Are you passionate about Philadelphia? Do you want to know more about how to positively affect change in our city? Are you a young professional interested in serving on a respected nonprofit board? Apply to be a 2021-2022 Buchholz Fellow!
As a nonpartisan, nonprofit civic leadership organization that’s existed for 117 years, the Committee of Seventy (C70) knows how critical it is that we develop and connect the next generation of community leaders. That is why we launched the Buchholz Fellowship, in honor of board member and civic leader Carl Buchholz.
After a successful launch in 2017, C70 seeks its fifth cohort of Buchholz Fellows. Ideal candidates are emerging young leaders (recommended age is 25-35) working in the private or nonprofit sector who embody the qualities that Carl Buchholz exhibited in his life and work: personal and professional integrity, a strong work ethic, collaborative spirit, a superior intellect and a passion for improving his community.
Fellows will have the opportunity to gain invaluable experience in nonprofit leadership by serving as one of our board members. Fellows will act as non-voting members, however, they will be involved in all other board-related affairs which include participating in all Board and Policy Committee meetings and are full participants in Seventy’s conversations, discussions, and debates around governance and public policy issues facing Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of PA. Additionally, Fellows are matched with a current board member who will serve as a mentor and advisor during the fellowship year. This fellowship is a great opportunity for young professionals to gain leadership skills in a nonprofit setting while having a voice in Seventy’s mission for better government in Philadelphia.
Fellows are expected to pay a $250 contribution, however, no applicants will be refused consideration due to financial hardship.
The 2020-2021 application for the Buchholz Fellowship is now open and available here. Applications must be submitted by 5pm on Friday, August 27th. If you have any questions about the application, or would like more info before applying, please contact Chief Program Officer, Lauren Cristella at lcristella@seventy.org.
About Carl Buchholz:
Carl Buchholz was an important member of Seventy’s board of directors and executive committee for a decade before his untimely death in May, 2016. In addition to his service to Seventy, he was a member of the board of directors at Drexel University, the American Revolution Museum, Visit Philadelphia and the United Way of Southeastern PA, where he was also former Chairman. An accomplished lawyer, he was managing partner of Blank Rome and later became the managing partner of DLA Piper’s Philadelphia office. After 9/11, Carl put his private sector career on hold to serve his country by joining former Governor Ridge to help create the office of Homeland Security. Early in his career he worked for Senator John Heinz where he met his wife Karen, a senior executive at Comcast. See his complete obituary. Carl was a loving husband and father, and a friend to all those who had the pleasure of knowing him.
Meet the 2020-2021 class of Buchholz Fellows:
Keshema Davidson
Manager of Community Affairs, Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School
Keshema is the Manager of Community Affairs at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School. Cristo Rey combines a rigorous college prep curriculum with an innovative Work-Study model to serve students and families from under-resourced neighborhoods all across the Philadelphia region. She manages special projects for the school and works closely with the neighborhood, the Tioga section of North Philadelphia, to ensure that Cristo Rey serves not only its students but also its community. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs from Drexel University and holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Temple University. Previous to Cristo Rey, she was the Program Director for a legal education company based in Philadelphia called LawMeets. She has also worked at Drexel Law School, the National Education Association, and Street Law Inc. Keshema was born in Jamaica and immigrated to Beltsville, Maryland in high school before making her way to Philadelphia. She serves on the board of Neighbors Investing in Childs Elementary (NICE), a volunteer led effort to support the GW Childs Elementary School in Point Breeze.
Tim Ford
Mariya Khandros
Program Manager, University City District
Mariya Khandros serves as a Project Manager for the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, focusing on formalizing WPSI’s consulting operation as we consider models for replication and expanded impact. Before joining UCD, Mariya was the Director of Shared Solutions at the Economy League. Her primary responsibility was to oversee the development and implementation of Philadelphia Anchors for Growth and Equity, a project focused on increasing local purchasing by Philadelphia’s hospitals and universities with the goal of creating jobs and reducing poverty. She previously served as an Economic Policy Analyst at the Office of the Philadelphia City Controller and held positions with the Urban Affairs Committee at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, NorthEast Treatment Centers, the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT), and A.T. Kearney (a management consulting firm). Mariya serves as the Campaign Chair for Councilmember Jamie Gauthier's City Council Campaign and volunteers with Reclaim Philadelphia to make the Philadelphia Police Department accountable to voters. Mariya holds a Master of Public Administration from the Fels Institute of Government, a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Businesses, and a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Arts and Sciences. Mariya is an avid science fiction reader and aspiring writer, proud dog owner and failed (but persistent) gardener. She needs tea, coffee and muay thai to be happy. Mariya has traveled to many countries, but remains unshaken in her belief that West Philadelphia is the best place to live!
Tom Levy
Adam Robinson
Eric Stahl
Associate, Crowell & Moring, LLP
Eric A. Stahl is an associate in the Mass Tort, Product, and Consumer Litigation Group of Crowell & Moring LLP, where he advises clients on complex litigation, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Eric’s pro bono practice focuses on voting rights litigation and includes appearances on behalf of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP. He recently spent seven months as a Loaned Associate to the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, representing low-income renters in landlord-tenant court. Before attending the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Eric was a Philadelphia-based political campaign consultant. He consulted for more than a dozen candidates, focusing on fundraising and compliance.
Sandy Vogel
Assistant Director, Penn PORES
Sandy Vogel is the Assistant Director at the Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies, an undergraduate research center focused on conducting public opinion research and training the next generation of social science researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to Penn, Sandy worked at Drexel University at the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement, where she connected students to volunteer opportunities with Philadelphia non-profit organizations and managed the university’s voter engagement efforts. Her leadership on voter engagement during the 2018 midterms garnered Drexel’s designation as a Voter Friendly Campus and a “Best in Class” award from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. She received a master’s degree in urban strategy from Drexel University in 2019 and a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in sociology from Temple University in 2016. In her spare time, Sandy volunteers at Bartram’s Garden and explores Philly on walks with her dog, Saxby.
