Transportation Management Association of Chester County (TMACC) serves as liaison between public sector transportation agencies such as PennDOT and the private sector on transportation issues affecting Chester County’s business community.

Since January 2012, Tim Phelps has served as Executive Director of TMACC.  In that role, his fingerprints, and those of his organization, are on every major transportation project in Chester County including the opening and extension of the Chester Valley Trail, the widening of Routes 202 and 100 and the renovation of train stations in Paoli, Exton, Downingtown and Coatesville.

VISTA Today asked Tim about growing up in Flourtown, Montgomery County, how he ended up tending goal for his high school and college soccer and lacrosse teams, what brought him to Chester County and what he likes about his TMACC job.

Where did you grow up, Tim?

I was born at Fort Jackson in South Carolina in 1967 where my father was stationed in the Army. My father was a graphic artist by training and served in the Army Press Corp on base. After leaving the Army, our family moved back to the Delaware Valley and my dad bought my great-grandmother’s house in Flourtown outside of Chestnut Hill. That’s really where I grew up.

Did your family have roots in Philadelphia?

My maternal grandparents lived in King of Prussia, and my grandfather was on the Upper Merion Planning Commission. In the early 1960’s, when they first moved to the area, my grandfather considered buying a 16-acre farmette. Going to work for the Baptist Convention, the property was just out of his price range and passed on the opportunity. It’s where the King of Prussia Mall now sits..

What did your father do after leaving the Army?

He took a job with TV Guide in Radnor first designing covers of TV Guide’s weekly television magazines then moving to the audiovisual side of the business. He was then the director and producer of TV Guides commercials.

What do you remember about growing up in Flourtown?

I could ride my bike or walk to my friend’s house. We could play football and hockey in the street. My paternal grandparents lived not too far away in Oreland so I could ride my bike there as well. My mother was a teacher at the Wm. Penn Charter School where I was fortunate to start in second grade and then graduated from; for 10 years, I drove to school with my mom.

I was blessed growing up to know all of my grandparents and even some of my great grandparents. I remember as a kid, having holiday dinners and talking with grandparents and great-grand parents. That history, that connection with my grandparents and their parents, was an important aspect of my growing up and shaped my interest with history.

Did you play any sports in high school?

I played both soccer and lacrosse from 7^th grade on. Because I hated running and was bigger than most of the other kids, I played goaltender for soccer and then crease defense and backup goalie for lacrosse. I had speed, size and power but never the stamina to run up and down the field for 90 minutes.

How did you handle the pressure of being a goaltender?

People get upset when the goalie gives up the goal; that’s to be expected. What I always tried to remember when I was scored on was that there were eight other guys in front of me that the ball went through before it went into my goal! I just happened to be the last guy. It was always about mental toughness.

Did you work in high school?

Beginning in junior high, I mowed 15 to 20 lawns in my neighborhood a week and from late March until early September every year. In high school, I also worked at lunch meat counter at Chestnut Hill Farmers Market from six in the morning until six at night on Saturdays and week days after school during the off season.

What did you learn from those two jobs that stay with you today?

What I took away from those experiences is a level of responsibility towards others. My customers expected their lawns to be cut every week. I had a set schedule, but when it rained, I had to figure out how to rearrange that schedule to fit everyone in. There were no excuses. You were there to serve the customer.

Where did you go to college?

I was occupied with soccer and selected Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA. I chose Juniata because I enjoyed my visit, and I could play soccer and my mom was alum, so that was a big plus. My mom was the Alumni President the year I graduated, and so she was on stage when I received my diploma. I was a social and cultural history major with a minor in archeology. Ironically, the minor in archeology brought me in touch with Chester County. One of my professors was the archaeologist that did the excavations at the Guernsey Cow and the Zook house in front of what is now The Exton Square Mall. My junior year I cataloged hundreds of pottery shards and other artifacts. As for soccer, I continued to excel and was ranked as one of the top 10 goalkeepers in Division III.

How did you end up in Chester County after you graduated?

