Board of Directors

Jeff Carpenter, President

A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Jeff Carpenter is an award-winning artist and filmmaker, whose work has appeared in galleries in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, London and Berlin, among others. His most recent show was an installation at Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in New York. In addition to being a working artist and co-founder of Arcadia Commons, Jeff has also founded and spearheaded organizations such as Arts United/Fall River, the Preservation Society of Fall River, Save Our Neighborhoods, and ReconnectUS.org, the ad hoc group of artists that organized the multi-media art exhibition “Experiencing the War in Iraq.”

Janet Finegar, Vice President

Janet Finegar has been a leader in the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association for decades and continues to be an officer in their board. She helped fight for, and create their park, Liberty Lands, and is still the leader there, programming music, films, festivals, children's time, gardening…. She is the secretary of the board of the Friends of Orianna Hill Park nearby, and she is on the board of the East Kensington Action Committee. She has helped lead many projects in neighborhood activism and she helps run the Spooky Garden at Halloween.

Elaine Luczka, Treasurer

Elaine Luczka is a licensed structural engineer with AECOM and master’s student at Drexel University. Her volunteer experience reflects values of community involvement, STEM initiatives and mentorship and includes work with Big Brother Big Sisters, Rebuilding Together, Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build, Lego League, ASCE concrete canoe and steel bridge competitions, EKNA, Women’s LEAD and Drexel’s COE Alumni Association. She is an East Kensington resident and impassioned supporter of Arcadia’s commitment to create safe and inspiring community spaces.

Claude Schrader

Claude Schrader is a Linux System Administrator for The Wistar Institute, and graduate of Drexel University's College of Computing and Informatics. His volunteer experience includes projects such as the East Kensington Neighbors Association Zoning Committee, Trenton Avenue Arts Fest, Kensington Community Food Coop, PhillyCAM Radio, and countless neighborhood cleanups and beautification projects. In his seven years in the neighborhood, he has enjoyed prime access to the park that has become Arcadia Commons, and continues to fight to keep it safe, clean, and accessible to all.

Sandi Vincenti

Sandi Vincenti is the Operations Director for By My Side Neighborhood Parenting as well as the Co-Founder of the Nature Heroes environmental education program.  She is also the Founder/Executive Director of A Child’s Inspiration Wildlife Discovery garden, which will be space for environmental education, family gathering, and demonstration of the ways in which we can all engage in and become stewards of our natural world.   The Discovery Garden project was accepted by the state as part of Sandi’s capstone project as a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist.  Sandi is a passionate proponent of green space, engaging in nature, and early childhood.

Richard Zurlnick

Richard is a landlord, property manager, and owner of a small home improvement business. He has been an interested, well engaged member of the community since his move here in 2007. He is a constant contributor at meetings of the East Kensington Neighbors Association, and the leader of the EKNA volunteer neighborhood clean-up actions. He manages several buildings that border our main site, and he provides us with a grounded expertise gained from years of experience in property management.