Draft:Marsha Reines Perelman

Marsha Perelman was born Marsha Reines in Canton, Ohio. Perelman graduated from Northwestern University with a BA and received her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania . She and her husband, Jeffrey, live in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

Professional
Marsha Reines Perelman started her career in the energy business at Buckeye Pipe Line Company as one of the company’s first female executives, followed by co-founding Clearfield Energy and serving on the boards of two NYSE energy companies : Penn Virginia Corporation (NYSE: PVA), and PVR Partners, L.P. (NYSE:PVR) prior to its acquisition.

Perelman worked in the energy industry for over 30 years with companies including Buckeye Pipe Line; Clearfield Energy, of which she was a founder; O’Brien Philadelphia Cogen, which she acquired from O’Brien Energy; and Sempra Energy.

Philanthropy
She is Chair Emerita of the Board of Trustees of the Franklin Institute, helping to build the organization into one of the premier science centers during her eight-year tenure as board chair. She led the Institute’s Inspire Science campaign, raising $65.2 million for projects including the construction of the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion, a 53,000-foot addition.

Currently she serves as chair of Calder Gardens, set to open in 2025. Calder Gardens will highlight the sculptures and paintings of world-famous Philadelphia artist Alexander Calder.

She is active locally and nationally on animal welfare issues; she served as chair of the ASPCA, is a founding Board member of Project Chimps, co-chair of ACCT Philly and a member of the Pennsylvania Dog Law Advisory Board , where she led the effort to pass Pennsylvania’s first puppy mill law. She was also previously on the Board of Directors and vice chair of the Humane Society of the United States.

Named one of Philadelphia’s top 100 connectors by Leadership Philadelphia, she previously also served as chair of the Philadelphia Community Advisory Council of the Knight Foundation and was on the Board of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (Visit Philadelphia), the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden , the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, the Fund for the School District where she served as vice chair, and the Philadelphia Zoo , where she served as acting President and CEO before returning to the Board as Vice Chair.

In 2023, Perelman was one of ten women named to the Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania Class of 2023 in recognition of her service and contributions to Pennsylvania.