[
Philadelphia, PA (November 9, 2020) – On October 22, 2020 the Philadelphia Facilities Management Corporation (PFMC) elected Leigh Whitaker as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. PFMC oversees the operations of the Philadelphia Gas Works.
Leigh Whitaker is the Director of City Relations for the University of Pennsylvania. In her role at the university, Whitaker serves as Penn’s liaison with the City of Philadelphia and City Council and advises the Penn community on matters relating to local government.
Prior to joining Penn, Whitaker served as the Vice President of Communications for SugarHouse Casino, Deputy Chief of Staff for the School District of Philadelphia, and as Chief Legislative Aide for Philadelphia City Council President (then Councilman) Darrell L. Clarke. Whitaker is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and Temple University’s School of Law, and is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Welcome America, Inc., and KIPP Administrative Services Corporation (KASC).
In addition to Whitaker’s election as Chair on October 22, 2020, Lauren Gilchrist was recently appointed to the Board by the Honorable James F. Kenney, and elected Secretary. The Board also approved the appointment of Seth A. Shapiro as Chief Operating Officer for PGW, effective January 4, 2021, as well as to the position of President and CEO of PGW, effective December 2021. Mr. Shapiro’s appointment is subject to the approval of the Gas Commission.
Lauren Gilchrist is Senior Vice President/Senior Director of Research for JLL in Philadelphia, where she directs JLL’s local market research platform for the region. Gilchrist’s specialties include urban and regional economics and demography.
Prior to joining JLL, she served as the Manager of Research & Analysis at the Center City District in Philadelphia and as a Research Analyst/Program Manager at the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness in Arlington, Virginia. Gilchrist is a graduate of Bucknell University and Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University with an M.S. in Public Policy and Management (Highest Distinction).
Shapiro is the immediate past chair of the PFMC, and has served in leadership positions with publicly and privately held development companies, including the Goldenberg Group, Toll Brothers, Inc. and Westrum Development Corporation.
Prior to serving as Chair of PFMC, Mr. Shapiro served for five years as Chair of its Finance and Audit Committee and five years as Vice Chairman before being appointed Chair in 2016.
He is currently Chairman of the Board of the Chestnut Hill Business District, and has served in leadership positions on a variety of community based non-profits, including Mt. Airy USA and Operation Understanding. Mr. Shapiro graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in Government.
Under a contract with the City, the Philadelphia Facilities Management Corporation, a non-profit corporation, oversees Philadelphia Gas Works, the largest municipally owned utility in the nation. The Board is appointed by the Mayor and its responsibilities, as set forth in a Management Agreement between the City and PFMC, make PFMC responsible for all operations of PGW through an executive management team including a chief executive officer, a chief operating officer, and a chief financial officer.
The members of the PFMC Board of Directors are appointed for two-year terms by the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. More information on each Board member is listed below.
Philadelphia Facilities Management Corporation BOARD MEMBERS
Leigh Whitaker, Chair, is the Director of City Relations for the University of Pennsylvania.
Jim Engler, Vice-Chair, is Chief of Staff to Mayor James Kenney. He was previously Deputy Mayor for Policy and Legislation for the City of Philadelphia.
Catherine Paster, Treasurer, is recently retired as the City’s First Deputy Finance Director, having served in that role since 2008. Previously, Paster spent almost eight years with Temple University.
Lauren Gilchrist, Secretary, is Senior Vice President, Senior Director of Research for JLL in Philadelphia.
Albert Mezzaroba is an attorney with Genova Burns. Mezzaroba has held executive positions at Lower Bucks Hospital, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, and the City Council of Philadelphia, where he served as Chief Counsel.
The Honorable Marian Tasco, first elected to Philadelphia City Council in 1987. Tasco previously served as Majority Leader and Councilwoman representing the Ninth District.
Photographs are available upon request.
