Title
Honoring Michael Masch, on the occasion of his passing, for a lifetime of dedicated service to the people of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, Michael Masch was born October 14, 1950, and raised in Southwest Philadelphia. Masch graduated from Central High School and later attended Temple University, leaving just prior to graduation as an urban studies major; and
WHEREAS, Masch’s political inclinations began in college, where he burned his draft card at City Hall, otherwise campaigned against the war in Vietnam, and engaged in other acts of civil disobedience. At his freshman orientation at Temple, he stated that he hoped to major in “making the revolution”; and
WHEREAS, In the early years of his career, he wrote for the Jewish Exponent and worked as an editor and writer for the Drummer, a weekly newspaper that served the region’s counterculture audience in the 1970s; and
WHEREAS, Masch entered public life when he got a job on the technical staff of Philadelphia’s City Council. He eventually became the Philadelphia budget director from 1992-96, during the mayoral administration of Ed Rendell. While working for Mayor Rendell, he helped create the Philly Phlash downtown loop transit line, and was able to unite his love of comics with his profession, naming the line after the Flash, one of his favorite DC comics characters; and
WHEREAS, Masch also served as Pennsylvania's secretary of budget and administration from 2003 to 2008, during the gubernatorial administration of Ed Rendell. In this position, he worked to eliminated state deficits and produced surpluses each year, while increasing state funding for Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts. He also created the Pennsylvania Office of Performance Improvement to measure and improve operational performance of state agencies; and
WHEREAS, He later served as the chief financial officer of the School District of Philadelphia from 2008-12. As CFO of the school district, he helped the district maintain balanced and surplus budgets, and restructured long-term debt; and
WHEREAS , Masch also had worked as vice president for budget and management at the University of Pennsylvania, senior policy analyst and researcher for the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, and vice president for finance and chief financial officer at Manhattan College. Since 2015, Mr. Masch was the senior vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer at Howard University; and
WHEREAS, Masch not only improved the financial health of a number of distinguished institutions, he also left a legacy as an educator. Mid-career, he graduated from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, with a master’s degree in government and public administration. Later, he would teach at Fels, coaching the next generation of public sector leaders in the finer points of finance; and
WHEREAS, Michael Masch’s dedication to his home city of Philadelphia left a lasting, positive mark that will be honored and appreciated for years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby honors the life and legacy of Michael Masch, for his public service and dedication the citizens of Philadelphia.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Michael Masch, further evidencing the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.
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