PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia city government has a new chief operating officer as veteran department head Carlton Williams has begun his tenure as managing director.
After 26 years in city government, Williams has landed the top job. “I love serving the city of Philadelphia, and to have the opportunity to work at this level is amazing. This is a dream job,” he told KYW Newsradio.
Williams has led the Streets Department and Department of Licenses and Inspections, and has served as deputy commissioner for Parks and Recreation. Most recently, he created the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives for Mayor Cherelle Parker.
However, he said the magnitude of his new job presents a new kind of pressure. “This is the key office for citizen service,” he said.
“There are 36 departments under the managing director’s office, so that seems to be overwhelming at times.”
Moreover, Williams did not get the chance to ease into the job. Hours before he took the reins, an off-duty police officer was shot in the city’s Eastwick section.
“When those things happen, it’s the reality that it’s part of the job,” he shared. “It gave me a first-hand look at some of the challenges and the pain those incidents cause, and why we need to work together to stop violence in the city of Philadelphia.”
There have been a lot of meetings and introductions as Williams gets acquainted with the departments under his purview. He also represented the Parker administration at a Fire Academy graduation.
Still, he said he expected to be out in the community a lot, as he was in his previous positions. That will distinguish him from his predecessor, Adam Thiel. Thiel’s first act when he started was an all-caps memo forbidding city workers from speaking to the public, even through social media. Williams said that would change.
“I’m always going to be an accessible, open person. I believe in transparency,” he said. “I certainly love to talk to the public on issues, good or bad, because that’s how I learn. That’s how I improve things.”
Williams said maintaining momentum in Kensington would be a key objective, and that one of his first tasks would be closing new waste disposal contracts, a contentious issue because of efforts to stop the city from burning its trash.
The former Clean and Green Initiatives director began his tenure this week, succeeding Adam Thiel
The former Clean and Green Initiatives director began his tenure this week, succeeding Adam Thiel
