Staff

Marisa Waxman, AICP

Executive Director

Marisa Waxman joined PICA in October 2023 to serve as Executive Director. Previously, as the Budget Director for the City of Philadelphia, she managed its substantial operating and capital budgets, focusing on equity in budget development. Her previous roles included First Deputy Revenue Commissioner, where she dealt with revenue policy, regulation, and communications. Her career began in the City Controller’s Office in Philadelphia, and she has worked in various roles with the City of Philadelphia, New York City Department of Finance, the US Department of the Treasury, and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia. Marisa is a University of Pennsylvania alumna with a Masters in City and Regional Planning and a proud member of the 255th graduating class at Central High School. 

Rob Call

Deputy Director

Rob Call joined PICA as Deputy Director in February 2023. Prior to joining PICA he worked for Philadelphia City Council. He began working in City Council first as a Housing Policy Fellow and then as a Fiscal Policy Analyst, where he staffed City Council’s Committee on Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Cooperation and the Special Committee on Retention and Hiring of Municipal Workers. 

A native of the Atlanta area with a background in housing policy and community organizing, Rob came to Philadelphia after receiving his Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Octavia Geiger

Research & Policy Analyst

Octavia Geiger is a fourth-generation Philadelphian and public policy professional with extensive experience in quantitative and spatial analysis, qualitative research, and community and economic development. They hold a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from Temple University, where they specialized in community and economic development, focusing on addressing socio-political challenges faced by marginalized communities. While at Temple, they interned at Reinvestment Fund, gaining expertise in SQL and ArcGIS through projects on housing equity and socio-economic research for under-resourced communities. Committed to social equity, Octavia bridges data analysis and policy advocacy to drive systemic change through thoughtful, evidence-based public policy. 

Deidre Morgenstern

Administrative Manager

Deidre Morgenstern is an office management professional with 30 years of experience working at PICA. Deidre makes sure that PICA Tax proceeds are transmitted to the City on a weekly basis, monitors all of PICA’s financial transactions, and works with PICA’s accountants and auditors for each year’s annual audit. She is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association and maintains a Public Notary license. Prior to working at PICA, Deidre was a staff member for Philadelphia City Council’s First District.