Vote for members of the Northern Liberties Board of Directors - Wed, May 31
The annual NLNA election will be held at the General Meeting on Wednesday, May 31, at 7:00 PM, at the NLNA Community Center at 3rd & Fairmount Streets. We will be electing Vice President, Secretary and five 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 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.Registration will begin at 6:45
THE BALLOT
* Starred nominees are current sitting members.
Vice-President: (Pick one)
Barb Mulckhuyse:Hi, my name is Barb Mulckhuyse, maybe better known as Dutch Barb in the neighborhood. I have lived in Northern Liberties since 2004, and have watched the neighborhood grow exponentially over that period of time. I first got involved around 2005 as a long term member of the Zoning Committee, and then served as an at-large Board member from 2006-2008, where I helped develop our very first official budget.After a 25 year career in Corporate America that had me traveling throughout the US and Europe, I became a realtor 3 years ago. As a realtor I have gotten a unique perspective as to what folks are looking for or attracted to both in a house as well as a neighborhood. As a long term resident of No.Libs I am of course biased about the uniqueness of Northern Liberties and am proud to say, I have recruited quite a few great folks to this neighborhood.Our neighborhood is unique in so many ways. It’s always been diverse in its make up, in its architecture. And while we are seeing every square inch fill in, we have an opportunity as a neighborhood to integrate the old and the new, and not only preserve but build on our unique identity.It would be a great honor to be able to fulfill that role as either Vice President in assisting Matt Ruben, our President, in furthering our mission and help grow our organization by doing community outreach, being a visible presence in the neighborhood and a link to the City at large, and/or support the NLNA in any way I can as an At-Large Board member. As such, I ask you to please vote for me for both slots, as I would be happy to fulfill an at large board seat, if not voted in as VP (which is how our voting process works).In closing, I am passionate about our neighborhood and at this unique time of complete transformation would love to be able to build bridges between the old and new, and help grow our association to be even more relevant to all that live and work here.Hope to see you at the May General Membership Meeting!BarbMichael Coyne:*I am honored to be nominated for a second term to serve as Vice President of the board. I’ve been actively involved with the NLNA since moving to Northern Liberties with my wife Lori in 2009. In addition to being V.P. of the board, I serve on the Membership, Fundraising and Finance committees.Looking forward, I see two important administrative / organizational objectives for the association. First, to increase the community’s awareness of the NLNA’s purpose, role, and function in the neighborhood. Second, to find effective ways to engage more people who live here to become actively involved in the association and thereby, the community. We are each other’s greatest resource and based on what I see, our tremendous pool of talent, energy and creativity is underutilized.Thank you for your consideration.Respectfully submitted,Michael Coyne
Secretary: (Pick one)
Janet Finegar:*Hello neighbors! I've lived in Northern Liberties since the early 90s -- long enough to have seen major changes in our neighborhood, many of which I welcome and have been a part of. I have been part of the Liberty Lands team since the beginning and continue to serve as one of the coordinators for the park and am also on the board of Orianna Hill Park and the new Orkney Park project. I'm also part of the team for the Operation Santa program, the NLNA's Plant Sale, and the Quality of Life committee. Obviously, preservation of open space and keeping our neighborhood a great place to live are issues of prime importance to me, and I believe that the NLNA has been an essential part of making Northern Liberties great. My husband Jonathan and I run a small company in the neighborhood (North 2nd Street Developers) and our daughter Helen has grown up here. I've served on the Board most of the past 25 years and am willing to continue in the role of Secretary of the Board, mostly because no one else ever wants to do it.
