President and Board Member, Allen Rubin

Allen was raised in South Philadelphia and attended Central High School, the University of Pennsylvania, and Temple Law School, where he served on the Law Review. He moved to the Spring Garden neighborhood (2144 Green St.) in 1968. In the 1970s, he and his wife Pat Cope (an accomplished artist) rehabbed a double-wide historic carriage house on the 1900 block of Brandywine St., which, at that time, was mostly an industrial block. Allen was a founding member of the Spring Garden Civic Association in the late 1960s, and has served as a Board member and head of the Association’s Zoning Committee. He helped to spearhead the Association’s original tree planting program in the 1970s, which, over the years, has resulted in numerous street trees being planted throughout the community. He also headed up the comprehensive re-zoning of the community in 1974, and was instrumental in the founding of The Spring Gardens, our whole-community neighborhood garden. Allen has been active in community matters for over 40 years.

Past President and Board Member, Patricia Freeland

Pat has lived in Spring Garden since 1981, when she bought a newly constructed home on the 1900 block of Brandywine St. Originally from Northern New Jersey, she attended University College Dublin; University of California, Berkeley; and University of Pennsylvania Law School. While living in California, Pat worked as a farm laborer in the Santa Clara and Salinas Valleys, and helped to found a farm labor union and a day care center for farm labor children. After law school, Pat worked for 25 years with the law firm of Pepper Hamilton & Scheetz and as a founding partner of Harkins Cunningham, a Pepper Hamilton spin-off. She has been active with the Association since the late 1980s and has served as President and a Board member. She is also a founder and the President of the Spring Garden CDC, which has rehabbed over 150 units of affordable housing in Spring Garden (formerly blighted PHAs) and constructed over 40 single family market rate homes, and which provides a broad array of services to community residents. She and her husband Rob Platten have a home on the 1600 block of North St.

Vice President and Board Member, Justino Navarro

Justino was born and raised in Spring Garden, and attended high school in Puerto Rico. Upon returning to Philadelphia, he attended Temple University, and worked for many years as a senior contract manger at SmithKline, now Glaxo SmithKline. He lives on the 600 block of N. 15th St. in a historic home that he rehabbed himself over 25 ago. He has served as the Association’s Vice President, a Board member, and a member of the Zoning Committee. Justino was a founding member of the North Street Garden at Sydenham and North Streets in 1992, and The Spring Gardens community garden in 1995. He is a Tree Tender, and has been active in numerous community projects, including tree plantings and cleanups. Justino has served as a certified Spanish translator and interpreter. He helped to found the Spring Garden CDC and serves as its Vice President. He was a key player in the recent CDC project to rehab 58 units of PHA housing in the eastern end of the community, including helping to assure that the facades were properly historically restored. Justino also serves as a Democratic Committee person in the 8th ward, 26th division.

Secretary and Board Member, Rob Platten

Rob grew up in Princeton NJ, is a graduate of Hobart College, and has an MBA from the University of Virginia. He served as an officer in the US Navy for 4 years, and spent most of his working life as a marketing research executive with Unilever Corporation in Greenwich, CT. Rob worked for over 20 years as a volunteer with Common Cause in Connecticut, was the head of the statewide organization for 2 years, and served in various positions on his college Alumni Board for over 20 years. He retired and moved to Philadelphia in 2006, and has been active in the Association and Tree Tenders since then. He and his wife Pat Freeland live on the 1600 block of North St. Rob can often be seen in his signature baseball cap going around the community watering and trimming trees, and cleaning up trash and debris on blocks throughout the community. He has served as an Officer and Board member of the Association and the Spring Garden CDC. He has also been a principal organizer of several tree plantings, civic meetings, ground breakings/ribbon cuttings, community social events, and cleanups, and has contributed substantial amounts of time to organizational and financial matters of the Association.

Treasurer and Board Member, Albert Girard

Al comes from Chicopee, Massachusetts. After completing his schooling, he joined the Navy where he spent the next 22 years and retired as a Senior Chief Petty Officer. Since that time, he has had a career as a police officer, an insurance specialist with the Veterans Administration, and 18 years in private security management for companies such as Amazon.com, and as a large port terminal manager in Seattle. He retired to Philadelphia in 2008 and lives on the 1900 block of Green Street. Al has been active in the Civic Association since moving to the Spring Garden neighborhood. He is a Tree Tender, and has assisted as a team leader in neighborhood tree plantings, tree surveys, neighborhood cleanups, and tree care workdays. Al also assists with postings on the Association web site, and with Association membership and financial matters.

