Vanessa Garrett Harley is deputy mayor for the Office of Children and Families. She oversees the Philadelphia Department of Human Services, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and the Free Library of Philadelphia. In addition, she administers several key education and prevention services programs. These include: PHLpreK, Out-of-School Time, Community Schools, and Adult Education. Prior to her appointment as deputy mayor, she was acting managing director for the City of Philadelphia.
She has also served as first deputy to the managing director and deputy managing director of Criminal Justice and Public Safety for the City of Philadelphia. A lifelong Philadelphian and dedicated public servant, Garrett Harley’s other roles in city government include chair of the Social Services Law Group at the Philadelphia Law Department and commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS), the largest child welfare agency in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Garrett Harley’s role as deputy mayor is the culmination of a career of advocacy on behalf of children and families. She is committed to supporting children, youth, and families through access to equitable services.
Jessica S. Shapiro is first deputy for the Office of Children and Families. A tireless advocate for children and families, Shapiro has 25 years of service to the City of Philadelphia. In her current role, Shapiro helps the City to better coordinate its child and family serving programs.
She has also served as the acting deputy mayor of the Office of Children and Families, acting commissioner of the Department of Human Services (DHS), first deputy commissioner of DHS, and as chief of staff for two DHS commissioners. Shapiro began her career with the City as an assistant city solicitor in the Law Department where she represented DHS in Family Court. She was promoted while at the Law Department, ultimately serving as senior attorney and assistant to the chair of the Social Services Law Group, where she worked on policy, legislative, budget, and reform issues for DHS.
Shapiro is a graduate of Tufts University and Boston College Law School.