University City District Names Matthew Bergheiser as Executive Director

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University City District Names Matthew Bergheiser as Executive Director

April 30, 2009 (Philadelphia, PA) -- The Board of Directors of the University City District (UCD), the neighborhood improvement organization located in Philadelphia’s University City has announced the appointment of Matthew Bergheiser as Executive Director. Bergheiser will oversee more than 85 administrative, public safety, and maintenance employees, and an annual budget of more than $9 million. While serving as Executive Director, Bergheiser will act as a liaison between UCD’s Board of Directors and local government, businesses and residents to further UCD's mission to build effective partnerships maintaining a clean and safe environment while promoting, planning, and advocating for University City's diverse, urban community.

Bergheiser joins UCD after serving, since 2006 as the Regional Director of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in Philadelphia, where he managed an annual grant-making budget of $6 million. At the Knight Foundation, Bergheiser established the Philadelphia office, created its investment strategy and formed its advisory board. There, Bergheiser’s accomplishments included cultivating major civic initiatives and influencing public and private stakeholders to invest in key programs such as Graduate! Philadelphia, Campus Philly, and the Job Opportunity Investment Network, which focuses on advancing low-skilled Philadelphians into career ladder jobs.

Prior to his tenure at the Knight Foundation, Bergheiser served as the Executive Director of the Trenton Downtown Association. He was responsible for the economic revitalization of Trenton’s downtown through innovative real estate strategies reducing office vacancy while initiating improvements to retail corridors, developing non-profit arts spaces, and creating successful heritage tourism initiatives.

Bergheiser also served as Executive Vice President of West Philadelphia’s Enterprise Center directing entrepreneurial programs for a community development business incubator growing a climate base of annual revenues from $1 million to $10 million resulting in the creation of 200 jobs over six years.

“After an extensive search we have found the person to lead UCD into the future and we are thrilled to announce Matt as the new executive director,” said Craig Carnaroli, Chairman of the UCD Board. “He has a unique set of skills in urban development, community relations, management, strategic planning and fundraising that will help us accomplish our goals and meet the terrific opportunities that await this community.”

Bergheiser says, “I am incredibly excited to lead UCD. University City is in many ways the face that Philadelphia presents to the world.” “The combined assets of the institutions, along with a dynamic neighborhood and vibrant commercial corridors all add up to an exciting opportunity. “I’m eager to be part of University City and UCD’s future.”

Bergheiser, who holds a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a Masters in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, will start at UCD on July 1.

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University City District (UCD) is a nonprofit, neighborhood-based special services organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in a 2.4 square mile area of West Philadelphia. UCD's programs and services enhance public space and increase public safety. UCD provides direct services to business proprietors, commercial and rental property owners, and promotes University City attractions and amenities, significantly enhancing the District's public image. Among its accomplishments, UCD has planned and implemented major lighting projects throughout the District, created plans for gateways into the District, established a Main Street program on Baltimore Avenue, partnered with the community to build new playgrounds in Clark Park and raise over $500,000 to maintain the largest park in the District, helped establish the Clark Park Farmers’ Market and has implemented more than $3 million of streetscape and public infrastructure projects.