Board Member, Patrick Boyle

Patrick was brought up in the Kensington section of Philadelphia and attended North Catholic High School. Upon graduation, he joined Disney On Ice as a skater; toured the U.S. and Asia with Disney for 5 years; and worked at Disney World in Orlando as a skate dancer and in office jobs. Since leaving Disney, Patrick has worked for 15 years for Fox Home Entertainment in LA, Indianapolis and Philadelphia, and currently serves as Director of Sales for Fox Home videos. While living in Indianapolis, he served on the Board of the non-profit, Indy Thrift For AIDS. He has lived in Spring Garden, on the 1700 block of Green St., since 2007. He is on the Board at Greencourt Condominiums, and has been instrumental in planning and carrying out the replanting of the condo’s interior and exterior landscaping. Patrick has been active in the community, and has worked on neighborhood tree plantings, tree maintenance, trash control matters, and cleanups, among other projects. He is currently exploring the feasibility of installing historical lighting on his block.

Board Member, Ian Cope

Ian was raised in Center City Philadelphia and Chestnut Hill. He attended N.C. State/University of North Carolina, majoring in architecture, and received a Masters in Architecture from M.I.T. He joined the Philadelphia firm of Wallace Robert & Todd and, later, his father's practice, Cope Linder Architects, where he has been the Managing Partner since the mid-990's. He and the firm have received major awards in international design competitions. The firm is currently one of 20 finalists from throughout the US and Canada for the prestigious Urban Land Institute award for their work on 1706 Rittenhouse Square. Other notable projects that Ian and his firm have been involved with include the Borgata, Waterclub, and Caesars in Atlantic City; and Reading Terminal HeadHouse, Center City District Streetscape, Benjamin Franklin Parkway improvements, and Cret Café in Philadelphia. Ian has been a Spring Garden resident since 1992 and designed many of the new homes in Spring Garden, including over 30 homes on and around the 1600 block of North Street, and has served as a consulting architect for the Association’s Zoning Committee for several years. He lives on the 1600 block of North St. with Bridget McLaughlin and an outgoing German Shepherd puppy named Anya.

Board Member, Carmen DiCamillo

Carmen grew up in Philadelphia. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a major in electrical engineering, and pursued graduate work at Hahnemann Medical College in physiology and biophysics. Carmen has worked in electronic design and corporate management, and was a partner in a company that pioneered voice mail systems for telephone carriers and pagers. Over 20 years ago, he founded Voicenet Communications, Inc., an IT development and application firm which was one of the first Internet providers in Philadelphia. He was the recipient of the Dvorak award for excellence in telecommunications and is a holder of U.S. patents in the field of solar radiation protection (measuring ultraviolet light). In 2007, he and his wife, Mary Farrell - - also an executive with Voicenet - - moved to the 1600 block of North St. Their grown children all live nearby in their own homes (on N. 15th St. in Spring Garden, and in Fairmount). Carmen and Mary have been active in community matters, and their company, Voicenet, has provided design and management services for the Association’s web site.

Board Member, Bruce Dunn

Bruce grew up in Florida and attended Florida State University, with a double major in Business and English. Upon graduation, he embarked on a career in finance. He spent 23 years at Morgan Stanley, including serving as its Regional VP and Marketing Manager for the Philadelphia Major Market, and head of its Princeton office. He is now a Director with Wells Fargo Securities in Philadelphia, (and previously, a Director with Wachovia). Bruce and his wife Lynn moved to Spring Garden from Princeton 4 years ago, on the 1600 block of Green St., and have participated in various community activities. Bruce is also active at Eastern State Penitentiary, serving as a member of its Catholic Chaplain’s Office Committee, dedicated to preserving the office’s historic murals and other features. He is also a Board member of SafeHome Philadelphia. His wife Lynn is a Sales and Marketing Specialist with Vera Bradley. They have 2 grown daughters, one of whom (Tracey) is a cheerleader with the Eagles (and QVC model and professional actress), and a Spring Garden resident.

