“It’s often very easy to see what’s right in front of you and to make a difference in the space where you currently live,” says Dr. Alexis A. Thompson. “But if we’re able and willing to step out just a little bit and to see that we are global citizens, that we have the possibilities of having an impact in our lifetime around the world, perhaps in the lives of [those] we’ll never meet — to be daring enough and bold enough to actually think that we can do that is a real privilege.”
Thompson, MD, PhD, is Chief of the Division of Hematology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). And she embodies exactly the kind of boldness she describes: She and her colleague Dr. Stephan A. Grupp, MD, PhD — 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 — are this year’s Disruptors of the Year, two winners of our annual Citizen of the Year Awards. They’re being named disruptors for their trailblazing contributions to the treatment of Sickle Cell Disease, the genetic condition that disproportionately affects children of African descent.
That same spirit of boldness unites the winners of this year’s Citizen of the Year Awards, 10 phenomenal Philadelphians in fields ranging from medicine to music. They are leaders whose sense of service guides them, and whose commitment to seeing possibilities offers a blueprint for us all.
The Citizen spent a full year searching for this year’s winners — asking you, our readers, for your recommendations, and talking to folks throughout the region and across sectors to land on this cohort of all-star citizens who are making our city and the world a better place, no matter the circumstances around them or the challenges before them.
We will honor all of them on February 25, 2025, at the Fitler Club Ballroom, during a festive dinner celebration where we’ll also hear from MSNBC correspondent Ali Velshi in conversation with a to-be-named special guest.
We hope you will join us in celebrating — and that you’ll be energized by the actions of each of these remarkable winners. They are:
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.
YOUNG 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.
DISRUPTORS OF THE YEAR
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.
A. LEON HIGGINBOTHAM, JR., SOCIAL JUSTICE CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
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.
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.
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.
THE EDWARD G. RENDELL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Starting this year, we’re naming our Lifetime Achievement Award after former Mayor and Governor Ed Rendell, a man on the proverbial “Mt. Rushmore of Philadelphia.” This year’s Rendell-approved winners are:
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.
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.
You can read more about each honoree as we share profiles of them in the new year — and you can join us at the event on February 25. Get your tickets here.
We know you will be as moved by this year’s winners as we are — and we can’t wait to cast a spotlight on them throughout 2025, and beyond.
