Title
Recognizing and honoring Gina Snyder on 14 years as Executive Director of East Falls Development Corporation.
Body
WHEREAS, Gina Snyder, Executive Director of East Falls Development Corporation (EFDC), has served in her position for the last 14 years; and
WHEREAS, EFDC provides community information for East Falls businesses, residents and visitors, including up-to-date information on East Falls business opportunities, real estate, recreational activities, and bars and restaurants; and
WHEREAS, EFDC started as a wholly volunteer organization with almost no budget. Determined to uplift the organization, Gina developed multiple funding streams that have put the corporation on sound financial footing, with a budget that has grown to over $200,000 per year; and
WHEREAS, As Executive Director for EFDC, Gina worked tirelessly to encourage new investment in the business district, and to assist local property owners’ efforts to improve their facades; and
WHEREAS, Gina has championed several key projects that are of great significance to members of the East Falls community. She worked with the City’s Mural Arts program to create new murals under the twin bridges and secured funds to light the Falls Bridge and renovate the historic Bathey House, now the Trolley Car Café. Gina also helped to establish the “Gateway to East Falls”, a pedestrian island with signature signage to calm traffic and welcome people to the neighborhood, as well as the “Dance on the Falls Bridge”, a major event that has grown into a regional attraction; and
WHEREAS, Gina was also instrumental in adding a parking lot and on-street parking along Ridge Avenue and installed streetscape improvements with new pedestrian scale street lights. She also brought in Farm to City and started the East Falls Farmers’ Market; and
WHEREAS, In addition to her day to day work in the community, Gina also has been involved in citywide economic development efforts, including ten years on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, where she helped originate the Commercial Corridor Working Group. She also started and led the Northwest Commercial Corridors Coalition, a working group of organizations in Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, Germantown, West Oak Lane, Roxborough, Manayunk and East Falls; and
WHEREAS, In March of 2017, Gina announced that she was leaving her position as Executive Director of EFDC. Gina’s leadership has been invaluable in building EFDC’s capacity to secure funding and implement projects. She has raised EFDC’s profile with local and state agencies and leaves the organization with several well-advanced projects underway; and
WHEREAS, Gina will spend the next year traveling with her husband and two children to the south of France for a year; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes and honors Gina Snyder on 14 years as Executive Director of East Falls Development Corporation.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Gina Snyder as evidence of the sincere admiration of this legislative body.
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