FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lauren Cristella | 267-861-6041 | lcristella@seventy.org | September 7, 2018
PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Committee of Seventy announced today the selection of its second cohort of Buchholz Fellows, six promising young Philadelphians who will spend a year as members of the Board of the century-old good government group. The 2018-2019 cohort of Fellows are:
• Laura Boyce, Instructional Practice Director, Teach Plus Philadelphia. Boyce leads a leadership development program for elementary teachers in the district following a career as a high school English and social students teacher in Philadelphia and an elementary and middle school turnaround principal in Camden, NJ. Boyce holds degrees from Princeton (BA) and the University of Pennsylvania (MEd), and serves on the boards of New Leaders Council Philadelphia and Girls on the Run Philadelphia.
• Jennifer Gable, Health Policy Manager, PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Gable supports the development and implementation of the center’s policy agenda, and works to ensure that PolicyLab is well-positioned to influence policy decisions. She also leads the CHOP Reading Buddies volunteer program for students at an elementary school in West Philadelphia. Gable is a graduate of Muhlenberg College (BA) and holds an MPA and MBE from the University of Pennsylvania.
• Harper S. Seldin, Associate, Cozen O’Connor. Seldin is an attorney in his firm’s business litigation group. He is pro bono counsel with the ACLU in ongoing litigation on behalf of transgender students’ non-discriminatory access to facilities in public high schools. A former federal law clerk, Seldin is also a member of the Toll Public Interest Center Advisory Board and the Law Alumni Society Board of Managers at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, from which he graduated. He is active with the Young Friends of the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project’s work for juvenile justice and policy reform.
• Christine Moriarty, Manager of Volunteer Programming, Broad Street Ministry. Moriarty connects thousands of Philadelphians to one another through her work; bridging the social barriers that turn strangers into neighbors. Her background in Philosophy/Pre-Law is the bedrock of her commitment to sociopolitical ethics and integrity. With a Master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, she strives to pair scholarship with social responsibility for a better city.
• Kyle Shenandoah, Multi-office manager & Senior Tax Specialist, H&R Block. A lifelong Philadelphian, Shenandoah is an avid employment advocate and community organizer. He provides free consulting services to nonprofits and sits on the board of several organizations in the city including The Philadelphia Millennial Advisory Committee, The Urban League of Philadelphia, SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee, The Gray’s Ferry Civic Association, Young Involved Philadelphia, and Keeping Philadelphia Beautiful.
• Kalie Wertz, External Affairs Manager, Urban Affairs Coalition. Wertz works closely with the Urban Affairs Coalition management team to uplift the Coalition and their 70+ Program Partners through marketing and communication, board engagement, fundraising, and strategic programs. Wertz received her Bachelors from the University of California Santa Barbara, and received her MPA from the University of Pennsylvania. She is also an alumni of both the AmeriCorps State & National and VISTA programs.
About the Buchholz Fellowship:
Launched in 2017, the Buchholz Fellowship was created by the Committee of Seventy Board to help build a pipeline of young leaders interested in improving the governance of our city, state, and region. The Fellowship honors Carl Buchholz, a committed Seventy Board member who died too soon but who served in significant public, private, and civic sector leadership roles.
In the spirit of his leadership, the Fellowship creates an opportunity for five Philadelphians aged 25-40 to serve for a year as non-voting members of the Seventy Board. The Fellows represent emerging leaders working in the private or nonprofit sector who embody the qualities that Carl Buchholz exhibited in his life and work: personal and professional integrity, a strong work ethic, collaborative spirit, a superior intellect and a passion for improving his community.
“This program is an important part of Seventy’s plans for the future. Building a pipeline of next generation public-spirited leadership is key for Seventy and for the health of our region and the Commonwealth,” said David Thornburgh, CEO, Committee of Seventy.
During their year, Fellows participate in all Board and Policy Committee meetings and are full participants in Seventy’s conversations, discussions, and debates around governance and public policy issues facing Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. They are matched with Seventy Board members who spend time with them as advisors and mentors during their Fellowship year. Additionally, Fellows will work together to expand the WeVote program, an initiative aimed at promoting a culture of voting within Philadelphia communities.
Learn more at seventy.org/about/buchholz-fellows
About Carl Buchholz:
Carl Buchholz was an important member of Seventy’s board of directors and executive committee for a decade before his untimely death in May, 2016 at the age of 51. In addition to his service to Seventy, he was a member of the board of trustees at Drexel University, the American Revolution Museum, Visit Philadelphia, and the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, where he was also the former Chairman. An accomplished lawyer, he was managing partner of Blank Rome and later managing partner of DLA Piper’s Philadelphia office. After September 11, 2001, Carl put his private sector career on hold to serve his country by joining former Governor Ridge to help create the office of Homeland Security. Early in his career he worked for Senator John Heinz, where he met his wife Karen. Carl was a loving husband and father, and a friend to all those who had the pleasure of knowing him.