Kimmel Center Inc. Elects New Board Chairman
December 12, 2005
William P. Hankowsky
At its annual meeting on Thursday, December 1, 2005, the board of directors of Kimmel Center, Inc. elected William P. Hankowsky, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Liberty Property Trust, chairman of the Kimmel’s board of directors, effective January 1, 2006. Hankowsky succeeds Daniel J. Whelan, of counsel with Montgomery McCracken Walker and Rhoads and former President and Chief Executive Officer of Verizon Pennsylvania Inc., who will remain an active member of the Kimmel Center, Inc. board.
The board also re-elected Christopher Cannon, William Slaughter, and Spencer Wertheimer to second terms.
Board members concluding their service on the board after two terms include Robert W. Bogle, David L. Cohen, and David G. Marshall.
WILLIAM P. HANKOWSKY
“The Kimmel Center is a world class performing arts center, and I look forward to carrying forward the legacy and accomplishments of Dan Whelan,” said newly elected Kimmel Center Chairman William P. Hankowsky. “As we have completed both the building and start-up phases in the life of the Kimmel Center, our main priority now has to be continued artistic excellence underwritten by a stable financial environment for the Center. To accomplish this we have many great opportunities ahead of us, including implementing the many elements of the new strategic plan, continuing to grow the endowment campaign, continuing to strengthen relationships with the resident organizations and advancing our already-successful business model. We have a terrific professional staff in place to accomplish these and many other things and under the leadership of CEO and President Janice Price, I have every confidence that the Kimmel Center will continue to grow and be a treasured artistic resource for the region.”
DANIEL J. WHELAN
“This has been a period of hard work, by the board as well as the Kimmel Center leadership and staff, and it has been an important facet of my life to be involved with the Kimmel Center,” said outgoing board Chairman Dan Whelan. “As we move toward the fifth anniversary season in the coming year and celebrate our accomplishments, I believe the Philadelphia community can be proud of its cultural jewel. I have enjoyed working with Janice Price and the entire board, and I know that under the direction of my good friend and colleague Bill Hankowsky, the Kimmel Center will continue to move ahead in a positive and healthy way. I do, however, also look forward to following through on my promise to my family of completing our move to Florida and enjoying my retirement while remaining involved and active with the Kimmel Center Board.”
JANICE C. PRICE
“Dan Whelan’s accomplishments during his tenure on the Kimmel Center board have been both significant and numerous,” said Kimmel Center President and CEO Janice Price. “Dan followed in the very large shoes of the late Bill Rouse, Chairman of the Kimmel Center since the day the doors opened. Dan’s creative and energetic style of leadership have been a true asset to the Kimmel Center, and his accomplishments have included the creation of the Kimmel Center’s new Strategic Plan; the establishment of the Cadillac Broadway at the Academy Series; the completion of the new Kimmel Center Pipe Organ; and the continued refinement of the Kimmel Center’s business and operating model. Dan leaves the Kimmel Center well poised to move forward toward the future. Bill Hankowsky brings with him in his new position as chairman a wealth of business experience and knowledge of the Philadelphia arts community and I look forward to working with him in the coming years as we continue to make the Kimmel Center an even more vital and integral part of the cultural life of Philadelphia and the region. Bill has served admirably on the Kimmel Center board and has now taken on the ultimate responsibility of helping to guide the Kimmel Center toward a position of operational excellence so that the great art that takes place on our stages may continue to grow and flourish as an asset to the community we serve.”
William P. Hankowsky
William P. Hankowsky joined the Kimmel Center Board of Directors in 1995, is most recently a Vice Chairman, and becomes Board Chairman on January 1, 2006.
William P. Hankowsky is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Liberty Property Trust.
Mr. Hankowsky joined Liberty in January 2001 as chief investment officer, and was responsible for refining the company’s corporate strategy and investment process. In 2002, he was named president, and in 2003 was appointed chief executive officer and elected chairman of Liberty’s board of trustees.
Prior to joining Liberty, he served for 11 years as president of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), where he oversaw the city’s economic development agency, managing 11 industrial parks, operating 20 loan programs, and coordinating major projects including a new arena, convention center, hotels, and stadium. Prior to PIDC, Mr. Hankowsky was the city of Philadelphia’s commerce director.
Mr. Hankowsky currently serves on the boards of Aqua America Inc. (NYSE:WTR), Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, Innovation Philadelphia, Philadelphia Shipyard Development Corporation, Philadelphia Board of Trade, and Kimmel Center, Inc. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Brown University.
DANIEL J. WHELAN
Whelan has been an active member of the Kimmel Center board since 1997, serving on the executive committee and chairing the marketing/outreach committee. He was co-chair of the 2003 Kimmel Center gala. As President and CEO of Verizon Pennsylvania Inc., Whelan built on Verizon’s multi-million dollar capital contributions to the Kimmel Center building campaign by securing generous ongoing corporate funding for Kimmel Center Presents programming.
Whelan served as the third chairman of the board governing the Kimmel Center. The Hon. Samuel A. McCullough, former Pennsylvania Secretary of Community and Economic Development and founding chairman of the Regional Performing Arts Center (RPAC), is credited with marshalling the forces needed to get the project off the ground. Bill Rouse, the visionary developer of such Philadelphia landmarks as Liberty Place and chairman of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, led the non-profit entity from groundbreaking to opening and through the Kimmel Center’s first year of operation.
Kimmel Center, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization, owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio and the Merck Arts Education Center. Kimmel Center, Inc. also manages the Academy of Music, owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Academy of Music serve as home to eight Resident Company performing arts organizations, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, American Theater Arts for Youth, PHILADANCO, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Peter Nero and the Philly Pops®. Kimmel Center, Inc.’s mission also includes arts in education, community outreach and a rich diversity of programming through its Kimmel Center Presents and the Cadillac Broadway at the Academy series of performances.
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