Our 2023-24 season theme: New in Town

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker visits the club in March.

We’re talking to leaders who’ve recently taken over important regional institutions about the legacy they are trying to create and their early impressions of Philly.

The season opened at the Mann Center’s Acclaim outdoor space as we heard from Dr. Tony Watlington, superintendent of Philadelphia schools, about his plans to raise both achievement and accountability across the system.

The scene shifted in November to the Fitler Club, where Sasha Suda, the new director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, talked candidly about its labor struggles, its fraught relationship with the “Rocky” brand, and her plans to make PMA a more diverse, welcoming and entrepreneurial place.

In December, the club will hold its annual “story slam” at a different time of year, inviting holiday-theme stories at a first-time venue: Yards Brewing Co. A group of story-tellers will vie for the audience’s favor, spinning yarns inspired by the prompt “My December to Remember.”

In January, the club will go virtual, for a Zoom workshop on civil discourse, titled: “Can We Talk?: A Civic Toolkit for Troubled Times.

February’s program at the Fitler Club will features Dr. Joseph Cacchione, the leader of the Thomas Jefferson University and Health System.

In March, we welcome Philadelphia’s new mayor, Cherelle Parker.

In April, the new leader in the spotlight will be Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman, the head of the Philadelphia Zoo.

In May, our plan is to talk to Dan Hilferty, someone definitely not new in town, but new to his challenging role as the CEO of Comcast Spectacor and the Philadelphia Flyers.

All club events begin at 5:30 p.m. with a buffet, open bar and networking. The programs begin around 6:20 and wrap up by 7:30 p.m.