AIGA Philadelphia Executive Board
President | Maribeth Kradel-Weitzel | e-mail
Role: The President focuses on the vision and direction of the board of directors. The President is the primary contact between the chapter and the national office. The President works closely with every board member and assists in making “big picture” decisions that affect the entire chapter.Bio: Formerly the Chair of Education for 3 years and the Executive Vice President for 2 years, Maribeth has an MFA in Graphic and Interactive Design from Tyler School of Art and did her undergraduate work at Penn State. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design Communication at Philadelphia University and is the principal of Kradel Design.
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Executive Vice President | Allan Espiritu | e-mail
Role: The Executive Vice President works directly with the President in maintaining the direction of the board of directors and is as familiar as the president with the events, programs and activities of the chapter. The Executive Vice President is responsible for working with board members and the president to ensure that the goals of the chapter are being met and must be available to assume the duties and responsibilities of the president in the event of resignation or absence.Bio: Allan Espiritu is a Philadelphia based graphic designer/art director and educator. Espiritu received his BA in graphic design from Rutgers University, Camden Campus and his MFA in graphic design from Yale University, School of Art. He is founder of gdloft PHL, a small collaborative design studio made up of photographers, fine artists, students, designers and (aspiring) competitive food eaters, that focuses on design for arts. cultural and non-profit institutions. In the past, he has served as co-chair of the Programming committee and a member of the PDA and education committees.
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Secretary | Helene Calci | e-mail
Role: The Secretary works closely with the President and Executive Vice President and is mainly responsible for creating agendas, keeping minutes, maintaining the Chapter Calendar, etc.Bio: For over 20 years, award-winning designer Helene Calci has been a lead art director for major business-to-business corporations as well as health care organizations. Her recent achievements include two Platinum Marcom Awards (2006, 2007) for brochures for her clients SunGard and Chestnut Hill Hospital. An active member of the AIGA, Helene is a past secretary to the board of the Philadelphia chapter. Prior to joining Miller Designworks, Helene was employed as an Art Director at Godfrey Advertising in Lancaster, PA from 1984 to 1988. She provided graphic design, account management and production services for clients including AMP and The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Helene graduated Magna Cum Laude from The Tyler School of Art at Temple University, where she majored in graphic design. Among her accomplishments while in college, she spent a semester abroad in Rome, and received “Best of the Student Show Award Rome” in 1982 and the “Best Female Designer-Camac Award” in 1984.
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Treasurer | Lauren Dougherty | e-mail
Role: The Treasurer manages the chapter's financial resources. He/she oversees the financial planning for the group, recommending investment strategies to grow the groups' coffers.Bio: Lauren is the senior exhibit and graphic designer at UJMN Architects + Designers, an architecture and design studio based in center city, Philadelphia. There she is involved in the planning, development and design of museum exhibitions, environmental graphics, wayfinding and interpretive signage, and identity and logo design. Prior to joining UJMN she worked at the Philadelphia Zoo and The Franklin Institute, where she designed museum signage, exhibit graphics and related printed marketing materials. Lauren has been a member of AIGA for eight years and previously served on the Education Committee for six years. Lauren earned her BS in Graphic Design from Drexel University.
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Design Competition Chair | Christian Mortlock | e-mail
Role: The Design Competition Chair is responsible for building a committee and organizing logistics for the local chapter design competition. This person serves as the liason between the chapter board and other participating groups related to the competition (i.e., members, non-members, sponsors, and other design related organizations).Bio: A graduate of Rutgers University-Camden with a BA in graphic design, and member with AIGA for over two years. An active participant in previous events including working on the inaugural PDA Design Committee board. Currently working as a graphic designer at gdloft in Philadelphia.
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Design Competition Chair | Mike Park | e-mail
Role: The Design Competition Chair is responsible for building a committee and organizing logistics for the local chapter design competition. This person serves as the liason between the chapter board and other participating groups related to the competition (i.e., members, non-members, sponsors, and other design related organizations).Bio: Mike is a graphic designer currently working at the branding agency, 160over90. He is also part of a collaborative group called gdloft based in Philadelphia where he enjoys creating fun and exciting work with his studio-mates. Mike is an avid ping pong player who loves to eat, and he is fascinated with Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He also likes to keep things simple.
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Diversity Chair | Edward Crawford | e-mail
Role:The chair of the Diversity committee will create a chapter-wide awareness of all issues related to membership diversity.Bio: Edward received a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Massachusetts (Lowell), and later earned an MBA in Marketing from the University of Phoenix. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Argosy University (Organizational Leadership). He works at the Art Institute of Philadelphia as the Assistant Academic Director of Graphic Design and Advertising. He previously owned/operated Phatboy Media, Inc., a graphic/web design firm located in Philadelphia.