Board Member, David Elliott

David was born and raised in Mobile Alabama. He attended Auburn University, graduating with a BS in chemical engineering, and has an MBA from University of South Alabama. He is the Director of Manufacturing for a division of Evonik Degussa in Chester PA, which manufactures a product for green tires. (The product creates reduced rolling resistance for better fuel efficiency). He and his wife Cathy moved to Philadelphia in 2010, where they purchased a new home on the 600 block of N. Sydenham St. They have been active in community matters in the eastern end of the neighborhood, including working to eliminate nuisance elements near their home

Board Member, Ruth Herd

Ruth Herd, an American citizen, was born in London, England and educated there beyond US college level, culminating in a business administration course and language studies at the Institute of Linguists, where Preliminary Associate level was achieved. Her work background in the UK and US has included experience as public relations consultant, copywriter, real estate developer, travel consultant, corporate office manager and self-employed hotel representative. She lived for 37 years in Manhattan, while owning a home in Spring Garden during part of that time, and returning to Philadelphia on weekends. Ruth is now enjoying retirement in Philadelphia, where she belongs to most of the arts organizations. She is on the Advisory Board of Friends of Independence National Historical Park and was recently invited to join the governing board. Ruth lives on the 2100 block of Mt. Vernon St. and has been active in community matters for many years. This year she is chairing the Association’s new Hospitality Committee, currently organizing its welcoming package for new residents.

Board Member, Victor Keen

Victor Keen is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Trinity College. He has lived in Spring Garden for 15 years with his wife, Jeanne Ruddy, on the 2000 block of Mt. Vernon St. Jeanne is the founder and artistic director of the Jeanne Ruddy Dance Company, which rehearses and sometimes performs at the Performance Garage, a dance venue on the 1500 block of Brandywine Street owned by Victor, and rehabbed for the dance troupe. Jeanne is a former principal dancer with Martha Graham in New York. Until recently Victor was the chair of the tax practice group at the Philadelphia law firm, Duane Morris, LLP. He is now of counsel to the firm and devotes the majority of his time to civic and charitable activities, as well as to real estate investments in New York City and other activities, including board positions on two public companies, Research Frontiers, Inc., a developer of “smart glass” through licensees around the world, and 3DIcon, Inc., a developer of volumetric 3D displays. Jeanne and Victor have been active in the community, and Victor has served on the Board of the Association. They have two great little dogs, “Yorkie-poos” Izzi and Bella.

Board Member, Jim Pavlock

Jim originally comes from Curwensville, in Clearfield County PA. He has lived in Spring Garden, on the 2200 block of Brandywine St., for over 19 years. Jim attended Penn State University and Cornell Law School. After graduation, he worked for 10 years at the Philadelphia DA’s office, and moved on to the US Department of Justice, Criminal Division, in Washington D.C. (in the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section), while still returning to Philadelphia on weekends. In 2007, Jim transferred to the US Attorney’s office in Philadelphia, working in the Narcotics Unit. He serves as an organist at St. Francis Xavier Church. He has participated in community cleanups and other activities, was instrumental in getting trees planted for his entire block, and has served on the Association Board and as a block captain. He has helped to maintain a historic brick alley behind his block, and has participated in zoning matters near his home. He has recently completed a restoration project at his historic home, including restoring the brick facade and shutters.

Board Member, Bret Perkins

Bret is a graduate of Temple University, where he received a BBA in Business Administration and was a four year starter on the soccer team (and team captain during senior year). After graduation, he served as a Vice President of Systems Services and Assistant to the President at Mercy Health. In 2001, he joined Comcast Corporation, where he effectively managed local government affairs during a period of tremendous growth for the company. Bret was recently promoted to Vice President, External and Governmental Affairs, at Comcast. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Temple University and of Temple’s Fox School of Business Board of Visitors, and serves as President of the Temple Alumni Association. Bret is Past President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications, and is a member of the Board and Executive Committee of the Committee of Seventy, a Philadelphia election watch-dog organization. In 2008, Bret received the Vanguard Award For Young Leadership, one of the cable industry’s highest honors for its next generation of leaders. In 2010, he was named to CableFAX’s Most Influential Minorities In Cable. Bret moved to Spring Garden in 2004, and lives with his wife Donna (also an executive with Comcast) and 2 small children on the 1600 block of North St.

