While WMAN elected a new slate of officers (including new president Jarma Frisby) and some new board members, last Tuesday evening, June 21, belonged to Stier, who received accolades from WMAN members, East Mt. Airy President Derek Green, and Vernon Price, legislative assistant to Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, for his contributions to WMAN since he became involved in 1998. Stier was vice-president from 2000 to 2002 and was president from 2002 to 2005.
Green and Stier were responsible for enhanced cooperation between EMAN and WMAN; one of their accomplishments was hiring community organizer Charing Ball.
"I got to know him and his family very well and wish him well in all of his endeavors," said Green.
Carolyn Sorisio, of the Neighbors of New Covenant, said that Stier's leadership made all the difference dealing with some noise concerns involving New Covenant Church.
Stier, she said, showed respect to both the church and the neighbors.
"We ended up solving some issues and saw New Covenant's perspective, that they do a lot of work with the youth," said Sorisio.
Frisby was intimately involved in the situation involving with the possible demolition of the Presser and Nugent homes (they were eventually granted historical designation) since she lives on Johnson Street. She said jokingly that the neighbors were ready to build Stier a house on the block.
"Marc provided good leadership, even to people were often not so nice," she said. "It was quite a process to get us to where we are today."
Vernon Price presented Stier with a citation from City Council for outstanding community leadership. While neither official could be present, Stier also received citations from the offices of Senator LeAnna Washington and Congressman Chaka Fattah.
Laurie Beck Peterson, who resigned as WMAN executive director this year, worked closely with Stier and said her first impression of him when she met was that he was eager to get involved.
"It never stopped. Not once did your energy level slow down," she said to him. Peterson and others referred numerous times to 3 a.m. emails and impromptu meetings, but she said all of Stier's tireless efforts always resulted in the good of Mt. Airy.
Lance Haver, Consumer Advocate for the City of Philadelphia, said that Stier had an ability to work with people who had extreme passions, and proved himself to be a risk taker, saying that it was Stier's idea to hang banners on the billboards of the expressway about the public transit crisis.
"Today, in part, because of Marc's energy, courage, and strategic ability, there were no fare increases or cuts," said Haver.
Stier, a professor of political science at Temple University and who is in the process of writing a book on democracy and community, said leading that WMAN hadn't always been easy - indeed, that it probed to be a challenge in many ways - but he had always appreciated the constant feedback from the community, saying that the power of WMAN came down to the ability to "make and receive phone calls" and that you don't have to be president to do so.
"I am basically a shy and introspective person, or I used to be," said Stier, during his remarks. "You spend a lot of time by yourself writing a book, but I've never felt as much at home as I have here in WMAN. I've come to learn how important an integrated community is. When you spend so much time with people that are different from you, you become more comfortable with them and yourself. It's been an incredible joy for me."
While Stier thanked everyone for their compliments, he reserved his most heartfelt thanks to his wife, Diane.
"My wife helped me to keep perspective," he said. "She really is my best advisor and helped me see the positive when I complained."
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