable performing arts studios called "CEG Performing Arts Academy" located on the Avenue of the Arts North Broad street. CEG Performing Arts Academy is a unique youth development program committed to providing high-quality performing arts education, community entertainment and an appreciation for the cultural diversity of our world. CEG Performing Arts Academy offers Acting, Modeling, Singing, Dancing, Music classes for all ages. She teaches both private and group Vocal, Acting, Dancing, Piano, Video and Music Production and Modeling classes. Cristina is an experienced performing arts educator whose primary motivation for serving as a teacher is in having the opportunity to assist a diverse population of students. By helping them gain the confidence, self-esteem, collaboration, creativity, conflict resolution, communication, citizenship, and reasoning skills that will enable them to be productive and successful contributors to a changing society. She is also the owner of CEG Talent Management Agency,representing talent from all over the tri-state area for a career in entertainment and show business.  Many of Cristina's students and talents have been successful in the Recording Industry, Pageants and Nationally Televised Talent Competitions, Acting & Modeling industry as well as tour all over the country with lead roles in Broadway Musicals. For over 22 years, Cristina has helped train her students to become successful leaders in our community and is proud to say that majority have followed in her footsteps and became excellent performing arts teachers as well.Cristina Elena Guzman has been competing in numerous pageants, talent contests and has appeared in multiple print work, movies and television shows since she was four years old. She was a television host on Fox 29’s Emmy awarded show called “School is Cool Report” in 1996, and was a print model on a major print ad for Community College of Philadelphia that was on the back of every Septa Bus in the city. Cristina was formally Miss Philadelphia 1999 in the Miss America Scholarship organization and the first Hispanic to ever hold the title. In 1999, she competed in the Miss Pennsylvania Pageant, which is the official preliminary to the Miss America Scholarship Organization, and was selected to be Top Ten Semifinalist and won over $14,000 in educational scholarships. Cristina also won the Overall Community Service Award for her role as a well known public official for performing arts education in the community and because of her active efforts in promoting her platform - ACE: Arts Cultural Enrichment Programs for the Learning Disabled. She continues to be a strong advocate for arts education and is a well known in the community as a talented, entrepreneurial woman that has been honored by numerous awards including the ABC Channel 6 Community Advisory Board Award for Outstanding Community Service.She has traveled immensely throughout the United States and Europe and is fluent in English and Spanish. She has performed and volunteered for many Events, Charities, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Foster Care Children's Homes. Cristina is a talented singer and has performed with many well-known artists such as Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, the late Luther Vandross, Bebe & CeCe Wynens, Faith Evans, Boyz 2 Men, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, and many more.Her passion in the arts education fueled her to open up the first Charter high school for the Arts in Philadelphia on the Avenue of the Arts North Broad street. In August of 2006, Cristina Elena Guzman wrote a proposal and received a planning grant for her non-profit charter school from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and was one of the eight selected for the grant award out of 42 applicants in the State of Pennsylvania. She was approved but deferred to open until May 2008, when the application was denied due to the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) budget cuts.  In 2009, she decided to work at the School District of Philadelphia as a performing arts teacher. Since then, Cristina has taught Drama, Dance, Art, Music, English, ESL, Technology, Chemistry, and Spanish as a Long Term Substitute at several schools around Philadelphia, including Creative and Performing Arts High school (CAPA), Kensington CAPA, Science Leadership Academy (SLA) and many others.  She retired from the SDP in June 2017. Currently, she is a part-time certified Spanish teacher at People for People Charter School. Cristina Elena Guzman is of Puerto Rican/Spanish descent; she was born and raised in Spring Garden and Northern Liberties area in Philadelphia. She has lived in Northern Liberties for over 35 years in the same house she grew up in and would not change that for the world. Graduating from the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in 1996 as a vocal major and a drama and dance minor. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Temple University, where she majored in Broadcasting Telecommunications and Mass Media with a minor in Vocal Music. She also has a certification in Non-Profit Management from LaSalle University. Cristina graduated from Eastern University earned her Masters in Multi-Cultural Education in Secondary Education with a teaching certification in Communications in May 2016. Her future educational plans are to receive a Doctorate Degree in Educational Administration at Drexel University. Some of her other accomplishments include being a business manager, the along with her Brother Bob, she is the co-owner of a licensed contracting company called Guzman Housing Contractors, LLC, a real estate manager at Guzman Properties and is the owner of several properties in the Spring Garden and Northern Liberties area. She is a bar manager of a family owned bar/restaurant called Mr. Jay’s Place Bar on 17th & Fairmount Avenue. She is the President of the Liberty Place Townhomes Homeowners Association. She is very active in her community with a passionate drive to succeed in anything she pursues in life. Cristina Elena Guzman is a vivacious spirit, full of energy, especially in the arts but her passion for helping other surpasses the multitude of ambitions she has for herself. She is an avid believer in being involved in the community and being a part of her neighborhood of Northern Liberties is crucial to her. She is multi-talented and will give your organization an uplifting change you need to make a difference in the community. Please vote for CEG!

Thank you and good luck to all,

from the members of the Election Committee!

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