subscriber spotlight
MELVILLE AND MARIA ACKERMAN Dr. Melville and Maria Ackerman are celebrating their 25th season as POPS subscribers! Mel, who grew up in Toms River, is a gastroenterologist with a private practice at Virtua and Maria, who grew up in South Philly and Cherry Hill, is an art therapist. They’ve been married for 32 years and live in Medford, New Jersey. The couple started bringing their three children – Nathan, Adam, and Christina – to the POPS when they were just toddlers. They wanted to make sure their children knew the thrill of seeing a live orchestra perform timeless music. “The boys would listen with their chins resting on the velvet railing of the Academy of Music and the magic continued for Christina at the Kimmel Center,” Maria remembers. “It was a magical time for them and created lasting memories.” Today, all three keep music as a part of their lives. Giving back to the community has always been important to the Ackermans. They’ve been involved with a wide range of causes and organizations. For Mel, that includes Independence Blue Cross, CAMcare’s clinic in Camden, and Cooper University Hospital. For years, Maria has volunteered her time to create musical theater programs for children, coordinates services and supplies at Colin’s Wish Foundation for Drug Addiction Treatment, VOA Homeless Shelter of Camden, and the Women’s Shelter of Burlington County, and is also active in several animal rescue organizations. In their free time, the Ackermans enjoy ballroom dancing, love to attend theater shows, concerts and events, and spend as much time at the Jersey Shore as their schedules allow. Favorite Shows: The Ackermans say they love all the shows, but especially the ones in which the orchestra plays with singers, dancers, and choirs. “It makes for such a rich and exciting program,” Maria says.