When I graduated from Juniata in 1990, I took a job as the assistant site administrator of the Peter Wentz Farmstead with Montgomery County’s Department of History and Cultural Arts. During college I had intern there. I was responsible for collection management, historical presentation and volunteer management for that property and as well as several others historical properties in Montgomery County.

I stayed with the County until 1998 when my wife Mindy, who worked in Rohm & Haas’ finance department, was transferred to Houston. There weren’t too many 18th century German farmsteads for me to work on in Houston, Texas! Instead, I took a job as a development manager with Junior Achievement of SETX.

In 2000, when Rohm & Haas transferred Mindy back to Philadelphia, we bought our house in Malvern.

You could have bought a house anywhere in the Delaware Valley. Why Malvern?

Malvern was on the train line and since Mindy was going into Center City every day, it made sense for us to be near public transportation. I was living into my mission then. The other reason we chose Malvern was we wanted to be near her parents who live in Berwyn.

Was moving back to Philly an easy transition for you?

When we moved back, I had to repackage myself and meet a new group of people. One of the people I met was Craig Tucker, who at the time worked for Alan Novak at the Chester County Republican Headquarters. Craig introduced me to Gary Smith at Chester County Economic Development Council and to Jackie VanGrofski at Arthur Hall Insurance. I learned the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce was looking for a new executive director. I applied and became their candidate of choice. It was an amazing time during my five years at the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce; the West Chester BID, Iron Hill Twilight Criterium and the Rotary Chili Cook-off.

Why did you leave?

I was offered a position with Junior Achievement of Philadelphia. As it turned out, the job wasn’t what I hoped it would be and I left after six months.

From there, I took a job with the Main Line Chamber where I stayed for two years before taking the job of Executive Director of the TriCounty Chamber of Commerce in Pottstown.   I learned so much about Berks, Northern Chester and Montgomery County’s business culture and what was important to them. I worked closely with Rob Henry at GVF on Rte. 422 and other transportation issues. Unfortunately, the organization needed to be right-sized to survive, so in 2009 I created a plan and wrote my exit strategy and left to become a stay-at-home dad.

What drew you to the TMACC Executive Director position?

I was looking for the right blend of business and advocacy. At TriCounty, I began to realize how important transportation is and I had so many relationships in Chester County with so many chamber contacts, the TMACC job seemed like a natural fit. The fact I only live 3.5 miles from the office helped as well!

What do you like about the TMACC job?

I love the current transportation issues, businesses, municipalities and elected officials that we work with. I get to do the advocacy work and interface with the chamber and business community as well as the CCEDC. It’s about building partnerships and educating people on the importance of transportation issues

As you look out over the next six to twelve months Tim, what challenges and opportunities do you see?

The biggest challenge will always be securing funding for our project work. We also need to help Congress get to a long term transportation funding bill.

For work, sustaining the conversation around transit-oriented design in places like Malvern, West Chester, Downingtown, Coatesville and Kennett Square is our greatest opportunity. These are Chester County’s classic towns which provide great opportunities for young professionals, sustainable families and seniors to live, work and play.

On a personal note, currently I’m the chairman of the Men’s Fellowship at St. David’s Episcopal Church. I enjoy sharing my faith with our guys and finding new ways to support each other in growing our faith and the mission of the church.

Finally Tim, What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

I can’t think of one particular piece of advice. There are so many people and events that have shaped who I am today. Some phrases I’ve gathered over the years to guide my life are Rotary’s ‘Service Above Self’ or Penn Charter’s motto of ‘Good instruction is better than riches’.

Creating opportunities for others is another big motivator for me. In my role as coach of my daughter’s soccer team and assistant leader of her Girl Scout troop, my role is to make sure her and her friends have opportunities. The bus service TMACC provides is a great professional example of creating opportunities. There are people in Chester County who rely on the bus service TMACC provides for their basic needs and livelihood every day. If that bus service isn’t there, then those people may not have those opportunities they need to support their families.

If I would have to give advice to myself 20 years ago; be true to thyself and always help others.