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Education Co-chair | David Copestakes | e-mail
Role: The Chair of Education is responsible for leading a committee of educators and potentially student liasons. He/she will also be the main point of contact for all student chapters and look out for the best interest of the design education audience which mainly consists of teachers and students.Bio: David has been a member of the AIGA community since 1999. He received an Associated Degree in Graphic Design from Bucks County Community College, a BFA in Graphic Design from Arcadia University and his MFA in Graphic and Interactive Design from Tyler School of Art. He has been an educator for six years and has taught at Penn State University, Millersville University, and Rowan University. He currently is an Assistant Professor at Arcadia University. Before chairing the education committee, he served on the committee for two years. Other than design, David has a passion for the outdoors and tries to do as much camping and hiking as he possibly can.
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Education Co-chair | Gigi McGee | e-mail
Role: The Chair of Education is responsible for leading a committee of educators and potentially student liasons. He/she will also be the main point of contact for all student chapters and look out for the best interest of the design education audience which mainly consists of teachers and students.Bio: Gigi McGee is a Professor and Chair of the Graphic Design department at Moore College of Art & Design. She has worked as a design professional and educator for over two decades in both Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Her teaching experience includes California Institute of the Arts and The Otis Institute of Parsons School of Design (now Otis College of Art and Design). She enjoyed a diverse professional background including Seinger Advertising, entertainment graphics; The Office of Richard Saul Wurman, information graphics; and Sussman/Prejza, environmental graphics before opening her own studio in 1989. A native of Philadelphia, she earned a BFA in Graphic Design from Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts). Before co-chairing the education committee, she served as a member for three years.
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Ethics Co-chair | Bernardo Margulis | e-mail
Role: The Ethics Co-chairs create a chapter-wide awareness of all issues related to ethics within design; more specifically, targeted toward business practice, sustainability and social responsibility. The Ethics committee creates programming related to these areas, overlooks ethical practices throughout the chapter’s initiatives and serves as a liaison between the chapter and the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design.Bio: Bernardo comes to Philly from a far off tropical location. After quitting Engineering school and realizing that Design is the correct path, he pursued a career in Graphic Design Communications with a minor in Digital Design at Philadelphia University. After working at Masters Group Design for a year as a graphic designer and studio manager, he returned to school to pursue an MFA in Graphic and Interactive Design at Tyler School of Art. Bernardo enjoys branding, packaging and the smell of freshly baked apple pie. Just out of undergrad, Bernardo took the challenge of being Sponsorship Chair for AIGA Philadelphia. He is very excited to continue on board for another two-year stint, this time co-chairing the Ethics committee.
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Ethics Co-chair | Alexander Zahradnik | e-mail
Role: The Ethics Co-chairs create a chapter-wide awareness of all issues related to ethics within design; more specifically, targeted toward business practice, sustainability and social responsibility. The Ethics committee creates programming related to these areas, overlooks ethical practices throughout the chapter’s initiatives and serves as a liaison between the chapter and the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design.Bio: As the Graphic and Web Designer for Student Life and Administrative Services at Drexel University, Alexander creates print and new media materials for the largest non-academic division at the University. He earned his BFA in Graphic Design from the University of the Arts, and shortly thereafter began building interactive, web, and programming experience at various studios and companies. His current interests include motion graphics, computer science, artificial intelligence, and sustainability.
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Fellow Awards Co-Chair | Anna Levin | e-mail
Role: The Fellow Awards Chair is responsible for building a committee, gathering Fellow Award nominations and planning the annual Award Dinner event for the local chapter. This person serves as the liaison between the chapter board and other participating groups related to both the award and event (i.e., members, non-members, sponsors, and other design related organizations).Bio: Anna began acquiring her acute aesthetic taste at an early age. A daughter of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Anna was introduced to theater, ballet, and museums throughout her childhood, developing an appreciation for art that soon became a career. She graduated in 2005 with a BFA in photography from the University of the Arts, where she studied under famous photographers Steven Klein and David Graham.
Upon graduating, Anna worked as Art Director for Open Air Designs and then Breslow Partners. Always looking to enhance her career, she then moved on to work for Brown Partners, and finally made a leap to the big apple to work for Assouline. There she worked for Barbie on a project for in which she designed new products for Bergdof Goodman and a Barbie store in Shanghai.
