OUR WORK — FAQS — TEAM — PARTICIPANTS
REACH AMBLER WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING LOCAL RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS, AND EPA OFFICIALS FOR SHARING THEIR STORIES:
ROBERT ADAMS
Robert Adams is a Montgomery County resident and the former director of stewardship for the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association.
SALVATORE BOCCUTI
Salvatore Boccuti is a second-generation Ambler resident whose grandparents immigrated to the area from Italy. He is also a founding member of the BoRit Community Advisory Group.
ROB CARDILLO
Rob Cardillo and his wife, Sue Leary, have lived in Ambler since 1997. In 2004−2005 they took a leading role in the successful efforts to stop the construction of the Kane Core high-rise.
GORDON CHASE
Gordon Chase has been a resident of Ambler for almost a decade. He is an active member of the BoRit Community Advisory Group.
FRED CONNER JR.
Fred Conner has served on a number of local boards and committees, including the BoRit Community Advisory Group and the Whitpain Township planning commission, and is currently the chairman of the Whitpain Township Board of Supervisors.
GREGORY COOKE
Gregory Cooke grew up in Ambler and worked as a research assistant on the REACH Ambler project, as well as an interviewer on the project’s pilot study. He now lives in Philadelphia.
SUSAN CURRY
An Ambler resident since 1998, Susan Curry is a member of the borough Environmental Advisory Council. She is also an active member of the BoRit Community Advisory Group.
JACK DELCONTE
Jack DelConte grew up in Ambler and is now the manager of 34 East Tavern on Butler Avenue.
CAROL DIPIETRO
Carol DiPietro’s grandparents came to Ambler in the early 20th century to work in the Keasbey and Mattison factory, and her family has lived in the area ever since. She is a member of the Ambler Borough Planning Commission.
BERNADETTE DOUGHERTY
Since moving to Ambler in the 1970s, Bernadette Dougherty has been actively involved in a number of civic and historical institutions in the region. She is the author of the history of Ambler that appears in Montgomery County: The Second Hundred Years.
HELEN DUTEAU
Helen DuTeau is the chief of community involvement and outreach for the Environmental Protection Agency, region 3, which includes Ambler and the greater Philadelphia area.
JIM FEENEY
Jim Feeney has been the remedial project manager for the Ambler Asbestos Piles Superfund site since 1990, during which time he oversaw the remediation and capping process.
TIM HUGHES
A resident of the Ambler area since 1994, Tim Hughes was closely involved in the founding of Citizens for a Better Ambler and the efforts to stop the Kane Core high-rise from being built.
SUE LEARY
Sue Leary and her husband, Rob Cardillo, have lived in Ambler since 1997. In 2004−2005 they took a leading role in the successful efforts to stop the construction of the Kane Core high-rise.
SHARON MCCORMICK
A lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, Sharon McCormick moved to Ambler in the 1990s. In 2004 she founded Citizens for a Better Ambler, first to advocate against the building of the Kane Core high-rise and then to place what is now the BoRit Superfund site on the National Priorities List. She is now a member of the Ambler Borough council.
ANNE MCDONOUGH
Anne McDonough is a high-school science teacher for the Wissahickon School District in Ambler.
BETH PILLING
Beth Pilling grew up in and around Ambler. She is now a member of the Montgomery County Planning Commission and serves as its representative on the BoRit Community Advisory Group.
VICTOR ROMANO
Victor Romano was born in 1932 and spent most of his childhood in Ambler. How now lives in nearby Horsham.
EDUARDO ROVIRA
Eduardo Rovira is the on-scene coordinator for the BoRit Superfund site, a position he has held since the Environmental Protection Agency did its initial assessment in 2006.
GIOIA SMITH
A lifelong Ambler resident, Gioia Smith is active in a variety of local community groups, including the local chapter of the NAACP, the American Legion, and the Zion Baptist Church. In the 1980s she played a significant role in efforts to clean up the local playground adjacent to the Ambler Asbestos Piles site.
SHARON COOKE VARGAS
Sharon Cooke Vargas grew up in West Ambler and continues to be involved in her home community, most recently serving as a research assistant for the REACH Ambler project. She is also a member of the BoRit Community Advisory Group.
RUTH E. WEEKS
A research assistant on the REACH Ambler project and an interviewer on the project’s pilot study, Ruth E. Weeks grew up in West Ambler and now lives in Philadelphia.
FLO WISE
Flo Wise grew up in West Ambler and for many years was involved in community activism and revitalization in the neighborhood. Most notably, she founded the West Ambler Civic Association.
JOHN ZAHARCHUK
John Zaharchuk is a developer with Summit Realty Advisors. He oversaw the redevelopment of the Ambler Boiler House.