Mr. Packer joined the staff of Appel Farm in 1984. From 1985 through 1987 he served as the Summer Arts Camp Director and in 1988 became the Executive Director. A native of Montreal, Canada, he is a graduate cum laude of Kenyon College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, and attended courses towards his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University. He plays a major role in regional and statewide arts organizations including the South Jersey Cultural Alliance, which he co-founded in 1992 and is currently a Trustee.
He is also the President of ArtPride New Jersey, the statewide advocacy organization for the non-profit arts industry, where he has been a Trustee since 1988. He co-founded the Arts & Business Partnership of Southern New Jersey and was honored in 2002 as the recipient of ABP's annual Art Partner of the Year. He has served as a consultant and panelist for numerous organizations, including the Gloucester County Cultural and Heritage Commission, and the G.G.Green Redevelopment Project. Congrats from all of GOTO, Mark!