Pennoni Engineer Receives the Citizen Award
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Abraham El, Project Engineer of Pennoni’s Philadelphia, PA office, has been honored with the Citizen Award at the 2018 Philadelphia Inquirer Corporate Philanthropy Conference & Awards for his work with Spark Philadelphia. Spark engages communities to provide career exploration and self-discovery opportunities that help middle school students understand, experience and pursue what’s possible.
An exemplary fit for the Citizen Award, Abe was chosen for his outstanding commitment to philanthropy and community service by providing direct financial support, encouraging volunteer participation and commitment, and by being a role model for other businesses in our community.
Abe served as the Spark Philadelphia Advisory Board Chair in 2017. Under Abe’s leadership, the Board raised more than $7,000 in direct contributions, led a peer-to-peer fundraising effort that raised more than $15,000, and oversaw board mentor recruitment that engaged 278 volunteers from 24 companies. He has successfully led the Board’s effort to secure and solidify corporate partnerships, including Spark’s partnership with Pennoni. 
On his work with the community and Spark mentorship, Abe explains, “Mentoring with Spark allows me to see an immediate positive impact with our students in a very short period of time. Introducing children to engineering concepts and showing that there are opportunities for them to become part of this innovative, creative field is part of what drives me.”
The funds raised from the 2018 Philadelphia Inquirer Corporate Philanthropy Conference & Awards event supported The Lenfest Institute for Journalism and in turn its support of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com. The Institute is a progressive and unique non-profit organization whose sole mission is to build sustainable business models for local journalism. The Institute’s goal is to transform the news industry in the digital age to ensure that high-quality local journalism remains a cornerstone of our democracy.