May 15, 2015
In January, a spokesperson for Reading Terminal Market told PhillyVoice that former General Manager Paul Steinke had "left big shoes to fill."
Those shoes have finally been filled.
After a five-month national search, the Reading Terminal Market Corp. announced at a press conference Friday afternoon that Anuj Gupta will step forward as the market's new general manager. He will start on June 15.
Gupta was previously executive director of quality-of-life and community-development organization Mt. Airy USA. Prior to that, he served as chief of staff and deputy commissioner of the Department of Licenses and Inspections under Mayor Michael Nutter. Gupta is also a 2003 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Welcome to Anuj Gupta, the new GM at @RdgTerminalMkt He will start on June 15 #philly #breakingnews pic.twitter.com/71MrGDJGLR
— Bellevue Comm. Group (@BellevuePRPhl) May 15, 2015
The leadership role was left vacant when Steinke stepped down on Dec. 31 to campaign for one of five contested at-large City Council seats. Steinke served in the position for 13 years and oversaw a major 2012 renovation of the market that opened space for more vendors and installed new restrooms. Since January, board members Albert Mezzaroba and Brent Cossrow have been handling management in his stead.
Reading Terminal Market, first established in 1892 as a compromise between miffed market vendors and an encroaching Reading Railroad Co., remains the oldest continuously running farmers market in the country. It is currently host to 80 vendors.
