Restructures several departments and offices within the MDO
PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Kenney today announced the appointment of Tumar Alexander to be the City’s Managing Director effective immediately. Alexander has been serving as Acting Managing Director since September 5, 2020.
“I thank Tumar for his willingness to continue serving the residents of Philadelphia,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “I’ve known Tumar for almost two decades and I’m confident in his ability to lead our operating departments through one of the most challenging periods in our city’s history.”
The mayor also announced the restructuring of several departments and offices within the Managing Director’s Office (MDO). He added, “After a review of the MDO portfolio, we identified opportunities to realign our work in order to improve efficiency and advance our renewed priorities of police reform, violence reduction, racial equity, education, and inclusive economic recovery.”
These changes include:
- Vanessa Garrett Harley, Deputy Managing Director for the Office of Criminal Justice and Violence Prevention, is being promoted to First Deputy Managing Director. In addition to her new responsibilities, she will retain oversight of two public safety departments—the Department Licenses and Inspections and the Department of Prisons.
- A new Office of Strategic Initiatives for Public Safety will soon be established to oversee the implementation of the strategic priorities of the Mayor and Managing Director that are carried out through the Office of Criminal Justice, Office of Violence Prevention, Office of Reentry Partnerships, and the Opioid Response Unit. The appointment of a Director to lead this new office is forthcoming.
- Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation and the Free Library of Philadelphia, which are currently a part of the MDO, will transition to become a part of the Office of Children and Families under the leadership of Deputy Mayor Cynthia Figueroa. This strategic realignment places the City’s family, child, and youth-serving programming in one Office.
“For nearly two decades I’ve had the privilege of working behind-the-scenes with countless municipal leaders to strengthen City services,” said Managing Director Tumar Alexander. “I look forward to building on these experiences to improve how services reach all of our diverse neighborhoods. I’m most passionate about enacting meaningful police reform, helping drive an equitable recovery from the pandemic, and reducing the overdose crisis and violence epidemic that continue to ravage our communities.”
Alexander is a lifelong Philadelphian and seasoned public servant, having worked for the City for 19 years across three mayoral administrations. He has worked in various operations, policy, legislative, and external affairs roles. In January 2016, Mayor Kenney hired Alexander to be Director of Legislative and External Affairs for the MDO. In January 2019, he was named First Deputy Managing Director, and in September 2020 he assumed the role of Acting Managing Director.
The Managing Director’s Office (MDO) is the Cabinet-level executive office with oversight of the City’s operating departments. The MDO provides support, assistance, and coordination to build sustainable infrastructure within and across departments, ensuring the efficient delivery of quality services to the public.
Tumar Alexander’s headshot is available HERE.