Power Moves: Philly’s Department of Commerce lost its tech bizdev director to Bloomberg

Power Moves is a column where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, new gig or promotion? Email us: philly@technical.ly.

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Francisco Garcia, the City of Philadelphia Department of Commerce’s director of business development for innovation and technology, announced this week he was leaving his job to work on former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign.

Garcia’s last day was Wednesday. He told Technical.ly he’ll be heading back to his home state of New York to oversee the Northeast region’s “Mayors for Mike” campaign, getting mayors across the U.S. involved with the 2020 election.

“I think it’s really important to get Donald Trump out of office, and there’s a few candidates I see value in,” Garcia said. “[Bloomberg’s] campaign resonates with me, I’m from New York, and his campaign and strategy so far is really interesting.” (Also interesting: Philly’s own mayor, Jim Kenney, endorsed Bloomberg competitor Elizabeth Warren for president back in October.)

We last heard from Garcia when his department announced the winners of its inaugural The Venture Program, a grant program for underrepresented founders. Philly’s former bizdev lead said that he learned a lot about government work during his two years with the City, and that it’s an exciting time to see how Philadelphia will handle its growth and the influential people moving here and starting careers here.

Garcia added that the role he’s leaving doesn’t have an immediate replacement, and that he will likely return to live in the city after his work on the campaign is done, calling Philly his “home base.”

“I love Philly,” said the Fels Institute of Government grad. “It’s really been an amazing experience, people are really passionate about addressing the challenges the city faces and countering stigmas the city carries.”

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The Philadelphia Inquirer made history this week, announcing that it would be getting a new publisher in February: Lisa Hughes, the first woman to hold the title in the publication’s 190 years.

The former New Yorker publisher will also hold the CEO title when she takes over the role Feb. 3, replacing a retiring Terry Egger, the outlet reported. She’s sat on the board of directors at the Philly publication since 2018.

The organization has made an effort over the last few years to ramp up its digital presence and internal tech teams.

Hughes told the Inquirer she’d analyze the organization’s email newsletters and podcasts with the goal of producing a product “that appeals to the next generation of readers” and hopes to continue shifting the Inquirer’s events strategy from business to business — awards dinners and the like — to one that highlights its journalistic content.

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Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) found its new president in Anne Bovaird Nevins following the November announcement of longtime leader John Grady’s departure, planned for the end of this month.

Nevins is currently the economic development agency’s chief strategy and communications officer, serving as a member of the executive team and overseeing capitalization, product development, strategic communications, and partnerships. She also served in a leadership role in the local group that spearheaded Philly’s bid to land Amazon HQ2.

The longtime PIDC staffer told WHYY she’s interested in inclusive growth, and one that creates jobs that “resist the rising trend of automation.”

“The city’s recent job and population growth has created momentum and opportunity, but we recognize that too many people and communities are not yet benefiting,” Nevins said in a statement. “Our challenge is to accelerate and sustain economic growth and, at the same time, to ensure that the benefits of that growth, including job opportunities and wealth creation, are shared more broadly across our city.

“During her 13-year tenure at PIDC, Anne Nevins successfully built the partnerships that deliver resources to diverse businesses, non-profits, and development projects,” Mayor Jim Kenney said of her appointment. “She brings focus and attention to connecting growth to the people and places in our city that need it the most.”

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And Rutgers University-Camden announced that it found its new business school dean in Monica Adya, the current head of the management department at Marquette University’s business school in Milwaukee, Philadelphia Business Journal reported.

Adya will be the first woman to run Rutgers School of Business-Camden since it was founded 31 years ago. She’ll take the role March 30.

PBJ reported that the school has plans to build a new home for the business school in downtown Camden.

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P.S. Want to make your own power move? Consider attending NET/WORK Philly, our tech job fair returning to The Fillmore on Tuesday, Feb. 25.