Celebration and Awards Dinner

Philadelphia Citizen of the Year

The beloved NFL All-Pro quarterback for our Philadelphia Eagles doesn’t just star on the field: Among other initiatives, his Jalen Hurts Foundation has provided over $200,000 for air conditioning in Philly schools and supported children with illnesses. Plus, he has amplified the role of women in sports by tapping an all-star, all-female management team.

Read his full profile here.

The Edward G. Rendell Lifetime Achievement Award

Larry Magid, the founder of Electric Factory concerts, changed Philadelphia — and the trajectory of live music as we know it. A legendary concert promoter and rock-and-roll impresario, he co-produced Live Aid 40 years ago, and continues to change Philly for good, as with his creation of the Philadelphia Music Alliance and scholarship opportunities for future generations of young people to attend his alma mater, Temple University.

Read his full profile here.

The Edward G. Rendell Lifetime Achievement Award

Judith M. von Seldeneck, founder and chair of Diversified Search Group, the oldest continuously-operating woman-owned search firm in the country. Von Seldeneck has been a pioneering leader in her industry for more than four decades, a woman business owner during a time when that was exceptionally rare in Philadelphia, a mentor to many who have followed, and a Philadelphia booster from her perch as a member of many public, private and nonprofit boards.

Read her full profile here.

Lewis Katz Corporate Citizen of the Year

Gregory E. Deavens is president and CEO of Independence Health Group, the parent of Independence Blue Cross. Under his leadership, Independence is prioritizing behavioral health, focusing on reducing racial and economic health disparities, and diversifying the ranks of one of the city’s largest employers. Deavens also serves as board chair for the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.

Read his full profile here.

Youth Citizen of the Year

Swenson Arts & Technology High School sophomore Declan Cassidy, 15, was so affected by his sister’s experience with homelessness, that he created Socks for the Streets — a nonprofit that has distributed more than 79,000 pairs of socks, 6,000 hygiene kits, and hundreds of meals and wound care kits to those in need.

Read his full profile here.

Educator of the Year

Njemele Tamala Anderson is an English teacher at Science Leadership Academy at Beeber who practices Liberatory Education, an approach that combats discrimination and bias in schools, and holds students to the highest standards of intellectual work – all while showering them with radical compassion and love to bring out their best work, and prepare them to be engaged citizens of the world.

Read her full profile here.

Disruptors of the Year (with Dr. Grupp)

At CHOP, Dr. Alexis A. Thompson and Dr. Stephan A. Grupp oversaw the treatment of the first patient with Sickle Cell Disease — the debilitating genetic condition that disproportionately affects children of African descent — to be treated with gene therapy outside of a clinical trial. Their collaboration and vision is poised to change the lives of children in Philadelphia — and around the world.

Thompson is Chief of the Division of Hematology and Elias Schwartz, MD, Endowed Chair in Hematology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as well as Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn; Grupp is Director of the Susan S. and Stephen P. Kelly Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Section Chief of the Cellular Therapy and Transplant Section, and Medical Director of the Cell and Gene Therapy Laboratory at CHOP, as well as Novotny Professor of Pediatrics at Penn’s Perelman School.

Read their full profile here.

Disruptors of the Year (with Dr. Thompson)

At CHOP, Dr. Alexis A. Thompson and Dr. Stephan A. Grupp oversaw the treatment of the first patient with Sickle Cell Disease — the debilitating genetic condition that disproportionately affects children of African descent — to be treated with gene therapy outside of a clinical trial. Their collaboration and vision is poised to change the lives of children in Philadelphia — and around the world.

Thompson is Chief of the Division of Hematology and Elias Schwartz, MD, Endowed Chair in Hematology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as well as Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn; Grupp is Director of the Susan S. and Stephen P. Kelly Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Section Chief of the Cellular Therapy and Transplant Section, and Medical Director of the Cell and Gene Therapy Laboratory at CHOP, as well as Novotny Professor of Pediatrics at Penn’s Perelman School.

Read their full profile here.

A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Social Justice Champion

Marsha Levick co-founded Juvenile Law Center in 1975. A passionate advocate for children’s rights, she is a nationally recognized expert in juvenile law who has authored countless briefs in state and federal courts throughout the country, including many for cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Read her full profile here.

Block Captain of the Year

Dianna C. Coleman has transformed her block in Southwest Philly, converting an abandoned lot into a community garden, organizing parades, field trips and bicycle giveaways for kids, and serving as a tireless liaison between her neighborhood and the City. Potholes: Consider yourselves warned.

Read her full profile here.