The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia’s 20th Annual World Trade Centers Day Awards Celebration to Honor Prominent Local Business Leaders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Media Contact:
Graziella DiNuzzo
609-680-7670
gdinuzzo@wtcphila.org

 
The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia’s 20th Annual World Trade Centers Day Awards Celebration to Honor Prominent Local Business Leaders
This year’s award winners, Daniel J. Hilferty, Liz Murphy and Harold Beck & Sons, Inc. will be honored on September 29, 2022 at the Fairmount Water Works.
 
Philadelphia, (July 26, 2022) – The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) has selected the winners of this year’s Annual World Trade Centers Day Awards Celebration, now in its 20th year!

The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia’s 20th Annual
World Trade Centers Day Awards Celebration
Thursday, September 29, 2022
6:00 - 9:00p.m.
Fairmount Water Works
640 Waterworks Drive, Philadelphia 
 
“In honor of World Trade Centers Day, the WTCGP gathers together the local business community to recognize the impact of world trade and to salute outstanding companies and individuals for their impact on the region,” says WTCGP President Linda Conlin. “While every year is special, we are particularly excited about honoring this year’s award recipients in our 20th anniversary year.”

The 2022 cohort of awardees comes from a range of sectors and have made a significant impact on Philadelphia’s economic landscape.

Global Business Leadership Award: Daniel J. Hilferty, Chairman, Philadelphia Soccer 2026 and Chairman & CEO, Dune View Strategies, has been hailed as a visionary and an innovative leader who has helped transform the healthcare system in America, believing that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Just last month, Hilferty announced his newest venture, Dune View Strategies, a healthcare consulting firm that aims to help start-ups work through the inevitable thicket of relationships with healthcare providers, insurers, and government, continuing his focus on finding innovative ways to deliver healthcare to all citizens.  

Hilferty has also been a civic champion for Philadelphia as an international destination and host for major events, which drive economic impact for the region. As Co-Chair of the World Meeting of Families’ Executive Leadership Cabinet in 2015, he was instrumental in coordinating Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia. He also served as the finance chair of the host committee when Philadelphia welcomed the Democratic National Convention in 2016. Most recently, as Chair of the Board of Directors for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, which will bring the FIFA World Cup 2026™ to the City of Brotherly Love, Hilferty once again is positioning the City on the world stage and accelerating its place as a global destination.
 
Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement: Liz Murphy, Senior Vice President, Governmental, Regulatory & External Affairs for PECO. Through her leadership of regulatory strategy and policy, government affairs, economic development, workforce development, energy purchasing, corporate philanthropy and employee volunteerism, Murphy drives PECO’s commitment to provide its customers with safe, reliable, clean and affordable energy and energy services.

Prior to her work with PECO, Murphy served as Chief Operating Officer at the Delaware River Port Authority and has supported WTCGP from its inception in 2002 to present day, serving on the Board of Directors since 2018. Participating on numerous committees, her insightful guidance continues to help shape the organization’s future.

In addition to the WTCGP Board, Murphy also serves the boards of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, Beltline Railroad, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania & Southern New Jersey.

Member Company of the Year: Harold Beck & Sons, Inc. Founded in 1936, Harold Beck and Sons (Beck) is a shining example of the American Dream. Harold C. Beck started the company in the midst of the Great Recession with a vision to transform the temperature control of large industrial furnaces. By the 1980s, Beck became the “standard” actuator for the most important applications at coal-fired power plants across the U.S. What began in the steel mills of Pittsburgh and Cleveland now includes installations in more than 70 countries around the world.  

Harold’s sons Bob and Bruce joined the company in the 1960s and in 1996, his grandson Doug became President, leading the company’s efforts at globalization. Beck joined the ranks of the WTCGP membership in 2008, working with International Trade Specialist Dale Foote. WTCGP has since assisted in Beck’s expansion, increasing the company’s international business with incremental export sales to the tune of nearly $18 million. 
 
After 85 years of family ownership, Beck is officially an employee-owned company (ESOP) effective December 30, 2021, ensuring that all the unique qualities that have defined the company since 1936 will remain intact.

After September 11, 2001, the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), in cooperation with the United Nations, chartered a day to be celebrated around the world as World Trade Centers Day. The 314 world trade centers organize activities ranging from conferences to dinners and other cultural and educational events to further the WTCA’s mission of achieving peace and prosperity through trade. For two decades, the WTCGP has celebrated this occasion by saluting regional business leaders whose work enhances the local economy and strengthens Greater Philadelphia’s position as a world-class city and global business destination.​

Interviews available upon request
Graziella DiNuzzo
609-680-7670
gdinuzzo@wtcphila.org
 
About the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia: The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) is a nonprofit, membership-based organization that accelerates global business growth for companies in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. Since 2002, WTCGP has served as a catalyst for regional economic growth and job creation, helping area companies generate over $2.2B in incremental export sales in the region. WTCGP is a member of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA). Visit wtcphila.org.