City of Philadelphia

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What we do

The Office of Public Engagement (OPE) improves the City’s community outreach and engagement efforts. We work to make City government accessible to all Philadelphians and to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard.

Our office oversees:

OPE also collaborates with the following commissions within the Office of Immigrant Affairs:

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

Mar

22

Event

Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Event

Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party

March 22, 2023
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, 2 hours

Join the Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Commission for Women and Philly NOW for an evening of conversation with Stephen Shames and Ericka Huggins, the authors of the acclaimed book “Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party," on Wednesday, March 22nd at 6:00 p.m. at the Free Library of Philadelphia's Parkway Central Branch.
The authors will be joined by Dr. Regina Jennings and Ethel Paris, local members of Philadelphia's Black Panther Party who will share their experiences. The conversation will be moderated by award-winning broadcast journalist and filmmaker, Karen Warrington.
In celebration of Women's History Month, this event will also be accompanied by an exhibit with iconic images from the book, accompanied by archival materials from Temple University's Charles L. Blockson Collection, in the West Gallery One at the Free Library. Don't miss this rare opportunity to learn about the contributions of women in the Black Panther Party and their continued impact on the Civil Rights movement. Register now to reserve your spot.

RSVP: bit.ly/ComradeSistersPHL

Mar

23

Event

Faith in Action Against Domestic Violence

12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

Zoom

Event

Faith in Action Against Domestic Violence

March 23, 2023
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, 1 hour

Zoom
map

Join this 1-hour webinar to hear from local organizations about how to recognize the signs and impact of domestic violence and what skills can effectively support survivors. We'll also learn about an upcoming conference opportunity for religious leaders in immigrant communities who want to engage the issue of domestic violence.

RSVP here!

Mar

28

Event

Serve Philadelphia VISTA Corps Open House

12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Virtual - Zoom
Event

Serve Philadelphia VISTA Corps Open House

March 28, 2023
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, 1 hour

Virtual - Zoom
map
Are you:
- looking for your next career step?
- curious about a career in city government?
- passionate about serving others?
- committed to fighting the injustices of poverty?
A year of service as a Serve Philadelphia VISTA might be the perfect next step for you. Join us at this virtual Open House to learn more about the program and application and meet with current members to learn about their experience.

RSVP today at https://bit.ly/OpenHouseVISTA

See all events

Posts

Post

Black + Gold Series Kicks Off as a Year-Long Initiative in February

February 14, 2022

Post

Celebrating Women’s History Month in Philadelphia

March 2, 2023

Post

The Culture Shifters Collective

February 8, 2023

See all posts

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 #
Jeanette Bavwidinsi	Director of Office of Youth Engagement	jeanette.bavwidinsi@phila.gov	(215) 686-2159
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
Amanda Gamble	Chief Service Officer for Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteer Service	amanda.gamble@phila.gov	(215) 686-3684
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 #

Jeanette Bavwidinsi

Director of Office of Youth Engagement

jeanette.bavwidinsi@phila.gov

(215) 686-2159

Octavius L. Blount

Coordinator for Mayor's Office of Black Male Engagement

octavius.blount@phila.gov

(215) 686-0811

Saptarshi Dutt