Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania

155 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 These environmentally conscious investments taken on by the Keffer administration will help encourage others to make more sustainable choices for their own homes, businesses and developments, Rongione says. “Many of the mayor’s capital investment priorities involve leadership by example,” he says. “The mayor wants to reinvest, revitalize and reform, and while she’s raising the standards for our residents and for our developers, it’s important that we also hold ourselves to those standards. “When we build the first ever Community Center in Upper Darby, it’s going to be LEED certified, and we believe that sends a signal to developers that we expect them to build LEED-certified in the future. And once we have that SolSmart designation it will streamline the permitting process and it will make it easier for our residents to follow the lead of their government. It’s important that we’re not asking them to do and invest in things that we’re not investing in.” Outside of sustainability, Keffer’s administration has also implemented the first ever Upper Darby planning commission, as well as adding a director of community and economic development to the township’s roster. Additionally, they’re working to add a local chamber of commerce to help better support and amplify Upper Darby’s businesses. “Upper Darby has unique needs and unique businesses,” says Rita LaRue, Director of Community and Economic Development and Deputy CAO. “A local chamber of commerce could do even more to support the Upper Darby small business community.” All of the investments made recently into Upper Darby are aimed at increasing their current resident’s quality of life and appeal to potential residents, developers and businesses, while also highlighting the things that already make it a great place to be. Things like no city wage tax, great housing stock and close proximity to nearby cities