Sara Mattio
Lead GIS Analyst, City of Philadelphia
Sara Mattio served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member from 2015-2016 in the Public Works Department. The department was looking to educate the community about their '40 by 20' goal of reaching a level of 40% solid waste diversion by 2020. Sara was brought in to build a volunteer program that engaged the community with Public Works' efforts. As a recent college graduate looking to begin a career in government, the VISTA position was a great opportunity to gain exposure to various aspects of city government. She shadowed many roles in the department and managed over 200 volunteers, represented the department at community events, and worked with a team to organize the annual Compost Week. After completing her year as a VISTA, she went on to receive her Master's Degree in Urban Planning from Oxford Brookes University and was hired by the City of Philadelphia's Office of Innovation and Technology, where she works today as a Lead GIS Analyst. She coordinates the work done by GIS analysts in various departments and is working on transitioning the current 911 system into the new, update Next Generation 911 system. She attributes her current position and success to the experiences she had due to her AmeriCorps VISTA year of service with the City of Phoenix.
Cole Libera
City and County Government Relations Associate, Dorn Policy Group, Inc.
Cole Libera served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Mayor Kate Gallego during her tenure as the District 8 Councilwoman. Cole focused his service on sustainability, economic development and constituent services. “I learned a tremendous amount about the innerworkings of a city," says Libera, “developing close relationships that have propelled me into the career of my dreams." Cole currently works as the City and County Government Relations Associate at Dorn Policy Group.
