Honoring Nancy D. Kolbs's 21-year career as President and Chief Executive Officer of Philadelphia's Famed "Please Touch Museum."

The Council of the City of Philadelphia hereby congratulates, commends, and thanks Nancy D. Kolb on the occasion of her retirement for her commitment, dedication, and leadership in the City of Philadelphia, where she managed and developed the Please Touch Museum into an amazing, nationally- important attraction for young children and families that is a must-see venue in the City of Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, In 1988, Ms. Kolb became the President and CEO of the Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum, where for more than two decades she provided inspiration for children, parents, and staff, to effectively serve the Museum's mission “to enrich the lives of children by creating learning opportunities through play, enabling them to lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and cultural awareness”; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Kolb promoted the concept of the Please Touch Museum as an actual Museum with extraordinary collections representing the history of learning through play providing knowledge to some and pleasant memories to others with such items as the Wanamaker Monorail, the Woodside Park Dentzel Carousel, the Lit Brothers Enchanted Colonial Village, extensive Captain Noah archival material and memorabilia, the Dancing Keyboard made famous by Tom Hanks in the movie “Big”, and many other important items; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Kolb led the successful effort to find better space for the Museum through difficult and challenging times, moving it eventually into the fabulously-restored Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, a historic landmark that was originally built for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, thus marrying both a love of children and history in one space; and

WHEREAS, Our City is forever indebted to Nancy Kolb for her remarkable stewardship of the Please Touch Museum, for the beautiful renovation of Memorial Hall, and for her visionary leadership that never let strategic planning get in the way of a most excellent opportunity.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, THAT IT hereby congratulates, commends, and thanks Nancy Kolb on the occasion of her retirement for her commitment, dedication, and leadership in the City of Philadelphia, where she developed the Please Touch Museum into an amazing, nationally- important attraction for young children and families that is a must-see venue in the City of Philadelphia.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Nancy D. Kolb, further evidencing the sincere admiration and gratitude of this legislative body.

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