With years of experience under her belt, Anna went freelance in 2008. As she continues to grow as an artist, Anna strives to offer classic, high-end, and innovative designs guided by that ever present taste for aesthetics refined through years of experience and a passion for art.
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Fellow Awards Co-Chair | Corey Pontz | e-mail
Role: The Fellow Awards Chair is responsible for building a committee, gathering Fellow Award nominations and planning the annual Award Dinner event for the local chapter. This person serves as the liaison between the chapter board and other participating groups related to both the award and event (i.e., members, non-members, sponsors, and other design related organizations).Bio: Corey graduated from Skidmore College with a BS in Studio Art and a concentration in Graphic Design. In 2008, Corey founded Corey Weber Pontz Design Studio with the mission to replace visual clutter with straight-forward and insightful marketing communications. Prior to forming her own studio, Corey was the Senior Designer for a leading Philadelphia branding and marketing communications firm, where she spearheaded successful campaigns for corporations and higher educational institutions. She also headed the marketing department for a large clothing manufacturer in the Tri-State area. After being involved with the Fellows Award committee this past year, Corey is looking forward to continuing the great tradition in honoring design industry veterans.
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Index Chair | Benjamin Brown | e-mail
Role: The INDEX Chair is responsible for coordinating the annual designer's resource fair, INDEX. This is a comprehensive event where Philadelphia designers meet the vendors that serve their needs. INDEX Chair seeks sponsorship, recruits & confirms vendors, and works with a committee to organize logistics for the annual event.Bio: Benjamin is a graphic designer, living and working in Center City. Currently, he works as a Creative Partner at Masters Group Design. Prior to joining Masters Group in 2008, he was a magazine art director after moving to the city in 2006. Benjamin received his B.A. in Interactive Media with an emphasis in graphic design from Harding University. He loves clean, bold design, urban planning and architecture, news blogs, music, animated films, documentaries, NPR, travel and coffee.
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Interactive Co-Chair | Nicole Koenitzer | e-mail
Role: The Interactive Co-chairs are responsible for the direction of the website and email communications. The Chairs will work closely with each board member as a liaison for information to be added as content to the site.Bio: Nicole is a web/print designer and painter. She graduated from Rutgers University in 2005, receiving a Bachelor of the Arts degree with an emphasis on Graphic Design and a minor in Computer Science. Her unique background of art and math lead her to serve on the web committee of AIGA for two years before recent election to the board. She currently works full time as a print/web designer for Edmund Optics, an international optical company. She also has a freelance brand, Koartpro, under which she does a wide variety of design projects for local philly businesses. In her spare time, Nicole is a fine arts painter, creating large-scale mixed media abstract paintings up to ten feet by five feet. Her mixed media work has been exhibited in many galleries and events throughout Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York.
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Interactive Co-Chair | Dave Rizzio | e-mail
Role: The Interactive Co-chairs are responsible for the direction of the website and email communications. The Chairs will work closely with each board member as a liaison for information to be added as content to the site.Bio: David Rizzio is the Interactive Design Manager at The Star Group, a full-service Advertising and Interactive agency in center city, Philadelphia. He has worked on, or led interactive projects for clients such as Johnson & Johnson, Chase, Coca-Cola Company, Exelon Energy, Acura, Ritz-Carlton, Greater Philadelphia Tourism & Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Virtua Health Systems, Council for the Advancement of Public Schools (CAPS), Caron Rehabilitation, Procter & Gamble, and Lilly Pharmaceuticals among others. Dave earned his BA in graphic design and sculpture from Alfred University, in western New York. Dave has been involved with the AIGA web committee for over 7 years now, and is working with his co-chairs to have an ever more useful AIGA Philadelphia web and interactive presence. Some of his interests are skateboard photography, almost all kinds of music and riding to work on my big-black-cadillac-of-a-bicycle. His website and blog can be seen here: www.rizzio.net
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Interactive Co-Chair | Mitzie Testani | e-mail
Role: The Interactive Co-chairs are responsible for the direction of the website and email communications. The Chairs will work closely with each board member as a liaison for information to be added as content to the site.Bio: Mitzie has been an official AIGA member since 2005 and became an Interactive co-chair in 2008, while finishing up her BFA at Tyler School of Art/Temple University. Originally from Colorado, she designed and hand-coded websites and browser-based front-end software interfaces prior to returning to school. After graduating Summa Cum Laude, she resumed full-time freelance through her studio for print and interactive media on a wide range of projects from logos and books to CSS- and flash-based websites. As an AIGA member, she enjoys the opportunity to network with industry professionals and soaks up creative inspiration from the many seminars and events AIGA offers. As a member of the board, she appreciates the opportunity to learn and work with some of the people she admires most in the creative industry.
