From art to government - Chadds Ford Live

Life is rarely a straight line. Life’s path meanders with unexpected turns. And that’s what happened for Lacey Faber.

Faber, the new township manager for Chadds Ford, earned a degree in fine art and art therapy. She took a volunteer position with a youth group, was a counselor, and was on the board of directors. But she wanted to do more.

“I wanted to elevate my career, work on policy changes, and be a lot more involved with the community,” she said.

So, she went back to school and earned a master’s degree in public administration. That led to her becoming an assistant to the manager, then assistant manager in Edgmont Township.

Now, though, after serving several positions in Edgmont Township, she’s Chadds Ford’s township manager and she loves it.

She loved working on community events in Edgmont and even helped create Community Day there, something she sees as her favorite accomplishment. “I loved serving the public,” she added. “I loved being involved in my community…I really enjoy being of service to the public.”

She’s not immune from seeing the irony in her career shift from art to bureaucracy.

“I think about that every day. It’s like, how did I go to art school and end up in local government? It baffles me,” she said.

One of the people involved in her hiring in Edgmont was that township’s then-manager Samantha Reiner, currently Chadds Ford Township’s supervisors’ chairman.

“I was quite impressed with Lacey’s honesty and energy,” Reiner said. “Her organizational skills and gentle but determined desire to get things done right made her an excellent municipal asset.”

Reiner added that she wanted to bring Faber’s asset traits to Chadds Ford after Matt Baumann’s departure as Chadds Ford’s manager.

“Chadds Ford has suffered from managerial turnovers and deficiencies since it hired its first manager. Lacey brings her calmness, confidence, knowledge, experience and resources to Chadds Ford. We are confident she will ‘hit the ground running’ and not stop giving to our great community.”

Faber said she’s looking forward to serving the residents of Chadds Ford and, even after only one month as manager, she loves the area.

“What attracted me to coming to Chadds Ford is how entrenched it is with history and open space. These are things I absolutely love.”

She wrote open space grants while in Edgmont and helped develop the overall open space plan there, she said and is hoping to maintain that in Chadds Ford.

“Having so much open space here and having trail networks, that’s what attracted me to come to Chadds Ford.”

Chadds Ford Live asked Faber what her first goal is now that she’s the new township manager, having started the job on Dec. 1.

“There are so many,” she said while letting out a big sigh. “It’s a little difficult to answer that question because I haven’t really gotten a chance to get my feet wet.”

Yet, there is something special to her.

“One of my first goals and one of the things I really look forward to is Walkable Chadds Ford and seeing that come to fruition, being able to see the connectivity between the different parcels, between the businesses, and being able to see the businesses thrive as a result of the connectivity,” she said. Faber is hoping the township can put that project out to bid sometime in 2024.

She is also big on transparency. She said she’s seen the need for that during her first month as manager, that “transparency is key.” To that end, Faber is initiating a monthly newsletter that gives a brief overview of what’s happening at the Board of Supervisors meetings, and what’s happening with the various other boards and commissions in the township.

Beyond all that, there’s one thing Faber wants the people of Chadds Ford to know about her.

“I think it’s important that people understand that you get into local government because you really care about community. You care about the residents and have a deep appreciation for the work that we do…I have a deep appreciation for the landscape, the geographical location, all the history that’s here, all of the art history that’s here, the open space, and all the beauty that comes with Chadds Ford.

“And with the beauty comes the people...I really enjoy people. I’m a people person. I enjoy serving the community and being a part of the community, getting to know the residents that I serve. I’ve come here to be a part of the community.”

Lacey Faber, 38, is married and has one son.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.