INTERNS: OUR FUTURE LEADERS

PIDC had the pleasure of working with a great group of interns this summer. Each was professional, insightful, and eager to contribute to PIDC’s mission.

FINANCE

Enrique Rivera

Temple University

Finishing up a Masters in Community and Regional Planning

Favorite project you worked on this summer – “This summer I worked on the evaluation of the Emerging Business Loan Program and the Emerging Business Guarantee Program. My favorite part of that project had to be conducting interviews with PIDC staff. This staff is very diverse and talking to them about the two programs has shown me the passion and knowledge each PIDC staff member has about economic development.”

Describe what your experience has been like working at PIDC – “PIDC is like a big family. Sometimes they don’t see eye to eye on certain policies, but at the end of the day everyone loves and respects one another. I have thoroughly enjoyed working for PIDC this summer.”

Dream job – “My dream job would be to work at a Community Development Corporation. Ultimately, I would love to work for a CDFI and provide capital to those who couldn’t get it through conventional methods. Funding projects that would have a lasting impact in a community is something I am passionate about.”

MARKETING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Mariana Da Silva Johnson

Saint Joseph’s University, MBA

Favorite project you worked on this summer– “My favorite project was the PIDC Rebranding project, which included the development of the logo, tagline, corporate brochure, website redesign and new product names. All of these are very important for the future of PIDC and it is very exciting to see how the new brand will be the reflection of PIDC’s past, present and future.”

Describe what your experience has been like working at PIDC– “I have had an excellent experience in my summer internship at PIDC. My supervisors were very attentive and made me feel part of the group. The entire staff was very cordial and enjoyed teaching me about PIDC products, procedures and history.”

OPERATIONS

Christopher Woody

Penn State Main Campus

Junior majoring in Finance with a minor in Economics

Favorite project you worked on this summer– “My favorite project that I have worked on this summer was analyzing our bank service fees because my work had a direct impact on the way our accounts are charged and changed that method.”

Describe what your experience has been like working at PIDC– “Working at PIDC has been a great learning opportunity and I have gained a greater understanding of general accounting procedures as well as the basic feel for working in an office environment. I am glad to have such a talented supervisor, Carole Bennis, and a great staff supporting me the entire time – I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you all!”

REAL ESTATE

John Thacher

Fox School of Business, Temple University

2^nd year of MBA program

Favorite project you worked on this summer – “Lower Schuylkill Master plan: developing a pro forma for a development site and creating a grant application to fund a storm water management program in the Bartram’s North section of the Lower Schuylkill.”

Describe what your experience has been like working at PIDC– “This summer has been a very eye-opening experience in terms of how sites are developed from the political perspective.”

The Navy Yard

Jack Derewicz

Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC

Junior majoring in Economics and Political Science

Favorite project you worked on this summer– “This summer, I have spent a significant amount of time working on The Navy Yard shuttle schedule, including finding efficient routes and stop times, and integrating the schedule into Google Maps.  Eventually, The Navy Yard shuttle schedule will be available to users online in Google Maps and on mobile devices. Hopefully, this added feature will help develop an already successful Navy Yard shuttle system.”

The Navy Yard

Jen Johnson

Philadelphia University

Finishing up a MS in GeoDesign

Favorite you worked on this summer–“I learned a great deal from every project this summer. The flexibility and resources made available to me by my supervisors, Will Agate and Carmen Zappile, allowed me to seek pertinent information, attend workshops, schedule fact finding appointments with accredited professionals and provide detailed feedback for each project.”

“Thus far I’ve done flood vulnerability mapping, customized a field data collection application and accomplished a Geospatial fit of the Navy Yard Master plan to create a geo-referenced basemap. That basemap has since been used to build a procedural 3D model that can be customized and shared on line as development continues at the Navy Yard. Furthermore, with the support of my supervisors, I have researched and achieved a sustainability professional credential for an infrastructure specific rating system (ENVISON) with the intention of assisting other PIDC employees to achieve the same credential. My next project is to compose an energy dashboard graphic to promote and identify the potential energy distribution of existing and proposed utilities at the Navy Yard.”

Describe what your experience has been like working at PIDC- “My experience has been absolutely amazing and I’ve learned more than I could imagine in such a short time frame. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity, the knowledgeable feedback I’ve received on my projects, and the welcoming spirit of everyone I’ve met during my time here.”

Dream job– “I enjoy working and living in urban areas and look forward to becoming a licensed Landscape Architect specializing in geospatial engineering for cities.”

PIDC is currently looking for fall interns for its Marketing & Business Development group in its Center City and Navy Yard offices.  For more information on internship opportunities at PIDC and to submit your resume for consideration, please contact Terry DeMusis at tdemusis@pidc-pa.org.