PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Kenney today appointed Stephanie Tipton as Chief Administrative Officer. Tipton has served in that role in an interim capacity since this past June.
“We conducted a national search to find someone to serve in this vital role, and concluded that the very best person was already here, guiding that very Office,” said the Mayor. “Stephanie has shown herself to be an impressive leader of the diverse array of Departments within the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), adept at spearheading a long list of important projects within the CAO cabinet. These efforts are in great hands with Stephanie Tipton.”
The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer oversees eight City departments and collaborates with City departments to transform their service delivery and strengthen their administrative functions for the better. The CAO does this by building a culture of creative problem solving and curiosity in order to design, pilot, and implement person-centered solutions with measurable impact.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to continue to serve the city I love as the next Chief Administrative Officer,” said Tipton. “I look forward to building upon the great work our team has already accomplished and continuing to find ways to make government work better for all of us.”
Since being appointed Interim Chief Administrative Officer in June 2019, Tipton has lead various strategic initiatives, including a recently passed Charter change that will reduce barriers for local businesses in accessing contract opportunities with the City. Prior to this role, Tipton served as the Chief-of-Staff to the Chief Administrative Officer. In that capacity, she directed the day-to-day operations of the Office and worked with senior leadership to define, implement, and communicate strategic direction and initiatives within the CAO portfolio, including the legislative and policy priorities of the office.
In her 13-year career in City government, Tipton has also served as the City’s Deputy Chief Integrity Officer and Interim Chief Integrity Officer, advising the Mayor, members of the Mayor’s Cabinet, and Executive Branch employees on the application of local ethics rules to their daily work.
Tipton has also overseen key procurement and contract-compliance functions, including as a Deputy Procurement Commissioner and as a Deputy Finance Director, where she was responsible for ensuring department and business compliance with the City’s landmark anti-pay-to-play legislation. In these capacities, she became a trusted source of guidance in the area of City contracting and procurement. Tipton regularly presents to various internal and external stakeholder groups on the topic of contract compliance and good government.
Tipton began her career with the City of Philadelphia as an Assistant Managing Director, overseeing the City’s language access program, which focused on ensuring that Philadelphians with limited English proficiency could access their legal right to City services, regardless of their ability to speak or read English.
Prior to her tenure with the City, Tipton served as an AmeriCorps and staff member with City Year Greater Philadelphia. It was this transformative experience that sparked her passion for public service and Tipton remains engaged with the City Year alumni community.
Tipton holds a Masters in Education from Temple University and a Bachelor of Science in Broadcasting and English Literature from the University of Miami (FL). She is a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional and was a member of the inaugural cohort of the City’s Leading for Change Fellowship program.
The City departments and offices that report to the CAO include The Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT), Records, Procurement, Contracts Legislation Unit (CLU), the Office of Administrative Review (OAR), the Bureau of Administrative Adjudication (BAA), the newly created Service Design Studio, and Human Resources and Talent (HR&T).
A headshot of Stephanie Tipton is available on request.