GVF welcomes new members to its Board of Directors
GVF recently appointed seven new members to its board of directors. PA State Senator Amanda Cappelletti, PA State Representative Ben Sanchez, PA State Representative Melissa Shusterman, Rose Fennell, Superintendent, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Scott France, Executive Director, Montgomery County Planning Commission, Brian O’Leary, Executive Director, Chester County Planning Commission, Suzanne Ryan, Regional External Affairs Manager, PECO. These new directors will provide strategic direction for continued growth around GVF’s mission which is to improve quality of life for people through improved transportation choices.
“I am honored to have such a dynamic and diverse Board of Directors who are helping to guide GVF. We have a wonderful cross section of leaders from both the public and private sector who will push the organization to be the best while assisting us to grow and prosper. We’re also very fortunate to have elected officials who dedicate their time and talent and who believe in our mission of advancing TDM,” Rob Henry, GVF Executive Director.
New Board Member:
Suzanne Ryan, Regional External Affairs Manager, PECO
Suzanne is responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with County, municipal, and state government officials in Montgomery County. Suzanne serves as the interface for PECO on a broad range of issues from emergency response and storm restoration to billing issues, utility coordination, and infrastructure improvement projects.
New Ex-Officio Board Members:
PA State Senator Amanda Cappelletti
An attorney with a Master’s in Public Health, Amanda has worked in Harrisburg to advance progressive policy. She worked with Representative Donna Bullock and as a Fellow for the ACLU of Pennsylvania. She was a member of the first group awarded the William Penn Fellowship through the Governor’s Office: first as an advocate for children at the Office of Child development and Early Learning, and then at the Department of Human services as a policy specialist tracking legislation to assess implementation. A lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, Amanda grew up in Boyertown and graduated from Boyertown Area Senior High. She attended Chestnut Hill College for her undergraduate degree and received her law degree and Master’s in Public Health from Temple University.
PA State Representative Ben Sanchez
Ben Sanchez was elected to represent the 153rd Legislative District in Montgomery County on November 6, 2018. As a lifelong district resident, Ben understands his diverse community and continues to build on his record of fighting for the hardworking residents of Abington and Upper Dublin in the legislature.
Ben's legislative priorities include common-sense gun safety legislation, supporting public education, protecting the environment, and expanding access to health care for all Pennsylvanians.
PA State Representative Melissa Shusterman
Melissa Shusterman was elected to represent that 157th Legislative District on November 6, 2018. Melissa is a fourth-generation resident of Chester County. Melissa was raised in Tredyffrin Township and graduated from Conestoga in 1985.
As a legislator, Melissa's priorities include bringing transparency to the role. She also plans to address Pennsylvania's infrastructure deficiencies, investing in our public schools, reaching across the aisle to end partisan gridlock, as well as strengthening protections for our environment.
Rose Fennell, Superintendent, Valley Forge National Historical Park
Rose currently serves as the deputy regional director for Interior Region 1, North Atlantic – Appalachian overseeing operations for parks and programs located in the northern section of the region, including upstate New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. Prior to her regional senior leadership position, Fennell served as the deputy superintendent for Boston National Historical Park and Boston African American National Historical Site. She was the NPS Bevinetto Congressional Fellow for 2011-2012 and has served as a special assistant to former NPS Director Jon Jarvis and as legislative specialist in the Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs.
Scott France, Executive Director, Montgomery County Planning Commission
Scott, who has been with MCPC for over 17 years, was formerly Section Chief: County Planning & GIS. Throughout his tenure, he has gained an extensive knowledge of Montgomery County and demonstrated an incredible work ethic and true dedication to serving the county. His many accomplishments include assuming a lead role in the implementation of Montco 2040: A Shared Vision, Montgomery County's comprehensive plan; managing the Montco 2040 grant program; overseeing the Montgomery County farmland preservation program; initiating MCPC's School District Enrollment Planning Services; managing the Montco Planning Data Portal; and helping to develop RESTART Montco, a new initiative to assist our communities in recovering from the effects of COVID-19.
Brian O’Leary, Executive Director, Chester County Planning Commission
Brian O’Leary is currently the Executive Director for the Chester County Planning Commission where he manages commission staff which works on smart growth, land use, comprehensive planning, revitalization, housing, site design, historic preservation, open space, transportation, trails, and pipelines. Before this position, he was the section chief of county planning for the Montgomery County Planning Commission, where he worked on county-wide issues involving land use, economic development, agriculture, and arts and culture. He was the project manager for the county comprehensive plan and has over 25 years of experience drafting a variety of planning studies, including comprehensive plans, open space plans, model zoning ordinance guidebooks, and zoning and subdivision ordinances.
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