Three Cheltenham grads seeing professional success: Debra (Banks) Weidman (’77), Dorothy Potash (’85), Hannah Chatterjee (’09)

Local historian Chuck Langerman has highlighted the current professional statuses of three Cheltenham alumni:

Debra (Banks) Weidman (above left)

Weidman, a 1977 graduate, is a Philadelphia-area attorney who co-founded the Weidman Law Firm in Plymouth Meeting. Initially trained as a real estate attorney, she handles an array of real estate matters for corporations, small businesses, and individuals.

More recently, Weidman has developed a significant practice in the area of special education law. A mother of three, she represents disabled children and their parents in obtaining appropriate programming, placement and compensation from school districts throughout Pennsylvania. She also works closely with psychologists, counselors and therapists to obtain the best results for each of her clients.

After obtaining her B.A. in psychology and graduating summa cum laude from Lehigh University in 1981, she received a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 1984. Weidman has lectured on special education law and is a member of the Montgomery and Pennsylvania Bar Associations.

Dorothy Potash (above middle)

Potash, a 1985 graduate, is an entrepreneur, acclaimed children’s author and illustrator, and co-founder and president of Development Dynamx.

Her company is a fully integrated consulting firm with a heavy focus on the legal and accounting industries.

Potash has been writing books for children since 1993, many of which help to support causes that are important to her and her family. She wrote her most recent book, “Adelita,” to educate and encourage others to do something to help save the sea turtles. Her books can be found here.

She is a 1989 graduate of George Washington University where she majored in English Literature. 

Hannah Chatterjee (above right)

Chatterjee, a 2009 graduate, is the co-founder of the 4DaSoil Collective, an emergent cooperatively-run organization of Black and Asian women providing fiscal sponsorship and land access services to Black & Brown-led organizations to fight climate change as grocers and land stewards.

Chatterjee has nearly a decade of experience in food planning, food policy, and public service. As a food industry worker, she has cooked and served in kitchens, restaurants, and bakeries all over the world.

She is a 2013 graduate of Cornell University where she earned a B.A. in History & International Relations. She wrote her Honors History thesis on French bread. At Cheltenham High, she ran cross-country, joined the Key Club, and volunteered at the Stenton Family Manor homeless shelter.

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