PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker on Wednesday announced the appointment of several new high-level city officials, including a new director of immigrant affairs, a behavioral health commissioner, and a familiar face leading the Human Relations Commission.
The immigrant affairs position has been vacant since January, even as the new administration in Washington turned up the heat on immigrants and Parker was pressed on her position about remaining a sanctuary city. She said she was waiting for the right candidate and found him in the former spokesperson for the Philadelphia region’s federal Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Charlie Elison.
“Every day, immigrants make incredible contributions to our city in the realms of public safety, health care, enhancing our quality of life, building our houses, keeping our city moving, growing, thriving, clean and green, and as some would say, getting the job done,” said Elison.
The mayor filled the job of commissioner for the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), which had been vacant for more than a year, elevating the department’s Crisis Services Director Kehinde Solanke. Solanke has been working in the department for 20 years.
Parker also announced the appointment of former NBC10 news anchor Renee Chenault Fattah as executive director of the Human Relations Commission and the Fair Housing Commission.
“Mayor Parker has made it very clear to me that the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission is a top priority for her,” said Fattah, who is married to disgraced former congressman Chakah Fattah. He is also an experienced attorney.
The mayor appointed Donna Stephans as interim chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, replacing Brandee Anderson, who served less than a year. Anderson was one of three people reportedly fired in a bizarre incident involving a picture one city employee unwittingly sent to another through a dating app. The incident left the LGBTQ affairs director and the deputy chief of staff positions vacant. Those jobs are still open. Anderson told The Philadelphia Inquirer she was fired unjustly for reporting the incident.
In all, the mayor announced 10 new appointments, with salaries that total about $2.7 million:
— Kehinde Solanke, DBHIDS commissioner | $236,000
— Renee Chenault Fattah, executive director, Commission on Human Relations and Commission on Fair Housing | $170,000
— Charlie Elison, director, Office of Immigrant Affairs | $135,000
— Donna Jackson Stephans, interim chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | $180,000
— Greg Phillips, chief operating officer, Philadelphia International Airport | $264,704
— Elizabeth Lankenau, director, Office of Sustainability | $155,000
— Cydney Irving-Dasent, chief prevention officer of children and family support services, Office of Children and Families | $172,500
— Leah Uko, press secretary and deputy communications director, Mayor’s Office | $150,000
— Nicole Morris, deputy director, Office of Human Resources | $162,000
— Mark Dodd, deputy director, Department of Housing and Community Development | $170,000