Friends of the Wissahickon names new project manager

Posted 8/24/16

Peg Shaw, new project manager for Friends of the Wissahickon, poses in her new office. (Photo by Lucy Curtis) by Lucy Curtis Peg Shaw’s path to her new job as project manager for the Friends of the …

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Friends of the Wissahickon names new project manager

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Peg Shaw, new project manager for Friends of the Wissahickon, poses in her new office. (Photo by Lucy Curtis) Peg Shaw, new project manager for Friends of the Wissahickon, poses in her new office. (Photo by Lucy Curtis)

by Lucy Curtis

Peg Shaw’s path to her new job as project manager for the Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW) may not have been straightforward, but it has been interesting.

“In a previous professional life I owned and managed a hair salon … for 10 years,” Shaw said. Though not a stylist herself, Shaw was the president and general manager of the Beehive Hair Salon in Fairmount. In 2010 she and her business partner sold the business, and Shaw began exploring other career options.

Shaw said her passions lie in “being in and around and exploring nature.” Since then she has had a few jobs working in parks and for other nature-based programs, though none for more than a few years. In 2014 she completed Temple’s Masters in Landscape Architecture with a concentration in ecological restoration. Shaw said the program “blended both scientific field studies and interventions with traditional landscape design and engineering.”

This spring Shaw discovered the opening for project manager for FOW, though it might be more accurate to say the position found her.

“A friend of mine emailed it to me and said ‘you need to apply for this job’,” Shaw said.

In fact, several people contacted her to urge her to pursue the position with FOW. Shaw applied for the job, and this July she found out she had gotten it.

Before her position for FOW Shaw worked as a project manager and resident engineer for the NYC parks and recreation department. Shaw was also prepared for her new position by a variety of internships in graduate school, such as a stormwater landscape monitor for Andropogon and Associates, as well as a position for the Wissahickon Watershed Association doing habitat assessment and monitoring. Though she is incredibly qualified for her new position as project manager in a professional capacity, Shaw has also had a deep connection with the Wissahickon for many years.

“Shortly after I moved to Philly in 1996 I discovered the Wissahickon Park,” Shaw said.

Shaw’s connection to the park was immediate. She lives in East Falls and said that “one of the reasons I chose to live there was I could walk right into the park.” Shaw has been volunteering with the Wissahickon as a trail ambassador since 2008 and has interned and studied in and around the area while in graduate school.

Shaw is a perfect fit for her new position; however, she will still be met with many challenges. New and challenging projects have already made themselves known, as well as the dozen or so smaller projects that can be expected to present themselves in the months to come.

“ both challenging and exciting is that there is a lot of project work,” Shaw said. She added that she thinks her new job will be “incredibly interesting, exciting and fun.” One of the larger projects Shaw will be working on will be the restoration of Forbidden Drive.

Shaw is excited for her new position, and her passion for the park and admiration for those who work there serve to propel her towards success.

“The park is an amazing gem of a resource for Philadelphia and the region,” Shaw said. “Both historic and cultural reasons as well as environmental reasons. I’m hoping that my work here can help to forward the work of the friends.”

Shaw said she hopes to “to be able to really push the envelope” when it comes to projects and community involvement. Shaw looks forward to being able to create partnerships with local educational resources, as well as help facilitate the work the Wissahickon has already been doing around experimenting with new practices, mitigating the practices of urbanization and addressing concerns surrounding climate change.

The incredible influence that the Wissahickon has had on Shaw’s life is evident when she talks about her new job. According to Shaw her experience with the Wissahickon “cemented decision to change her career.”

“The Wissahickon park has been a thread in my life since I moved here,” Shaw said. Her love for the park and hope for its future leaves no doubt that this is the perfect job for her.

“I’ve been involved with and have seen the FOW’s impact on the park,” Shaw said. “ been positive. I really respect and admire the work that was done prior to me coming on board, I really hope to be able to build on that and forward the work that’s been done”

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