About Carmen Febo San Miguel

Carmen Febo San Miguel, MD, was born in Ciales, Puerto Rico, graduating magna cum laude followed by Medical School both at the University of Puerto Rico.  She moved to Philadelphia for her residency in Family Practice at Hahnemann Hospital and Medical Center in 1974.  Upon completion of her residency, she became Medical Director of the Spring Garden Family Health Services Center in Philadelphia, serving a primarily poor Puerto Rican and African American population.  After moving back to Puerto Rico in 1979 to work at the Naranjito Health Center serving a rural population, Dr. Febo returned to Philadelphia in 1984 were she assumed the position of Medical Director of Germantown Family Medicine Associates, managing all aspects of a private medical practice. 

She became Taller’s Executive Director in 1999 after 14 years as Board Chair.  Dr. Febo is deeply committed to Taller’s goals and mission of education and dissemination about the rich cultural heritage of Puerto Rico, Latino and related groups including African Americans.  She served on the Mayor’s Commission on Arts and Culture under Mayor Goode and currently as a member of the Advisory Council on Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy under Mayor Nutter.  Under her tenure, Taller has grown from an almost extinct organization to one managing 2 buildings, an expansion she headed as board chair and chair of the facilities committee, a budget of $870,000 and a permanent staff of 13.  As Executive Director since 1999, she has led Taller’s programmatic agenda in the expansion of Art Residencies into School District and other charter schools, the Visit Us program, developed new collaborations to exhibit Taller’s art collection at off-sites, has led the coordination of the ever expanding Feria del Barrio and has been called to produce programming for the Kimmel’s International Festival for the Arts, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  She just successfully concluded the production of the 7 events related to the Knight Foundation grant at the site of Taller’s new facility project.      

She has received numerous awards.  Those that are relevant to the arts and education include:

Creative Connector of Leadership Philadelphia for 2011-128-11

Bread and Roses Paul Robeson Life Achievement Award9-10

Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress Pioneer Award10-08

The Philadelphia Association of Hispanic School Administrators7/03

2003 Honoree

The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations10/02

2002 Human Rights Award for Arts and Culture