Meet the Judges of the Fair City Challenge 2025

Jennifer Rodriguez, MCP, President & CEO, Greater
Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GPHCC)

Jennifer Rodríguez, born and raised in Puerto Rico, has dedicated over 20 years to championing economic empowerment and advancing equitable growth for underrepresented communities. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University and later pursued a master's in city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania.

Jennifer’s career began at the National Academies of Science in Washington, DC, where she engaged in diversity and inclusion efforts through the Ford Foundation Fellowships for Minorities. Her passion for fostering diversity led her to Philadelphia, where she worked at PIDC on financing and economic growth initiatives. She then led a comprehensive quality-of-life plan at Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, supporting North Philadelphia’s predominantly Latino community.

As Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs during the Nutter administration, Jennifer’s leadership helped establish Philadelphia as a welcoming city for immigrants. Currently, as President & CEO of GPHCC, she has been a driving force behind innovative programs like Build Latino, Dine Latino Restaurant Week, and the Exito Business Journal. Under her guidance, GPHCC advocates for over 22,000 Hispanic-owned businesses across the region.

Jennifer co-founded the Diverse Chambers Coalition of Philadelphia and co-chairs the Latino Equitable Development Collective. She serves on several boards, including the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Association for Public Art, and WHYY. Her accolades include the NFL’s Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award.

Mo Rushdy
Managing Partner of The Riverwards Group - U.S

Mo Rushdy is a distinguished real estate developer and industry leader, currently serving as Managing Partner of The Riverwards Group - U.S., a prominent real estate development firm. In addition to his role at Riverwards, Mo is the President of the Philadelphia Building Industry Association, where he advocates for sustainable development and industry growth. He also serves as Chair of both The Philadelphia Accelerator Fund and The Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, playing a key role in driving housing initiatives and economic development throughout the city. Mo’s leadership extends to his position as Co- Chair of The Mayor of Philadelphia Business Roundtable for Planning & Development, where he collaborates with public and private sector leaders to shape the future of Philadelphia’s urban landscape. Through his work, Mo continues to influence and innovate the city's real estate sector.

Sheila Ireland
President and CEO of Philadelphia OIC

Sheila Ireland has over 30 years of experience leading human resources, training, organizational and workforce development in the non-profit, healthcare, consulting, government, and manufacturing fields. Sheila is known for developing programs that improve organizational performance and achieve bottom-line results. In 2022 Sheila took the helm as the President and CEO of Philadelphia OIC and its for profit affiliate Progressive Ventures, Inc, and is leading its revitalization in Philadelphia. Since 1964 OIC Philadelphia has led the fight for social justice and economic empowerment utilizing workforce development as its operational strategy to level the playing field for Philadelphia’s most vulnerable citizens.

Previously, Sheila served as the Deputy Secretary, Workforce Development, Department of Labor and Industry at Commonwealth of Pennsylvania where she oversaw Pennsylvania’s public workforce development system. Her purview included oversight of a staff of 600+ employees and management of a $270M+ annual budget that was utilized to grow Pennsylvania’s workforce and increase worker’s access to well-paying jobs.

In her previous role as Executive Director of Workforce Development for the City of Philadelphia, Sheila managed Philadelphia’s first citywide workforce strategy, “Fueling Philadelphia’s Talent Engine.” In this position, she coordinated strategy and communication between local government, education, and training programs, along with employers and service providers to create opportunities for vulnerable populations. Ms. Ireland was also the founding director of the University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative and launched UCD’s first social venture, Green City Works.

Ms. Ireland has received many awards for her work in nonprofits and workforce development including most recently the Women of Influence award from the Philadelphia Business Journal and the Cultivator award from the University City Science Center. She has been named one of the 100 most influential labor leaders and one of the most influential black leaders in Pennsylvania. Sheila has earned an A.A.S. degree with Honors in Finance from Community College of Philadelphia, a B.B.A. in Human Resources from Temple University and a M.S. in Human Capital Development from La Salle University and was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Peirce College.