by Claudia Vargas, Staff Writer @InqCVargas | cvargas@phillynews.com
Mayor Kenney has appointed a new board to oversee the beleaguered Mayor’s Fund.
The new nine-member board is part of a reform plan for the nonprofit set up to advance the mayor’s policy goals through grants to other nonprofit groups. The fund oversees about $12 million in grant money and revenue from the Philadelphia Marathon. Plans to restructure the fund began after a series of stories in the Inquirer and Daily News raised questions about fund spending and the oversight of previous fund managers.
Former City Controller Alan Butkovitz also issued several reports that said the former chairwoman had misused fund money. He criticized the current administration for what he said was noncooperation in the last leg of the investigation, just before he left office. The Attorney General’s Office has since opened an investigation into the fund.
The new board members will be charged with hiring a new executive director. Ashley DelBianco, who as executive director of the board first complained to Butkovitz about questionable spending by the former chairwoman, will remain until her replacement is named.
DelBianco, who has been serving a dual role of Chief Grants Officer, will keep that title. She was also asked to serve as one of the new board members.
Kenney also named the following people to the Mayor’s Fund board:
- Vaughn Ross, deputy chief of staff to Mayor Kenney.
- Tumar Alexander, a longtime mayoral liaison who currently oversees intergovernmental and legislative affairs in the Managing Director’s Office.
- Councilman Bobby Henon, a member of the previous Mayor’s Fund board.
- Laura Solomon, a lawyer who represents charities and other tax-exempt organizations.
- Sidney Hargro, executive director of Philanthropy Network, which includes nearly 150 grantmaking organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region.
- Garrett Snider, founder of the Childhood Resilience Foundation, a nonprofit that provides services to victims of abuse and neglect.
- Marlene Olshan, chief executive officer of Vetri Community Partnership, the charitable arm of the Vetri Family restaurant group.
- Richard Levins, vice president for the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Markets at Independence Blue Cross.
DelBianco said she expects the board to select a new executive director later this spring.