In 1993, Kadida Kenner postponed her education at Temple because she could no longer afford to pay her tuition. Thirty years later, she earned her degree and is working to help others in disadvantaged situations through her work with the New Pennsylvania Project, a movement that works to mobilize voters year-round.
“I think it defines why I do this work,” said Kenner, a 2012 communications alumna and founding CEO of NPP. “I’m not any different than others out there who found financing education problematic.”
Last month, Philadelphia Magazine ranked Kenner as one of the city’s most influential figures in political, artistic or economic fields alongside seven other Temple alumni, administrators or otherwise affiliates. The list included university President John Fry, CEO of Temple Health Michael Young, Board of Trustees Chairman Mitchell Morgan and SEPTA Board Chairman Ken Lawrence, among others.
Other prominent non-Temple affiliated names on the list included Mayor Cherelle Parker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Temple alumnus Bret Perkins, Comcast’s senior vice president and member of Civic Coalition to Save Lives.
Kenner’s work with NPP primarily focuses on supporting historically disenfranchised and often neglected communities to be seen, heard and civically engaged.
“[The people NPP aims to support] are the most historically disenfranchised communities, and so we wanted to make sure that these communities felt seen and heard and engaged, because they are the communities who are often neglected,” Kenner said.
The list, composed of members from different workforces and social standings across Philadelphia, includes the nominees’ accolades and, at times, points of contention in the public eye.
Morgan secured the No. 65 spot and was labeled the “The Turnaround Artist?” The feats that landed him on the list include the public failings of his 2021 presidential pick Jason Wingard, his potential optimism in hiring Fry and his real-estate conglomerate containing $16 billion in assets.
Philly Mag refers to 2024 as “the year of shift” and highlights change permeating throughout the city. Fry, who landed at No. 4 on the list, began his tenure as Temple’s 15th president on Nov. 1 after a 14-year presidency at Drexel University.
Fry anticipates major changes at Temple as he assumes the role of president. To address concerns about previous years’ lowered admission rates, Fry has mentioned possible dramatic transformations with the potential for global outreach and increasing virtual education.
“I would spend some time with the enrollment team and the communications and marketing team on all those items,” Fry told The Temple News in July. “And sort of provide some of my input into how we could move even faster back to some of the numbers that I know we’ve seen in years past, which were closer to 70,000.”
Numerous unions across Philadelphia, including several at Temple, have taken action in demanding reform for worker treatment in the past year. Transportation Workers Union 234 teeters on the edge of a strike with SEPTA after their contract expired on Nov. 7.
SEPTA ran out of funds after receiving a one-time federal COVID relief in January 2021, leaving them in a quarter-of-a-million-dollar deficit. These budget constraints impact negotiations, leaving SEPTA to face a “transit death spiral.”
Lawrence, a political science alumnus and the recently appointed SEPTA Board Chairman, was ranked No. 56 on the list. He believes SEPTA must make changes to secure a better future for public transit in the region.
Lawrence says SEPTA must prioritize safety and efficiency by running on time, having clean facilities and allowing people to be safe while using the Philadelphia region’s public transportation.
“We need to work on a permanent funding solution for public transportation in Pennsylvania,” Lawrence said. “I’d like to improve our relationships with our unions. I don’t think strikes benefit our riders. I don’t think they benefit our employees. I don’t think they benefit the region.”
These 150 notable Philadelphians, including the eight Temple alumni, were chosen for their ability to be “changemakers” within the city. For Kenner, her work empowers marginalized communities through civic engagement by expanding the electorate and allowing people to voice their needs, she said.
“I’m part of the community that I’m advocating for,” Kenner said. “I’m a Black woman in America, and you know I believe that democracy should be real for all. I believe that we all should have an equal voice in that the power is within the people and not with the people that are in power.”
Samuel O’Neal contributed reporting.
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