A look at last year’s Hall of Fame reception. (Photo: Historic Germantown.
Historic Germantown’s annual Hall of Fame ceremony is approaching, and the night will mark the next step in cementing its 2025 recipients for their longtime impact and efforts.
“The Hall of Fame seeks to honor contemporary leaders from different fields that have some sort of strong connection to Northwest Philadelphia,” said the Executive Director of Historic Germantown, Tuomi Forrest. “Whether they were born and grew up here, are living here now, are working here, or are leading institutions here.”
The reception is set to be held on Wednesday, June 11, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center (6815 Emlen Street).
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Theodore McKee, the Executive Director of Face to Face, Mary Kay Meeks-Hank, and The Patricia Van Burgh Allison, Director and CEO of the Woodmere Art Museum, William R. Valerio, PhD, are the 2025 Germantown Hall of Fame inductees.
“We really think about different professions and areas of influence, for example, we don’t want one year where everyone is an artist or everyone is an elected official,” Forrest said.
The event will begin with a social hour between community members, followed by a seated dinner. Then, a video tribute is shown for each honoree as they are awarded for their respective contributions. Registration details can be found on Historic Germantown’s website.
There will be both live and silent auctions throughout the night with items from local businesses and community members.
Additionally, information about the organization’s new Science Sleuths program will be presented, which is an educational curriculum and field trip program for local middle schoolers that features lessons on STEM and history while visiting different Historic Germantown sites.
“People can have different connections to the neighborhood, and that’s really what we want to emphasize,” Forrest said, pointing to the geographic eligibility of the award.
“You don’t have to have been born here or have grown up here your entire life, but there’s other ways one can be connected to the community while having contributions locally and nationally.”
Below are this year’s honorees and a bit about why they were chosen for this year’s celebration:
Mary Kay Meeks-Hank
Affiliation/Role: Executive Director of Face to Face
Why They Were Chosen:
In 2007, Meek-Hanks joined Face to Face as the director of operations. Since becoming the Executive Director in 2009, she has significantly expanded the organization by implementing various staff and services to better serve local individuals in need. This includes daily meals, behavioral health specialists, social workers, attorneys, a ‘washeteria’ where people can bathe and change their clothes, and its educational equity program, which is partnered with Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia.
“Mark Kay and Face to Face have worked to show that every person living here is valuable and has something to contribute to society, no matter their current economic status,” Forrest said. “Supporting those people holistically from a real human point of view is powerful and can really transform lives.”
His Thoughts:
“I see this as a recognition for Face to Face and the thousands of people who have been served here, and it’s really saying ‘Hey, they matter,” Meeks Hank said. “It’s not really me being humble, but it’s me just being honest.”
Judge Theodore McKee
Affiliation/Role: Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Why They Were Chosen:
With a 40-year history as a judge, McKee has deeply examined many criminal cases, focusing on ensuring that the most appropriate sentences and decisions are presented for suspected offenders.
In 2015, McKee appointed a task force of defense attorneys, prosecutors, and academicians to study the science behind eyewitness identification in criminal cases. Then, in September 2016, they released a report that tackles the subject and explores ways to avoid false accusations, aiming to lower the risk of wrongful convictions.
This federal document would go on to serve as a model for various police departments and prosecutors across the tri-state area, helping them become more informed about how to prevent mistaken identifications. According to McKee, this is the only comprehensive study in federal court that addresses the topic.
“Judge McKee is someone who has had a lifelong interest in the rule of law and the rights of individuals, and spent his career upholding those rights and expanding those rights for citizens,” Forrest said. “That type of work is critical to our democracy.”
His Thoughts:
“I always saw law as a tool for helping to ensure the rights of others and the quality of life, and trying to make sure that the words written in the constitution are more than just words written in a document,” McKee said. “[I treat] defendants and victims as human beings, realizing that they have circumstances that got them where they are.”
When finding out the news that he was chosen as a honoree, McKee said that he was “very humbled; I tried to do what I can to make the world a better place for folks.”
Dr. William R. Valerio
Affiliation/Role: Patricia Van Burgh Allison Director and CEO of the Woodmere Art Museum
Why They Were Chosen:
“Valerio has really shown the value and power of art, helping to create, define, and shape a community, and has shown a real commitment to uplifting a wide variety of artists from Northwest Philadelphia,” Forrest said.
Since 2010, Dr. Valerio has served as the Patricia Van Burgh Allison Director and CEO of the Woodmere Art Museum. Under his 15-year leadership, the institution has been revitalized into an inclusive community space with a wide range of voices represented in its work, and implemented programming such as its jazz, classical music, yoga, and art studio programs.
“Woodmere needed to become engaged with its community in ways that were more accessible to diverse audiences,” Valerio said. “When I started out as Woodmere, you didn’t see a person of color walk through the door for quite some time. We [brought in] more diversity of ethnic voices into the collection of the museum.”
His Thoughts:
“It’s an honor. I’m very humbled,” Valerio said. “It’s never only the director; a lot of the work that happens in a museum is the work that others do.”