City to Hire Manager for West Philadelphia Promise Zone

Mantua, neighborhood in West Philadelphia within Promise Zone

The Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) is hiring a manager for the West Philadelphia Promise Zone.

The Promise Zone initiative is a place-based program designed to revitalize distressed areas by coordinating efforts across sectors and agencies and prioritizing the zones for federal assistance, essentially moving them up in line.

The Obama Administration selected five zones throughout the country earlier this year. The West Philadelphia zone includes the neighborhoods of Mantua, Saunders Park, West Powelton and Powelton Village.

Since the program was announced, updates on the West Philadelphia zone have been limited. Sen. Bob Casey introduced legislation in June to create a tax credit for employers who hire residents from within the zone. However, the bill is still in committee, and GovTrack.us, a government transparency site, also ranks the bill as having zero percent chance of getting passed.

Without these additional tax credits, the Promise Zones’ effectiveness in large part rests on local governments and organizations. This where the Promise Zone Manager would come in.

The job description, available here, states that the manager would coordinate the zone’s six subcommittees (education, public safety, housing, health and wellness, economic opportunity, and resident engagement), lead fundraising efforts, develop a communications plan, and more.

The manager would also coordinate the Promise Zone with other city programs, including BenePhilly Centers and Financial Empowerment Centers.

The deadline for applications was in June. The Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity is now reviewing candidates.

Photo via Flickr user Ian Friemuth