Michael DiBerardinis

DiBerardinis grew up in Downingtown - his father worked in the paper mills and his mother was a homemaker - and at 18, he moved to Philadelphia to study political science at St. Joseph's University. He's been here ever since. Michael DiBerardinis is Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia under Mayor Jim Kenney. He is a former Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources for the City of Philadelphia and Commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation. He was the former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.[1][2] He resigned in 2009.[3] DiBerardinis is known for his role as a community activist, special adviser to Mayor Nutter, and Commissioner of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. He was also a 2009-2010 Daniel Rose Fellow at the Urban Land Institute.[4] He is a member of the Penn State Board of Trustees. Michael DiBerardinis assumed his new role as Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia on January 4, 2016. As Managing Director, DiBerardinis reports directly to the Mayor and oversees and coordinates activity across most major operating departments of city government. Once described by the Philadelphia Daily News as “a high-energy, no-bull official, who sees potential on the horizon at all times,” DiBerardinis is committed to providing quality day-to-day service to citizens while simultaneously implementing the major policy goals and initiatives of the Kenney Administration. Prior to becoming Managing Director, DiBerardinis served as Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources. In that role, he provided leadership for departments that managed more than 10,000 acres of land, 150 recreation centers and playgrounds, 150 neighborhood and regional parks, 54 library branches and thousands of programs and events throughout Philadelphia. As Commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation, DiBerardinis raised over $34 million in government grants, philanthropic funding and private partnerships; oversaw the merger of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Department of Recreation; renovated City-owned ice skating rinks; restored summer swimming season at all public pools and expanded outdoor recreation offerings. DiBerardinis’ portfolio included the Free Library of Philadelphia, where he has facilitated deeper connections between the library system and the School District of Philadelphia, preserved hours of afterschool programming in neighborhood branches and led a public/private fundraising initiative for building renovations. DiBerardinis previously served the citizens of Pennsylvania as the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources under Governor Edward G. Rendell. In this Cabinet-level position, he protected 150,000 acres of land in Pennsylvania—more than had been conserved in the previous 30 years combined—and led the creation/development of Pennsylvania Wilds, a project that dramatically increased economic development and ecotourism in Pennsylvania’s northern counties. DiBerardinis’ long history of public administration includes serving as Recreation Commissioner to the City of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2000, where he developed a preventative maintenance program for facilities, reopened previously shuttered swimming pools and playgrounds, established employee training procedures and increased variety and access to recreational programs, resulting in the addition of 28,000 participants. At his core, DiBerardinis remains the community organizer he was in the 1970s, deeply committed to connecting with citizens—understanding their expectations, considering their solutions, negotiating their contributions—and providing the good government that all Philadelphia neighborhoods deserve. DiBerardinis and his wife, Joan Reilly, are parents of four children and longtime residents of the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. He enjoys fly-fishing, bird watching, gardening, cooking and learning the Italian language. Professional Positions • City of Philadelphia, 2009-present o Managing Director, City of Philadelphia 2016- present o Deputy Mayor of Environmental and Community Resources, 2010- 2016 o Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, 2009-2016 o Special Advisor to the Free Library of Philadelphia, 2009-2016 • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2003-2009 Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources • University of Pennsylvania, 2002-2003 Executive Director of the Campaign for Working Families • William Penn Foundation, 2000-2002 Vice President of Programs • City of Philadelphia, 1992-2000 Commissioner of Recreation • Office of Congressman Thomas Foglietta, 1986-1991 Chief of Staff • Office of State Representative Ralph Acosta, 1984-1986 Aide • Community Organizing, Kensington, 1974-1984 Current Organizational Leadership Positions Board of Directors: • Philadelphia Board of Pensions and Retirement (Ex-officio) • Philadelphia City Planning Commission (Ex-officio) • Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (Ex-officio) • Free Library of Philadelphia • The Mann Center for the Performing Arts • Philadelphia Zoo Education Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, St. Joseph’s University, 1971 Daniel Rose Fellowship, Urban Land Institute, 2009-2010