[
PGW customers may be eligible for up to $1,000 in free money for their natural gas bills
PHILADELPHIA (Nov. 2, 2020) – Low-income Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) customers facing financial difficulties can apply for a free LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) grant of between $200 and $1,000 beginning Monday, Nov. 2. LIHEAP is a federal grant that helps income-eligible families afford their natural gas bills and maintain heating for their homes as cold weather approaches.
Customers can print a LIHEAP application at pgworks.com/liheap, or call PGW’s Customer Care Team at 215-235-1000, Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., to receive an application by mail. The LIHEAP application period ends on April 9, 2021 or as long as funds remain available.
The grants are based on household size and income, available to both renters and homeowners, and do not have to be repaid. Approximately 135,000 PGW customers are eligible for LIHEAP. Last winter (2019-2020), approximately 58,000 PGW customers received more than $24 million in assistance.
“Philadelphia was among the poorest cities in America even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with even more families in the City struggling financially, PGW urges all eligible customers to take advantage of these free grants,” said Denise Adamucci, vice president of regulatory compliance and customer programs at PGW. “PGW understands that these are difficult times and strongly encourages customers to apply for a LIHEAP grant. Every year, a significant number of eligible households do not apply for LIHEAP. These households miss this opportunity to receive significant financial assistance with their winter bills. PGW wants every low-income household to know that help is available and to apply immediately.”
Since the pandemic began, PGW has aggressively reached out to customers to connect them to payment assistance programs. PGW is now contacting neighborhood organizations, elected officials and other community leaders to educate customers about LIHEAP grants, which are distributed on a first come, first serve basis.
Applicants for LIHEAP assistance must have a household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level to meet the eligibility requirements. Eligibility guidelines are available at pgworks.com/liheap.
LIHEAP grants for PGW customers are applied directly to the "Please Pay" amount of their bill. Customers enrolled in PGW’s Customer Responsibility Program (CRP) can benefit from both their regular CRP discount and the additional LIHEAP grant when paying their bill.
Customers without utility service can apply for both Crisis Assistance and LIHEAP together when calling PGW’s Customer Care Team. Crisis Assistance is a federal grant that is awarded to income-eligible customers.
For more information on LIHEAP, LIHEAP Crisis and additional PGW payment assistance programs, visit pgworks.com/residential/customer-care/payment-assistance.
[
PGW ramps up outreach to help vulnerable customers keep service ahead of winter
PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 29, 2020) – Beginning next week, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) will contact nearly 50,000 customers who are behind on their natural gas bills to connect them with PGW’s payment assistance programs, to make payment arrangements, or notify PGW of your household income to determine if you are eligible for protection from further action.
With the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission lifting its service termination moratorium on Nov. 9, the Commission required utilities to notify customers who may be at risk of termination for non-payment of available programs. PGW urges customers facing financial challenges to contact PGW immediately at 215-235-1000, Monday-Friday, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to explore their options for maintaining service.
“Our goal is to help customers maintain their natural gas service and avoid service termination. We know many Philadelphians are facing financial stress and PGW has a variety of programs to help customers pay their bills,” said Craig White, President & CEO of PGW. “We are urging customers to contact PGW as soon as possible to get the economic relief they need, stay current on their account, and continue the delivery of safe, reliable natural gas service.”
Among the payment assistance programs for customers is PGW’s Customer Responsibility Program (CRP), which was recently modified to further reduce monthly bill amounts for low-income customers enrolled in the program. CRP helps low-income households better afford their bills and receive forgiveness of past debt. Based on household income, customers enrolled in CRP could pay as little as 4 percent of their monthly income on their PGW bill.
In addition, starting Nov. 2, customers can apply for a free LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) grant ranging from $200 to $1,000. LIHEAP is a federal grant that helps income-eligible families pay their heating bills and restore gas service. The grants are available to renters and homeowners, and do not have to be repaid.
Several more PGW payment assistance programs are available for customers, including:
For more information on all of PGW’s payment assistance programs visit https://www.pgworks.com/residential/customer-care/payment-assistance
[
Page 43 of 78 pages.