Board: (Pick five)
Monika Kreidie:*My name is Monika Kreidie and I am running for re-election to the Board of the NLNA because I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY!I believe that Northern Liberties is a true urban mecca, a community that is made up of all sorts of people with different backgrounds, but with the same goal -- making our neighborhood the premier place to live in Philadelphia. I was elected 4 years ago to the NLNA Board and feel that I still have things to accomplish such as keeping the NLNA relevant to residence as the neighborhood grows and changes.As co-chair of the NLNA Operations committee, I want the association to evolve to serve both the new and older residence and remain a vital organization in the community. I hope to be part of the leadership of the neighborhood by being elected for another 2-year board term.Sara Hirschler:I am honored to have been nominated for the NLNA Board and welcome the opportunity to further contribute to this thriving neighborhood. Over the last two years of living here, I helped to spearhead the Orkney Park Project, planned and raised funds for the 2015 and 2016 Fall Fests at Liberty Lands and organized events on my block to unite new and long-time neighbors and to clean up our street. Since I moved to Philadelphia fifteen years ago, I have always found Northern Liberties to be an inspiring place because of the creative and visionary spirit of its people. This is demonstrated by its beloved community-created spaces and annual traditions. It's why my family chose to call this neighborhood home and what inspires me to want to give more of my time and energy into furthering that legacy.If elected to the NLNA Board of Directors, I will be a voice for neighbors that care about green space, clean and safe streets, and sustaining neighborhood traditions.I am the Marketing and Membership Manager at the Fairmount Park Conservancy and live on the 900 Block of Leithgow with my husband and young son.Don Phillips:*As a long term neighbor of Northern Liberties I have seen a whole lotta changes.... much of that for the good. But there is still work to be done. Quality of life issues change with our population density but they remain a challenge that the NLNA is well suited to fix. Trash, open space greenery, changing governmental priorities, and the engagement our citizens in civic affairs are just of few of those things we need to address. I believe my almost three decades of living here allow me to bring a long sighted perspective to NLNA deliberations. Plus I love this place!Benjamin Mann:My name is Benjamin (or Ben) Mann and I am an associate attorney with Fisher Phillips LLP, practicing labor and employment law. I have been a resident of Philadelphia for the past 6 years, and I purchased a home in Northern Liberties about 2 years ago. In addition to my legal background, I also have a background in politics, and I am also active in organizations within the Philadelphia athletic community and restaurant community.I would like to become more involved in Northern Liberties' neighborhood affairs, and serving on the NLNA Board would be the best way I could utilize my skillset to assist the community. As a newer resident in the community, I think I could offer a unique point of view to address issues that may exist between longer-tenured residents and newer residents. Additionally, I have personally been effected by bugaboos such as automobile vandalism, graffiti, litter, misbehaving youths, and construction nuisances - which I believe are the biggest categories of problems facing our community - and I would like to help develop solutions to those problems if possible. Thank you!Michael Coyne: (also nominated for Vice President - see statement above)Barb Mulckhuyse:(also nominated for Vice President - see statement above)Donald Hoegg:*I have lived in Philadelphia since 2008, though am a relatively recent transplant to Northern Liberties, where I live with my friend and roommate, Tom, and a puppy, Ava. Currently a data analyst for the City of Philadelphia, I completed my Masters of Public Administration at the University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government earlier this month, and hope to commit my newfound free time to the NLNA. Since first being elected last year, I have served on the finance, operations and quality of life committees and have volunteered at numerous NLNA functions, including 2nd Street Festival, Operation Santa and Winter Fest. A dedicated urbanist, I plan to become more involved in zoning issues if elected to a second term. Outside of the daylight hours, I can often be found spending time with neighbors at The Blind Pig or going on walks with Ava. I also serve on the board of a Temple University alumni association and volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America.Barbara Saverino:*Hello. I am pleased to accept the nomination to serve on the Board for the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association. Since my family moved into the area for my father’s job as pastor at St. Michael’s church, I have had an opportunity to be part of the neighborhood and see the many changes that have taken place.I served on the NLNA Board from 2006-2012. Working with my fellow board members, we accomplish many things including writing grants, leveraging funds and collaborating with the city, state and other partners to support Liberty Lands, develop the Northern Liberties Community Center property as well as begin the work on the Dough Boy Park (2nd & Spring Garden). During my time on the board I also focused on fundraising and worked with NLNA to transition the winter party to a community fund raiser and launched the annual appeal. When I rejoined the board in 2015, I continued the work on the Dough Boy Park - connecting with local partners and neighbors to secure funds. We are moving to the restoration of the missing plaque and bayonet. As a NLNA Board member, I look forward to working on solutions to address quality of life issues, supporting our neighborhood and ensuring its vitality and uniqueness continue. Thank you.—