Philly's impressive new leaders

My favorite childhood book, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, tells the story of a beloved British boarding school teacher who taught two generations of boys and watched them grow into men with fame, fortune, and families. I loved the way he helped these boys build character and was in position long enough to watch the fruits of his labors grow. Year after year, Mr. Chips instilled the same lessons in his students and watched as each, in his own unique way, turned these lessons into a life.

Little did I know that my feelings for these fictitious growing boys - who went off to war, or to serve in Parliament, or to raise sons whom Mr. Chips would teach - foreshadowed the sense of wonder and pride I've experienced after more than 20 years of running Leadership Philadelphia, which develops executives' skills and mobilizes them to serve. Our alumni earn their place among the constellation of leaders in this city. Including the presidents of the Eagles, Peco, the Urban League, and 80 other CEOs in the region, our team is on the field.

In fact, several alumni are appointees of Jim Kenney, who will be sworn in as mayor on Monday. They come equipped with elevated leadership skills, emotional intelligence, and the "pay it forward" perspective learned in our program.

When Police Commissioner Richard Ross joined class 11 years ago, his prophetic sponsor said, "Captain Ross will be leading this department in the future." In the classroom - alongside Don Smolenski, now president of the Eagles - Ross quietly observed everything, using skills applied very differently in his work in the homicide unit. He took in everyone else's views before he spoke, so when he finally did, everyone listened. Like his classmate Don, he displayed traits observed three years earlier in Craig Adams, Peco's current president: trustworthiness, groundedness, selflessness, and humility. These men are "lifeboat guys" - the type of people you could trust with your life. Given the menacing threats of domestic and international terrorism, Ross is a man we can trust to captain our ship through any storm.

If you sat down to lunch with Chellie Cameron, the new CEO of the Philadelphia International Airport, her cheerful and self-effacing demeanor could cause you to miss that she, too, is a lifeboat guy. Cameron not only has serious long-term aviation experience, but she also served in the Air Force at home and abroad. She can outwardly reassure us with her warmth and get tough behind the scenes with the negotiating skills required to partner with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, the airlines, the Parking Authority, contractors, and township officials.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell also has the negotiation skills and toughness needed to navigate the many neighborhoods and stakeholders her office serves. When she attended our class, Lovell was the development director and mentee of Mural Arts head Jane Golden - another alum. Kathryn learned from Jane's "Don't take no for an answer" tenacity and later applied her fearlessness and passion in a successful campaign to save St. Hubert Catholic High School. Her tenacity will serve us well in her new post.

Education activist Helen Gym is bringing her passion and commitment to City Council. Her ability to rally others to action should shake up Council and grab our attention in new and exciting ways.

Gym's fellow Council member Cherelle Parker got her start as a leader during her senior year in high school, when she won the citywide Black History Month Oratorical Contest. Parker's unparalleled oratory skills, quick thinking, and spellbinding command of a room should make her effective in City Hall.

City Representative Sheila Hess' authentic warmth, compassion, enthusiasm, and ability to connect make her a compelling advocate for what is possible. Hess' warm smile belies a deep strength honed over a lifetime of overcoming physical adversity. She will show us the power of kindness and of putting challenges in perspective as she helps attract support for the city's initiatives.

Budget Director Anna Adams brings a worldliness to City Hall born of her work with British and European governments. After living and working in cities across the globe, Adams embraced this city as her home. A Philadelphian by choice, not birth, she will broaden our perspectives and serve the city she loves.

We look forward to watching another transplant, Sozi Tulante, who is awaiting Council confirmation of his appointment as city solicitor, follow the new mayor's instructions to change his office from "the department of no" to a "department of possibilities." Tulante arrived as an immigrant son of a political refugee and has grown into the embodiment of the American Dream. He embraces the pay-it-forward principle. His deep gratitude for those who helped his family survive during their early years in Philadelphia fuels his commitment to serve the underserved and to find creative solutions to get people from no to yes.

Just as Mr. Chips watched with pride as his boys took different paths to leadership, I am moved by the excellence, authenticity, and passion of these community leaders who will serve Philadelphia as part of the new administration. Based on who they are, what they have learned, and the quality of their character, our city is in good hands.

Liz Dow is the CEO of Leadership Philadelphia. edow@leadershipphiladelphia.org