EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

After graduating from Penn State with a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, I started my public service career as an AmeriCorps member and staff member at City Year Philadelphia. At City Year, I led teams of diverse young adults who supported students at neighborhood high schools and executed large-scale service events. I learned first-hand how complex socioeconomic challenges impact real people in classrooms and communities across Philadelphia, so I decided to strengthen my ability to address those problems at the Harvard Kennedy School, where I earned a Master's in Public Policy.

I returned to Philadelphia after graduate school to join the Management and Budgeting Consulting practice at PFM. I supported local government clients like the City of Memphis and the City of New Orleans to develop multi-year strategic plans and implement performance-based budgeting strategies. I also helped launch the National Resource Network, which works with local government leaders from economically challenged communities to take on their most challenging problems by providing cross-cutting technical assistance support to develop and execute strategies for economic turnaround.

Feeling a strong desire to apply the lessons I learned working with cities across the country in my hometown, I joined the Office of the Superintendent at the School District of Philadelphia to lead the implementation of projects designed to achieve the District's Anchor Goals. I developed portions of the District's strategic plan, organized strategic alignment meetings and retreats for C-suite and department leaders, and managed cross-cutting strategic initiatives.

CURRENT WORK

As my career progressed, I realized that I was settling into a comfort zone that played to my strengths and did not challenge my weaknesses. In hopes of reaching my full potential as a person or professional, I made an unconventional yet gratifying decision: I joined the United States Army Reserve, and at 34-years-old I left for Fort Benning to complete Basic Combat Training and Officer Candidate School. Becoming a Soldier has expanded the limits of my comfort zone, particularly the three weeks I spent completing Airborne School. I am Civil Affairs Officer with the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, where I can leverage my professional skills and experience working with governments and service organizations across diverse communities.

After completing my initial Army training, I continued to stretch my limits by founding my consulting practice, Civil Considerations (originally Chris Arlene Consulting). Having never considered myself entrepreneurial, building an impactful portfolio of work with thoughtful, dedicated clients and partners has been challenging and rewarding. Working with local governments, philanthropies, and nonprofits locally and nationally has allowed me to promote and implement effective strategies designed to improve the lives of everyday people.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

I have also enjoyed meaningful opportunities to serve as a trustee for various service-driven organizations. I currently sit on the board of trustees of two organizations dedicated to creating a more just and humane Philadelphia: the Scattergood Foundation and Youth Sentencing and Re-entry Project. Scattergood aims to shift the paradigm and practice for behavioral health at the individual, organizational, and societal levels. YSRP works to keep children out of adult jails and prisons and bring home people sentenced as children to life in prison without the possibility of parole. For more than a decade, I was a trustee of Youth Service, Inc., a nonprofit that provides immediate shelter and support services to children, youth, and families, including Philadelphia’s only Crisis Nursery program and the longest standing shelter for runaway and homeless teens. I also served as a trustee for the Free Library of Philadelphia, serving as a co-chair for the Strategic Planning Oversight and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committees.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

My consulting work and military career continue the legacy of service I inherited from a family with a rich tradition of supporting the greater good. My paternal grandfather Herb Arlene, Sr., was Pennsylvania's first Black State Senator, representing North Philadelphia's 3rd District. My maternal grandfather Larry Ganfield served in FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps. Both of my parents, Lois and Herb, spent more than 25 years working in the Philadelphia Court System. And whether it was my Uncle Mickey, who served 30 years in the United States Air Force, or my Aunt Ruth, a retired pastor, I never had to look far to find another branch on my family's tree of service.

The other great influence in my life is my hometown of Philadelphia. A descendant of North Philadelphia, I grew up in the northwest neighborhood of Mt. Airy, one of the most diverse and inclusive communities in America. I have a large and loving family, including nine great-nieces and great-nephews, who are a constant source of pride and support. I had the privilege of attending Friends Select School, which grounded my education in the Quaker tradition of service. And, of course, there is the bitterly frustrating and irrationally rewarding experience of being a Philly sports fan. Most importantly, I depend on the love, encouragement, and joy of my wife Edisa Rodriguez and our dog Chance the Rescue.