Neil Batiancila
Community Relations Director, ARAMARK
Former City Year Greater Philadelphia Co-Executive Director
Former City Year Greater Philadelphia Corp Member, 1999-2000
By: Reneé Di Pietro
When you think of an individual and his or her influence in your life, memories with that person race back to mind and can feel like they just happened. Pending on how vivid of a personality the person has, you can even hear his or her voice, enjoy their laughter and relive memories of events shared together.
Neil Batiancila leaves this impression on the people he has worked with and those he has managed at City Year Greater Philadelphia. Batiancila is the only alumnus of City Year Greater Philadelphia who can state these words truthfully: “I am the first corps member in City Year to rise straight up through my site to become its own Executive Director.”
Neil joined City Year directly following his college education. He entered with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania. By the time he was done with City Year, he was able to add much more than AmeriCorps member to his resume. Neil quickly not only joined the City Year Greater Philadelphia staff the following year, but also played an instrumental role in the national Cyzygy 2002 conference and service day that was housed in Philadelphia that year.
“Neil ran Serve-a-thon and Cyzygy's day of service in Philly when I was a corps member,” says Joe Andolina, Associate at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. “He was only in his second year with City Year. During that day of service, he worked with the Philadelphia Department of Recreation and the city to coordinate massive projects throughout Philly, mostly playground builds. There are about 10 playgrounds in University City that are solely a result of Neil's hard work.”
Driven, intelligent, passionate, loyal, and funny are consistently some of the most popular adjectives that people chose to describe Neil and how they will always see him.
Over ten years Neil took on different roles at City Year while rising to the Co-Executive Director position, yet his personality never changed. He smiled, he laughed and he led strongly.
“Neil’s passion is the best thing about working with him. Whatever he does, he has a reason for doing it, and he puts forth 100% effort. His passion is contagious, and allows others around him to feel that their time and efforts are valuable,” says Joanne Farber, current Events Manager at City Year Greater Philadelphia. When Joanne started working at City Year, she was one of the staff members mentored by Neil.
“He is also very compassionate,” says Joanne, “He understands people, and manages to motivate each individual in a unique way. He also takes time to enjoy life – I have spent many hours laughing at movies and videos with him, he is one of the funniest individuals I have ever met!”
As a leader of vision and passion, Neil always makes people feel at home around him and comfortable while challenging them to complete significant projects and timelines.
Keeping a balance in life between your work place and in your home life can be a challenge for anyone, especially while working at City Year or any AmeriCorps program providing fulltime service. Neil sets an example to those around him that you have to do what you love to be able to have the energy to live the life you love. After meeting his wife Kelly at City Year, getting married, having two children and still running the largest City Year site in the network, Neil was still constantly invested in the lives around him as well as his job responsibilities.
“It’s important to Neil that others succeed, he gets his energy from the happiness and success of others,” says Joanne.
Mentoring others in their life decisions and providing valuable advice became a part of the job quickly for Neil when he took on the position of Co-Executive Director. Giving advice was a major area that Neil was tapped for often.
“I’ve given a lot of advice over the years,” says Neil. “I could write a whole book on life advice, for corps members specifically. Constantly it comes back to perspective and realizing how important some people are in our lives.
“Today I hope that corps members are actively thinking through their City Year experience, beyond the year or two years that they are here. A lot of the corps members don’t realize how powerful their experience is outside of City Year, and they need to translate this experience to outside the walls of City Year and into becoming leaders where ever they go.”
Neil left City Year in 2009 after 10 years with the AmeriCorps program. He immediately began working on City Year’s cofounder Alan Khazei’s campaign for the open state senate seat in Massachusetts, left vacant after the death of Senator Ted Kennedy last year.
Today Neil strives for fresh professional goals at his new position as the Community Relations Director at ARAMARK.
“I have a million goals,” he says, “I want to be a good professional, I have had a lot of success with City Year and hope that carries over to ARAMARK.”
Fellow friends and co-workers are certain the experience will be grand wherever Neil is in the future. “Neil has a rare blend of being able to see a vision and inspire others to achieve that vision,” says Joe. “He is truly a renaissance man, conversant in many different areas and is equally comfortable speaking with a Fortune 500 CEO as he is with a corps member applicant.”
