Leadership | Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Donna Jackson Stephans

Interim Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

With a distinguished career spanning over 20 years, Jackson Stephans has been a prominent leader in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion field. Her extensive expertise includes addressing disparities within the Texas child protection system, advancing workforce development initiatives, and establishing a municipal learning ecosystem. Most recently, Jackson Stephans served as Vice President of Aviation at the Philadelphia International Airport, where she successfully integrated DEI strategies with small business development programs. She brings a wealth of experience in promoting institutional equity across various sectors, including human services, education, human resources, and government.

Brenna Schmidt

Employee Engagement Specialist

(215) 686-2150

brenna.schmidt@phila.gov

Brenna Schmidt (she/her) is an urbanist and equity specialist dedicated to creating inclusive and resilient urban spaces. She holds a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning with a focus on Sustainable Community Development and Climate Resiliency from the University of Pennsylvania. Brenna’s passion for cities began in her small-town upbringing, where she dreamt of immersing herself in the vibrant diversity and endless possibilities of city life. This early fascination, coupled with her experiences working in the Mayor’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI), has deepened her commitment to equitable urban development.

In her role as the Employee Engagement Specialist for ODEI, Brenna leads the employee engagement strategy through the City Resource Group initiative and close collaboration with various City agencies. At her core, Brenna is committed to ensuring all City employees feel a sense of authenticity and belonging in their workplace.

Brenna’s interdisciplinary approach to urban challenges is rooted in her academic and background. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish from Temple University in 2017, which laid the foundation for her advocacy work for underserved communities. Brenna strives to foster positive change in urban environments through human-centered design, equitable policies, and impactful social initiatives.

More +

Zach Walters

Data and Research Specialist

Zach Walters (they/he) specializes in data and policy research with a focus on using an intersectional equity lens. They hold a Master of Science in Social Policy + Data Analytics (MSSP+DA) from the School of Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Zach’s passion for social policy and accessible government services is rooted in their experiences growing up in Missouri where they experienced firsthand how inequitable access to social and financial supports had direct life-altering impacts on individuals’ long-term safety and economic security. These early experiences, paired with their eye-opening transition to Philadelphia in 2014, led Zach to pursue a career in social justice-centered policy research.

In their role as the Data and Research Strategist for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Zach supports the office’s equity initiatives by providing guidance on data collection best practices, cleaning and analyzing raw data related to DEI initiatives, and summarizing the latest peer-reviewed research that keeps the City of Philadelphia on the cutting edge of DEI practices. Fundamentally, Zach seeks to empower City departments with the tools and information to most effectively and efficiently enact data-driven DEI initiatives.

Zach’s data-driven approach to social change is rooted in their academic and professional background. They earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Consumer Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. With an early career in marketing/advertising, Zach learned the value of using data analysis and visualization to contextualize the value of pursuing equity-centered policy. Zach aims to create a more inclusive and equitable Philadelphia by empowering decision-makers with the data and research they need to justify social policy decisions.

More +

Translate