Leslie Richards and Jane Golden Discuss the SEPTA // Mural Arts Partnership

Join Leslie Richards, General Manager of SEPTA and Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia as they discuss the SEPTA // Mural Arts partnership. 

Leslie Richards is the 11th General Manager of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), where she oversees a budget of more than $2 billion and 9,500 employees As the sixth largest public transportation agency in the U.S., SEPTA operates across six transportation modes and has 2,800 vehicles in service, 285 subway and rail stations, 13,000 bus and trolley stops, and 150 routes. Prior to joining SEPTA in 2020, Ms. Richards served as the first woman secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), one of the largest and most innovative transportation agencies in the U.S. A staunch advocate for women and diversity in transportation and government, Ms. Richards has been recognized for her leadership in the industry and commitment to public service. Ms. Richards earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and urban studies from Brown University, and a master’s degree in regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania.

Jane Golden is the founder and executive director of the internationally-renown Mural Arts Philadelphia. Raised in Margate, New Jersey, she attended Stanford University and then moved to Los Angeles. Enamored by the murals there, Jane received a small grant to paint one in Santa Monica. That experience showed her the power and importance of mural painting and inspired her life’s work. Back East, Jane was hired to be part of the Anti-Graffiti Network in Philadelphia. She worked with hundreds of graffiti artists who sought respect, admiration, and legitimate careers as artists. That venture eventually led to a new, public art initiative for the City of Philadelphia, then known as the Mural Arts Program. Jane has overseen the organization's growth from a small city agency into the nation’s largest public art program, producing over 4,000 works of public art to date. A global model, Mural Arts collaborates with community-based organizations, city agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, courts, prisons, and serves close to 10,000 people every year. Jane teaches at the University of Pennsylvania and Moore College of Art, has co-authored three books about Mural Arts Philadelphia, and has won several prestigious awards and honorary PhDs. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, a documentary filmmaker, and two cats.

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