(Philadelphia, December 14, 2016) – Mayor Kenney today accepted the resignation of Chief Administrative Officer Rebecca Rhynhart, effective immediately, and named her deputy, Christine Derenick-Lopez, to serve as Acting Chief Administrative Officer.
“Rebecca Rhynhart has done a great job during her tenure as CAO, spearheading procurement reform and modernizing city purchasing practices. I wish her well.” said the Mayor. “I am confident Christine Derenick-Lopez will do a great job in leading this cabinet and continuing to push for innovation and modernization across our Administration.”
Before serving as Chief Administrative Officer under Mayor Kenney, Rhynhart served as City Treasurer from 2008-2009, and then as Budget Director from 2010-2015.
The CAO’s office, newly created as a key part of the Kenney Administration, is responsible for bringing innovation to enabling functions of city government and improving effectiveness and efficiency throughout the City.
As the First Deputy in the CAO’s office, Derenick-Lopez has overseen several groundbreaking projects, including implementation of electronic signatures for professional service contracts, saving substantial time in contract conformance with the goal of the City paying vendors more quickly. She has also overseen the launch of its first eProcurement system, PHL Contracts. This new system, along with other modernization efforts, simplifies the contracting process and increases competition. She previously served as Chief of Staff and Human Resources Director for the Philadelphia International Airport, and as a Sr. HR Business Partner with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.
With more than 20 years of progressive public sector experience in Human Resources, Derenick-Lopez served as President of the Society of Human Resource Management’s Philadelphia Chapter (SHRM). Derenick-Lopez has also been recognized by the Women Transportation Seminar’s (WTS) Philadelphia Chapter with the Women of the Year Award (2011) and by SmartCEO receiving their Executive Management Award (2014).