AAI Board Announcement

1/7/10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE          CONTACTS:  Avenue of the Arts

                                                                                    Karen Lewis, 215-731-9668

                                                                                    klewis@avenueofthearts.org

                                                                                    Simon Public Relations Group

                                                                                    Frank Sinatra, 215-545-4715, x23

                                                                                    franks@simonpr.com

Avenue of the Arts, Inc. Announces New Chairs,

Welcomes Additions to Board of Directors

Executives Patricia Wellenbach and Dianne Semingson to chair organization through 2011; hospital CEO Michael Halter, government relations specialist
Kenneth Lawrence, Jr. and advertising executive Linda Rosanio also joining board

PHILADELPHIA (XXXXXXX) – Avenue of the Arts, Inc. (AAI) announces Patricia Wellenbach as Chair and Dianne Semingson as Vice Chair of its Board of Directors. The organization has also added several new members to its board of directors. Hospital CEO Michael Halter, government relations specialist Kenneth Lawrence, Jr. and advertising executive Linda Rosanio were appointed to the board for three-year terms.

Wellenbach is President and CEO of Sandcastle Strategy Group LLC and Semingson is President of  DLS International, Inc.

“We are very fortunate to have Ms. Wellenbach and Ms. Semingson, as well as our many other new members, bring their vast depth of experience and energy to our board,” says Karen Lewis, AAI Executive Director. “Together, we will continue to enhance the Avenue’s reputation as one of the city’s most vibrant arts and entertainment centers.”

Wellenbach is President and CEO of Sandcastle Strategy Group LLC, which handles strategy, organizational dynamics, capacity building, succession planning and governance to organizations in healthcare, small business and nonprofit sectors. She is a recipient of the St. Francis Medallion for excellence in service to her community and was awarded the Benjamin Rush Award by the Philadelphia Medical Society, which recognizes laypersons from the Philadelphia region who have made outstanding contributions to the health and welfare of citizens of the U.S.

Dianne Semingson founded DLS International in 1990, following successful careers in both the public and private sectors. Headquartered in Philadelphia, DLS specializes in strategic market planning and marketing communications. Semingson is a member of the Board of Directors of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, one of the few for-profit children’s hospitals in the country; PNC Women’s Financial Services Advisory Board; VP & Secretary, Semingson Enterprises. She has previously served on the Board of Directors of Mellon/PSFS Bank. Semingson is also a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Halter has served as chief executive officer for Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia since March 1999. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and a member of the Pennsylvania Society.  Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Delaware Valley Health Care Council (DVHC) and the Hospital and HealthSystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP).  Halter also serves on the Philadelphia Health and Education Corporation Drexel University College of Medicine’s Board of Trustees.  

Lawrence currently serves as Temple University’s Senior Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs, and is the first person to hold the position. He also serves on the board of the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau, the James Finnegan Foundation, the Easter Seals of Southeastern PA and the Committee of Seventy.

   Rosanio is co-founder and CEO of The Star Group, an advertising and public relations agency based in Philadelphia and New Jersey. She currently serves as the Chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies Philly Council, sits on the board of the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross. Rosario also serves on the Business Advisory Board at Rowan University’s School of Business and is an active member of the Forum of Executive Women.

Avenue of the Arts, Inc., is an independent non-profit organization created in 1993 that aims to reinvigorate Broad Street as the arts and entertainment heart and soul of Philadelphia and the region. AAI provides leadership for the growth of Avenue of the Arts as a vibrant and attractive place to live, learn, work, shop and play.

The Avenue of the Arts corridor is a 3.5-mile section of Broad Street, one block east and west, from Temple University (Glenwood Avenue) in North Philadelphia to Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia. AAI has played a vital role in the creation of several key performing arts venues and has advocated for the physical improvement of the district’s streetscape. AAI serves as a catalyst for policies, programs, and projects that encourage economic and cultural development on the Avenue of the Arts through marketing, beautification projects, and careful planning and research for sustainable growth. For more, visit www.avenueofthearts.org.