February 01, 2017
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Among the first members of Philadelphia's millennial committee: clockwise from top left, Nicole Allen White, Patrick Sherlock, Alexis De La Rosa, Joe Lee, Michelle Feldman, Raymond Smeriglio, Tierra Holmes and Brandi Baldwin-Rana.
The first 21 members of the new Philadelphia Millennial Advisory Committee were named Wednesday afternoon.
The appointees, all between 23 and 34 years old, represent a cross-section of neighborhoods and experiences, city officials said.
“I want to urge the members of this committee, as well as the 400 millennials that applied to continue to take their passion and energy to causes that make Philadelphia a better place for all of us,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement. “We need the energy and fresh ideas of Millennials to help us tackle the problems that we’ve faced for generations.”
The Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement broadly solicited members to serve on the new panel; more than 400 submissions were received via online application.
The committee's formation comes after a decade in which Philadelphia saw an influx of more than 100,000 Millennials, according to a widely cited report from the Pew Charitable Trusts. While the arrival of so many young people and immigrants reversed a 50-year population decline in Philadelphia, recent research has raised the question of whether Philadelphia and other cities have reached "peak millennial," a flattening caused in part by more temporary stints for educational advancement or professional opportunities.
“The response was very heartening and we are lucky to have an engaged citizenry in our millennials who care about being an inclusive city,” Dr. Nina Ahmad, deputy mayor for public engagement said in a statement. “As the largest generational group in the city, millennials are poised to lead our city for the next 30 to 40 years, and having their voice reflected in the work of the City today is integral to Mayor Kenney’s vision.”
The members are:
• Nicole Allen White, Director of Government and External Affairs, Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Fatima Baig, Teacher, Prince Hall Elementary
• Brandi Baldwin-Rana, PhD, Founder, Millennial Ventures
• Nigel Charles, Community Development Assistant, Local Initiatives Support Corporation
• Alexis De La Rosa, Assistant Resident Director, University of Pennsylvania PENNCAP
• Julian Domanico, Fundraising and Development Consultant, The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia (CFGP)
• Michelle Feldman, Executive Director, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful
• Terrell Green, Theatre Artist and Master Class Facilitator, CCP ACE+ and Greater Phila. Cultural Alliance WorkReady Program
• Tierra Holmes, Community Partnerships Coordinator, AmeriCorps VISTA
• Penda Howell, Marketing and Membership Associate, The Energy Cooperative
• Joe Lee, Public Space Researcher, PennPraxis
• Steven McFarland, Teacher, Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, Teach for America Corps Member
• Sebastian Ramirez, Radiologic Technologist, Jefferson Urgent Care and Pennsylvania Hospital
• David Rosenblum, Photographer/Owner, Dave Rose Photography
• Jasmine Sadat, Deputy Director-Southeast Region, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
• Kyle Shenandoah, Office Manager and Senior Tax Specialist, H&R Block
• Patrick Sherlock, Director of University Relations and Student Engagement, Campus Philly
• Raymond Smeriglio, Assistant Director of Athletics Development, Temple University Athletics
• Alonzo South, Senior Manager of Strategic Planning & New Business Development, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
• Leah Tucker, Grassroots Organizer, Planned Parenthood
• Dafina Williams, Vice President of Public Policy, Opportunity Finance Network
The committee has the following duties:
• Advise the City on policies, programs, and actions affecting millennials
• Help develop initiatives focused on attracting and keeping millennial residents
• Connect this generation to engagement opportunities with the larger community
• Create a mentorship model to help engage those new or returning to citizenship
Committee members met for the first time on Wednesday and will meet monthly at different locations around the city. Dr. Ahmed said the committee plans to launch social media channels for engagement and communication with the public, including meeting minutes and the dates and locations of public meetings. In the interim, all updates will be posted from the Facebook page of the Office of Public Engagement.
