City Council Names Potential Parks & Rec Commissioners

City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown announced this afternoon the names of 25 applicants chosen by her colleagues for consideration as commissioners for the new Department of Parks & Recreation.  Council received 204 applications for nine spots on the new board, which will advise the department, formed from the merger of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Department of Recreation.  Council can pick up to 25 names to recommend to the mayor, who then selects the nine commissioners.

The potential commissioners are:  Noel Abejo, Charles Baltimore, Max Berger, Luther Collins, Andrew Denison, Nancy Goldenberg, Debra Wolf Goldstein, Jeffrey Hackett, David Hollenberg, Alexander "Pete" Hoskins, John B. Kelly, III, Anthony Langford, Matthew McClure, Michael McCrea, Leslie Anne Miller, Carla Puppin, Carol Rice, Carlos Rodriguez, Wendy Rosen, James Straw, Sarah Clark Stuart, Joseph Syrnick, Ronald Thomas, Maria Walker, L. Trena Woodson.

Brown said the group, which she called "wonderfully diverse" will be submitted as a resolution in Thursday's Council session.  Brown is chairwoman of Council's committee on Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs.  After the jump, you can read Council's media release on the selections.

OFFICE OF COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN
Room 581, City Hall  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
Phone: (215) 686-3438/3439  Fax: (215) 686 -1926

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Committee on Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs announces
recommendations for the Commission on Parks and Recreation

(PHILADELPHIA) June 1, 2009 – The City Council Committee on Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs announced its commissioner recommendations to serve on the new Parks and Recreation Commission this afternoon. Out of 204 applications, the Committee was required to provide the full Council with 18-25 recommendations.

The 25 recommendations are: Noel Abejo, Charles Baltimore, Max Berger, Luther Collins, Andrew Denison,
Nancy Goldenberg, Debra Wolf Goldstein, Jeffrey Hackett, David Hollenberg, Alexander "Pete" Hoskins, John B. Kelly, III, Anthony Langford, Matthew McClure, Michael McCrea, Leslie Anne Miller, Carla Puppin, Carol Rice, Carlos Rodriguez, Wendy Rosen, James Straw, Sarah Clark Stuart, Joseph Syrnick, Ronald Thomas, Maria Walker, L. Trena Woodson.

City Council is expected to adopt its final recommendations via a resolution in its meeting on June 4. Mayor Nutter will then be selecting the final 9 Commissioners from the list provided by Council.

Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Chairwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown said, "The diverse pool of applicants reflect a breadth of leadership, skill sets and qualifications including sports, recreation and athletic programming, to natural lands, watershed management, and environmental protection, to neighborhood revitalization and fundraising. It was absolutely amazing. When we started down this path, I never imagined the quality and quantity of candidates would be this incredible. I am honored to have been a part of this process."

Councilman Darrell Clarke, who co-sponsored with Councilwoman Reynolds Brown the legislation that led to the creation of the Commission on Parks and Recreation, offered, "Through this process, we have just witnessed a tremendous interest in our Recreation Centers and Fairmount Park. It was difficult, real difficult, to get down to just twenty-five candidates. Whomever the Mayor picks, I know that Parks and Recreation will have great guidance and leadership for years to come."

For more information, please contact David Forde in Councilwoman Brown's office at (215) 686-3438.