PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Kenney today appointed Sarah Stevenson, Deputy Commissioner of Policy & Strategy for the Philadelphia Water Department, as Chief Integrity Officer.
“I’m pleased to have Sarah Stevenson on board as our new Chief Integrity Officer to help ensure our government is as ethical and transparent as possible,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “The Chief Integrity Officer has always been an important part of ensuring that City employees carry out their duties ethically and with integrity, and I’m confident that Sarah’s experience in law, government ethics, and compliance will make her successful in this role.”
The Office of the Chief Integrity Officer (CIO) is charged with promoting integrity, transparency, and accountability throughout the executive branch of government. CIO educates City employees and the public on City’s ethics rules; develops policies to make sure the City operates responsibly and with integrity; and improves access to City resources.
“I am thrilled to join the Mayor’s Office as Chief Integrity Officer,” said Sarah Stevenson. “This administration is doing incredible work to make Philadelphia a better city for everyone, and I am excited about the opportunity to play even a small part in advancing the Mayor’s goals of improving the effectiveness and accessibility of government services. Our City thrives when the trust between residents and government is strong. It’s my goal to continue building that relationship and a culture of ethics in government.
“I wish Ellen joy in her retirement; she is a mentor and leaves big shoes to fill. Of course, I will miss my colleagues at the Philadelphia Water Department immensely and thank everyone I have worked with at Water and in the Managing Director’s Office for the opportunities I’ve been afforded.”
Stevenson began her career with the City of Philadelphia in 2009 as an attorney for the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD). During that time she counseled PWD on a wide range of legal matters and was a trusted advisor to executive staff.
In 2014, she was appointed PWD’s Director of Enforcement where she helped to establish an inspection and enforcement program for stormwater controls on private property, which helped PWD to achieve Clean Water Act compliance under its consent order and agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP).
Stevenson was appointed Director of Government Affairs & Policy in 2016 where she managed PWD’s legislative strategy and helped to implement several customer service improvements. After the retirement of PWD Commissioner Debra McCarty in 2019, Stevenson was appointed Acting Commissioner on her 10 year anniversary with the City and continued her work to provide quality services to water customers.
Since the appointment of current PWD Commissioner Randy Hayman, she has resumed the role of Deputy Commissioner of Policy & Strategy. During the past four years, Stevenson served as PWD’s Integrity Officer to share ethics guidelines with City employees and act as a liaison to the Office of the Chief Integrity Officer.
Stevenson holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor and Master of Public Administration (JD/MPA) degree from Villanova University.
Prior to her tenure with the City, she worked for the good government non-profit Committee of Seventy.
Official headshot available here.