City of Philadelphia

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What we do

The Office of Public Engagement (OPE) enhances community outreach and engagement in Philadelphia. We empower residents to connect and make City government accessible to all, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard.

Our office oversees:

OPE partners with the Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteer Service, Office of Immigrant Affairs, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, and other key offices to carry out our mission.

Our initiatives like the Black + Gold Series help foster cross-racial dialogue to promote mutual understanding between diverse communities in Philadelphia.

Connect

Address	City Hall Room 115 Philadelphia, PA 19107
Email	public.engagement@phila.gov
	Phone: (215) 686-2181
Social	Facebook

Get news and updates from the Office of Public Engagement and the offices and commissions it supports.

Events

There are no upcoming events.

Posts

Post

Celebrating the Work of the City’s Public Advisory Commissions

November 28, 2023

Post

The Black + Gold Series

February 14, 2022

Post

PHL Youth Social Impact Report 2021 – 2023

December 27, 2023

Press Releases

Leadership

Romana Lee-Akiyama

Executive Director

(215) 686-2645

romana.lee-akiyama@phila.gov

Executive Director of the Office of Public Engagement. Lee-Akiyama joined the City in March 2020, initially serving as Director of Multicultural Affairs at the Office of Immigrant Affairs (OIA) before being promoted to Deputy Director in December 2020. Lee-Akiyama’s work in OIA has led critical engagement with constituent groups across immigrant communities in Philadelphia, creating cultural and immigrant integration programming that engages a diverse audience and facilitates bridge-building across different ethnic and racial groups. Also, she established and currently facilitates a City-wide and cross-departmental strategy group focused on addressing AAPI-focused hate and violence. Lee-Akiyama is a mission-driven leader who brings more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors to the role. Before joining the City of Philadelphia, She most recently worked at Eisenhower Fellowships from 2016 to 2020, where she led key strategic initiatives to drive global engagement across the network of 1,600 Eisenhower Fellows in more than 110 countries. Lee-Akiyama holds a BA in International Relations from Tufts University and both a Master of Social Services and a Master of Law and Social Policy from the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College.

More +

Staff

Name	Job title	Email	Phone #
Octavius L. Blount	Coordinator for Mayor's Office of Black Male Engagement	octavius.blount@phila.gov	(215) 686-0811
Saptarshi Dutt	Communications Coordinator for Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement	saptarshi.dutt@phila.gov	(215) 686-7507
Jovida Hill	Executive Director of the Commission for Women	jovida.hill@phila.gov	(215) 686-2154
Reverend Naomi Washington-Leapheart	Director, Faith-based and Interfaith Affairs	naomi.washington.leapheart@phila.gov	(215) 686-2191
Eric Westbrook	Director of Mayor’s Office of Black Male Engagement	eric.westbrook@phila.gov	(215) 686-0332

Name

Job title

Phone #

Octavius L. Blount

Coordinator for Mayor's Office of Black Male Engagement

octavius.blount@phila.gov

(215) 686-0811

Saptarshi Dutt

Communications Coordinator for Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement

saptarshi.dutt@phila.gov

(215) 686-7507

Jovida Hill