Join us for a Policy Coffee Talk featuring Professor Mike DiBerardinis and Patrick Morgan, Distinguished Resident Fellow, Civic Design for The Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University.
"The Possibilities & Challenges of Collaboration" Coffee Talks are offered to the MPA cohort as a unique off-record opportunity to discuss current events and relevant policy issues with active practitioners. These intimate talks are a key component of MPA career programming and allow students to gain insight and learn valuable lessons on public sector leadership.
About Patrick Morgan
Patrick Morgan is currently a distinguished resident fellow for civic design for The Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University. He recently served as the first deputy commissioner, strategy and engagement, providing leadership for various units within the department, including communications, business development and concessions, special events, leadership development and training, and performance management. Morgan helped provide strategic direction and capacity to ensure that Philadelphia Parks and Recreation is a high-performing, efficient, and responsive leader and partner both internally and externally to help advance its goals as well as those of the Mayor’s Office. He also oversaw implementation of the department’s first strategic plan “Path to 2020,” including execution of action plan, development of working groups, analysis of metrics, and performance measures. The strategic plan called for departmental resident-centered reforms in support of high-quality relevant programs accessible to all and care of the built and natural environment.
Previously, Morgan was the Philadelphia-based program director for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. He led Knight’s investment strategy in Philadelphia, working with local leaders to support a more informed, connected, and vibrant city. He managed a portfolio of community-focused grants totaling over $26 million. Through this work, Knight invested in revitalizing and connecting public spaces to help foster more informed and engaged communities. Morgan worked with partners to support reconnecting residents to their waterfront by converting a vacant pier into Cherry Street Pier a “game-changing” mixed-use public space and placing residents at the center of the design and building of a new flagship public space on top of I-95. Morgan also initiated the creation of a citywide civic engagement strategy working with partners and community groups across public spaces. As part of this effort, Knight-funded trainings and activities helped jumpstart participation and energy around public spaces. As part of this work, Morgan help to lead a partnership with the William Penn Foundation to pilot a new national initiative—Reimagining the Civic Commons—in Philadelphia, which has now been replicated in Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, and Akron. These cities are now exploring how public spaces can foster more equitable, inclusive, and engaged communities.
Prior to joining Knight, Morgan held leadership positions in Mayor Nutter’s administration, including chief of staff to the deputy mayor for environmental and community resources and assistant managing director. He helped to oversee the merger of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Department of Recreation as well as develop innovative public initiatives to increase the urban tree canopy, promote an equitable food system, create new public parks and play spaces, as well as advance workforce development, digital literacy, and community engagement. Morgan earned a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Scranton.
