Dan Garofalo

Biography: My career has focused on applying the tools of design in public service, working for educational institutions, governments, and non-profits to improve lives, promote equity, and advance environmental sustainability. I learned the tools of urban planning, architecture, and construction technology through work at a series of exceptional design firms in the 1980s and '90s in New York, Princeton, and Philadelphia, leading projects for commercial and institutional clients on a variety of building and planning projects. I joined the Peace Corps in 1992 as the City Architect in Lilongwe, Malawi. Working alongside Malawian counterparts, I directed the city design office to help manage the growth of a rapidly urbanizing city. In 2000, the appeal of working in a critical capacity for a mission-driven institution led me to accept the newly created Senior Facilities Planner position at Penn, where I helped lead campus planning during a period of dramatic capital expansion. In the early 2000s, as sustainability became recognized as an increasingly central issue for universities, I transitioned roles to direct Penn's efforts to become a nationwide leader in carbon reduction, energy conservation, and campus environmental performance. After setting the course for an estimated 65% carbon emissions reduction through a renewable power purchase agreement in 2019, I left Penn to take a leadership position at Rowan University as University Architect and Planner. Throughout my career, I have contributed my talents to public service: I founded Philadelphia's Community Design Collaborative in 1991; co-founded the Delaware Valley chapter of the US Green Building Council in 2001 (and later served as chair); and in 2007 I drafted the City of Philadelphia's first sustainability action plan for then mayoral candidate Michael Nutter. I currently serve as cochair of the Philadelphia Civic Design Review Committee, charged with assessing and recommending improvements for major public and private