Sylvie Gallier Howard became chief of staff for Commerce in 2016 before assuming the role of first deputy director in 2018, followed by acting commerce director in March 2020. She previously served as deputy chief of staff to the deputy mayor for economic development during the Nutter administration. In addition to supporting day-to-day operations, Sylvie’s responsibilities include coordinating communications and marketing, legislative activities, international relations, and the roll-out of new programs. For six years, she was the principal and founder of Clementine Consulting, providing guidance to nonprofits and social enterprises. Sylvie has also served as the executive director of two community-based nonprofits in Philadelphia: The Northwest Fund and The Empowerment Group, where she started Philadelphia’s first bilingual Spanish-English entrepreneurship training program.