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Membership Co-chair | Neha Agarwal | e-mail
Role: The Co-chairs of Membership are primarily responsible for maintaining and grow the local membership.Bio: Neha received a BFA from the University of Dayton, and later earned an MFA in Design from Tyler School of Art. She worked in Philadelphia as an editorial designer for B&G Design Studios, 20nine Design Studios doing branding work, and is currently teaching Graphic Design at Philadelphia University. Specifically, she enjoys designing and illustrating books for Indian-American children.
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Membership Co-chair | Nick Prestileo | e-mail
Role: The Co-chairs of Membership are primarily responsible for maintaining and grow the local membership.Bio: Nick Prestileo earned Bachelors degrees in both Marketing (from Saint Joseph’s University in 2000), and Graphic Design (from The Art Institute of Philadelphia in 2007) while accumulating credits at a host of other schools since 1995. AIGA member since 2005, Nick is currently Senior Designer at Delaware Investments. His work has been featured in PRINT, HOW, and GDUSA. When he is not working, consulting, or teaching, Nick passes time as a musician, USA Footy player, and amateur cook. His interests include all things Tom Waits, devouring paperback fiction, and bocce.
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Programming Co-chair | Louis Hauser | e-mail
Role: The Co-chairs of Programming are responsible for coordinating the main programs of the chapter with a focus on member benefits and trends. Viewed as event logistic experts on the board and oversee that all events are running correctly.Bio: Louis is a Visual Communication Designer with a B.A. in English from LaSalle University and a B.S. in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Philadelphia. He has an extensive background in Fortune 500 technology sales and marketing management. Currently, he brings a unique bottom line sensibility to the creative services he provides for a coterie of loyal clients in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Louis’ passion for aesthetics is surpassed only by the love he has for his two Hungarian Vizslas, body graphics and a chilled bottle of 1998 Caymus Conundrum.
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Programming Co-chair | Lisa May | e-mail
Role: The Co-chairs of Programming are responsible for coordinating the main programs of the chapter with a focus on member benefits and trends. Viewed as event logistic experts on the board and oversee that all events are running correctly.Bio: Following a couple of years dabbling in architecture at the University of Florida, Lisa got serious about Graphic Design and moved from sunny Florida to Philadelphia where she earned a BFA in Graphic Design from Moore College of Art and Design. While in Florida Lisa started freelancing to keep her creative energies alive and continued her freelancing ways after graduating from Moore. Realizing that she had a knack for identity design and branding development, Lisa co-founded the award-winning design firm, Bliss & White. Not content to restrict her creativity to print work alone, Lisa taught herself the magical language of website coding. Presently, Lisa keeps entertained by her two dogs (one of whom never stops talking), her new affinity for scrabble, and her fabulous friends.
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Public Relations Chair | Peter Camburn | e-mail
Role: The Co-chairs of Public Relations focus on AIGA Philadelphia’s external communication. They also maintain and create partnerships with other outside organizations in-line with the interests of the membership.Bio: Peter Camburn is the Creative Director at About Face, a Philadelphia-based marketing communications and graphic design firm. He received his BFA from The Cooper Union School of Art, NYC, followed by a year abroad, studying at the University of Art and Design, Basel, Switzerland (Hochschule fur Gestaltung und Kunst Basel). Since finishing school, Peter has been working in Philadelphia as the Creative Director for About Face, as a freelance graphic designer and, occasionally, as an educator. His work focuses on identity, branding, photography, multi-media, and print work. Other areas of interest include hand-built pinhole camera photography and 3-dimensional work.
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Sponsorship Chair | Alexa Couphos | e-mail
Role: The Sponsorship Co-Chair’s primary responsibility is to manage and communicate the value of the local AIGA Philadelphia community to our sponsors/vendors. He /she will work closely with the board members coordinating events/lectures in establishing a calendar and indetifying potential sponsors for the various events/activities throughout the year.Bio: Alexa recently made her entrance into the graphic design world after graduating from Philadelphia University with a BS in Graphic Design Communication. She quickly discovered the benefits of being a student member of AIGA and is now thrilled to be involved at a bigger level. When design isn’t on her mind, she’s out enjoying the City of Brotherly Love, playing in the kitchen and riding her new bicycle.
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