PSCA Board of Directors Elections
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Who's running?
Suzanne Tavani Passyunk Square resident: 66 years Experience: In the past 10 years, I have served on the Passyunk Square Civic Association (PSCA) Zoning Committee as both a member and as Chair. As President of PSCA since September, 2022, I reengaged the PSCA as a recipient of funds from the Philadelphia Activities Fund, I developed the first Neighborhood History program highlighting the four legacy ethnic groups -- Italian, Lebanese, Jewish, and African American, and I also developed the Neighborhood Sidewalk Sale program. Reasons for interest in being on the board: The next two years will be my final two on the Board as we are term-limited to 10 consecutive years. I hope to be able to generate revenue sources for PSCA, in addition to starting a neighbor-led Street Cleaning Program with a community-shed, and developing other programs to reengage the community. Strengths: My professional background is in Public Relations and Crisis Communications having worked with some of the nation's top brands and organizations. In addition to being a "legacy" neighbor, I believe that my many experiences of being on the front-line of working with CEO's and their constituencies provides me with a unique skill set to deal with our multi-generational neighborhood.
Jojy Varghese Passyunk Square resident: 5.5 years Experience: Current board treasurer Reasons for interest in being on the board: Committed to my neighborhood as a new husband and father of 2 Strengths: Public policy, civic pride
Dave Goldfarb Passyunk Square resident: 9 years Experience: Since 2016, I've been involved with the PSCA zoning committee, first as a committee member, and for the last 3+ years as zoning chair and a board member. Before that, I was the zoning chair of East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association for six years. Between 2014 and 2024, I served as a board member of Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation, the last four of those years as treasurer. Reasons for interest: "I believe that neighborhood associations leave their mark most on decisions around land use: zoning and other building regulations. It's important for the community voice to be heard: weighing both immediate and overall neighbor voices on appropriate development and land and building use. Those two interests (neighborhood/city and the immediate neighbors) sometimes come into conflict, so it's critical that PSCA keep both in mind: weighing the burden development and property use can have on near neighbors with larger land use implications for the neighborhood and city. A zoning chair should be a good mediator of all neighborhood voices, with a clear idea of relevant zoning ordinances, and an understanding of the limitations and biases of any community meeting. Strengths: Having served on zoning committees in the neighborhood for almost 15 years, I bring a plethora of knowledge and skills: intimate knowledge of the Philadelphia zoning code, mediation and negotiation skills, and experience with leading complicated (and sometimes contentious) public meetings. I would be honored to serve PSCA for another term.
Graham Bailer Passyunk Square resident: 22 years Experience: Rerun of current board member Reasons for interest: Rerun of current board member Strengths: Muscle