Joe and Neil are now both close friends through their work together at City Year where Joe was the Director of Development while Neil was the Co-Executive Director. Enjoying life outside of the office, Joe shares that “Neil is a devoted fantasy football player and the best Golden Tee athlete I know.”
Other personal goals for Neil are reflective of his home life and his role as a husband and father. He truly wants to have his whole family proud of him, it is his ultimate goal. He knows that by being a strong public leader, he is setting the example and he also wants to make sure that those important to him are able to live the type of life that they deserve.
“Seeing my boys waiting at the door for me when I arrive home is the best feeling,” says Neil.
His fatherhood has been a very important journey for him as his greatest teacher in his life is his father. “Many people have always admired him and the way he lived his life because he is a classic rags-to-riches story,” says Neil.
“He gave back, and he personally touched people around him. With me, he had a way of getting through to me in a way that no one else could reach me. I could write a book about him because he had the biggest heart in the world, and that permeated everything that he did. He did a lot of good when he was with us.”
Equally matchless in his life is his wife Kelly Dura Batiancila. “I’ve receive many gifts that are important to me but the greatest gift to me was when Kelly was in an accident this year. The support from family and friends from making food, to just sitting with us, it was so humbling. They made sure that we got through a very difficult time.”
Family and friends all doing well now, Neil is looking forward to the future. Next summer he plans to finish up his Master’s Degree in business administration from Temple’s Fox School of Business, as well as commence his civic life.
“I don’t know if there is really anything that I don’t look forward to,” says Neil.
He doesn’t even need to think for more than a few seconds to start rattling off ideas that bring him joy. “I like when the radio stations covert to holiday music 24/7, always puts me in a good mood. I look forward to the weekends to be with my family more, I look forward to the first day of sports seasons, to Serve-a-thon, like I said, I don’t know if there is really anything I don’t look forward to.”
The next time you are enjoying Serve-a-thon, you can think of and thank Neil Batiancila as he built the current Serve-a-thon model for City Year Greater Philadelphia. Like many current systems and structures that you see today, reflect and remember, these are the result of numerous ideas that have evolved and grown since the conception of the original thought.
“People who win and are the best at what they do, are the people with whose personal values are most aligned with what they are doing,” says Neil.
That’s some good advice from Neil Batiancila, our December highlight.
To nominate an amazing alumnus that you know, please email Renee Di Pietro at cygpalumni@gmail.com.
Alumni Highlight Quick Box: Neil Batiancila
Q: What skills do you believe are your strengths?
A: Shoulder press, inclined bench, bicep curls...just kidding. I think I'm comfortable in high pressure situations and working with people. Generally, I have pretty good perspective and that, combined with my inclination to feed off of others energy, usually keeps me working hard on any project.
Q: What are five things that make you unique?
A: 1) From a City Year perspective, was the first corps member in City Year to rise straight up through my site to become it's own ED.
2) I'm the only classical pianist/college football player I know
3) I've received personal requests to do karaoke (note - not actually sing) at people's weddings
4) A photo of myself as a crazed, rabid Eagles fan, appeared in the Sunday NY Times the day the Eagles played in the Super bowl
5) From a CYGP perspective, I am the only alum who worked on Alan Khazei's US Senate campaign (2009).
Q: What has been your proudest moment in life?
A: Becoming a father. When my first son, Sam, was born. I actually was the first to hold him because the doctors were taking care of my wife; they left him in my arms for about 15 minutes. I didn't even know what to do at the time but it was perfect. After leaving the delivery room, the first person I saw was my father. Sharing with him that I had a son was something I'll never forget.
Q: What is your favorite book or movie? Why?
A: Book - To Kill a Mockingbird. It's powerful because it's an emotional story in a historical context, but I also love how it's told through the eyes of a child who is watching her father (and others) courageously stand up against injustice.
Q: What was your favorite City Year founding story? Why?
A: Ripples. It speaks to the power of someone who stands up. It almost has a David v. Goliath tone that makes you feel like you can achieve anything.
Q: How many sites do you think CY will have in 2020?
A: I’m going to say 25.
Q: Where would you like to see one? Why?
A: Good question. I’d love to see one in Denver. I think that is a unique city. It is one of the most beautiful, culturally rich cities and just like any other city has a large underserved and impoverished populations. Some more international sites also would be nice.