Board Member, Kevin Rasmussen

Kevin and his wife Vivian Su live on the 1700 block of North St with their 7 year old and 5 year old daughters. They are both architects, practicing as the firm of Rassmussen Su. Kevin grew up in Boulder Colorado, and attended University of Virginia, where he acquired a BS and a Masters in architecture in 1993 and 1997, respectively. He and Vivian moved to the Fairmount neighborhood in 1997, and to Spring Garden in 2008 after renovating a shell on the 1700 block of North Street. They have been active in civic and community matters, including The Spring Gardens.

Board Member, Danelle Stoppel

Danelle is originally from Philadelphia, but grew up in Danville, in upstate Pennsylvania, and attended Rosemont and Bryn Mawr Colleges. Danelle lived for 15 years in Puerto Rico, and speaks fluent Spanish. She is a psychologist by profession, and has also dedicated herself for many years to civic and volunteer activities both in Puerto Rico (where she held a leadership position for a 1000-home community organization), and in Philadelphia, since she moved back in 1996. Danelle is active in the Spring Garden community, is a member of The Spring Gardens, and lives on the 1800 block of Fairmount Avenue with her two sisters. Danelle is currently assisting tornado victims in Alabama, with the Red Cross.

Board Member, Darlene Suarez

Darlene was born and raised in Spring Garden, and attended Cathedral School and Hallahan Girls’ High. She has lived on the 1900 block of Mt. Vernon and the 600 block of North 18th Street. Darlene spent 6 years in San Francisco working at a law firm when her husband took a job with the Pacific Stock Exchange. Upon returning to Philadelphia, she took an administrative position at SmithKline, and has also worked at Waring School as a special needs assistant teacher, and as an assistant teacher at Highway Tabernacle at 1801 Spring Garden St. Darlene has also assisted at the polls for many years on Election Day, never missing an election for years. She speaks both Spanish and English and assists non-English speaking voters at the polls. She has 3 boys, 2 still in grade school. Darlene has recently returned to Community College to continue her studies in early childhood education. She has been active in the community for many years, including cleanups, tree plantings (Darlene is a Spring GardenTree Tender), as a “Mother Patrol” in the neighborhood to keep the area safe for children, and as a parent volunteer at the playground and Waring School.

Board Member, Michael Treacy

Michael was born and raised in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He emigrated to the U.S. in his 20's, and eventually became a United States citizen. He began working in the Philadelphia area in construction, and later formed his own construction, rental management, and development companies. He is responsible for much of the historic tax credit rehab work done in the Victorian buildings in the eastern end of the community in the 1980s, and won a “Best of Philly” for his modern, attractive condos. He was one of the original owners/developers (along with Pat Freeland) of Mezzanotte Restaurant, 17th and Green Streets (later, the home of Cuvee Notredame, and now St. Stephen’s Green). He also served as a consultant on construction issues for the CDC’s first 97 PHA rehabs in the western end of the community, and the most recent 58 units in the eastern end, to help assure that the historic features of those buildings were properly preserved, and the construction work properly carried out. Working with the Spring Garden CDC, Michael also built over 40 market rate houses in the eastern end of the neighborhood, creating a “critical mass” of new single family housing, which opened up a previously blighted section of the neighborhood to market rate development. He has served as a Democratic Committee Person in the 15th Ward. He has been active in community matters since moving to Spring Garden in 2004, and serves on the Association’s Zoning Committee.

Board Member, Orla Treacy

Orla was raised in Blue Bell, PA, and attended the University Of Pennsylvania, class of 2008. She moved with her family to Spring Garden in 2004. Upon graduation, Orla took a management job with Day & Zimmerman. She has recently moved on to become the Operations Director at Cease Fire, the leading gun-violence prevention organization in Pennsylvania, of which former City Managing Director Phil Goldsmith is the acting President. Orla is a Democratic Committee Person in the 8th Ward, 26th division - - the eastern end of our community (east of 17th St.) is actually in the 8th Ward, which mostly covers Center City. She is heading up the Association’s Police/Anti-Crime/Quality of Life Committee.