Join the Jewish Federation Real Estate (JFRE) group at the Barnes Foundation for a networking reception and panel discussion, followed by a view of the Calder Gardens.
Calder Gardens is a new art institution dedicated to Alexander Calder (1898–1976), one of the most acclaimed and influential artists of the 20th century. Through an innovative collaboration, the Barnes Foundation — home to one of the world’s finest collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern paintings — provides administrative, operational, and educational programming support for Calder Gardens.
This event is exclusively for JFRE members and corporate sponsors.
RSVP by Thursday, April 30. Advance registration is required.
event details
Location:
The Barnes Foundation
2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Date & Time:
Wednesday, May 6
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Our Speakers
Sara Geelan, Esq.
Deputy Director, General Counsel and Secretary
The Barnes Foundation
Sara Geelan, Esq. is the Barnes Foundation’s chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Her practice concentrates on nonprofit corporate governance; matters related to the foundation’s art collection, exhibitions, publications, charitable giving, and intellectual property; and institutional risk management and government relations. She has been counsel to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Modern Art, and practiced in the individual client services department of Schulte, Roth & Zabel in New York. She holds a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.
Peter Kelsen
Partner
Blank Rome LLP
Peter Kelsen is a partner at Blank Rome LLP, where he concentrates his practice in the areas of land use and real estate development. He serves as counsel to a wide range of clients, advising on the areas of zoning and land use law, real estate tax, commercial development, and condemnation. Kelsen previously served as the vice chairman of the Philadelphia Zoning Code Commission and is the editor of the Philadelphia Zoning Code Publication Project. He has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in real estate law.
William McDowell
Consultant
Architecture and Real Estate
William “Bill” McDowell has more than 45 years of experience in architecture, construction, and real estate development, with a career defined by leadership on complex civic, cultural, and mixed-use projects. He has played a key role in public-sector and institutional projects, including work with the Redevelopment Authority to expand the Pennsylvania Convention Center, homeownership initiatives in North and West Philadelphia, and master planning of the 30th Street Railyard with Amtrak.
McDowell spent seven years at the Barnes Foundation, where he served as project executive, overseeing the design and construction of the museum. He subsequently joined National Real Estate Development, where he was an integral member of the team that delivered the East Market project. Most recently, he served as a consultant on Calder Gardens and has been involved in the early planning stages of 1901 Wood Street for the relocation of the African American Museum and expansion of the Free Library.
As an active member of Philadelphia’s architectural and cultural community, McDowell chairs the Louis Kahn Memorial Lecture for the Center for Architecture and serves on advisory committees for the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He holds a B.A. from Denison University and a M.S. in real estate development from Columbia University.
ADDITONAL DETAILS
- A light breakfast will be provided by Constellation.
- Complimentary parking will be available in the Barnes Foundation parking lot.
- For security purposes, advance registration is required.
- Government IDs are subject to verification and bags are subject to search.
- By attending this event, you agree to the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s terms and conditions.
- To renew your JFRE membership, or to join JFRE, please click here or contact Alan Lepore at alepore@jewishphilly.org or call 215.832.0532.
THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSOR
JFRE Annual Sponsors
