PHILADELPHIA – The City today announced that Lily Reynolds has been named as the first Director of Federal Infrastructure Strategy for the City’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability (OTIS). In this role, Ms. Reynolds will be leading the City’s Infrastructure Solutions Team, a cross-departmental group who will ensure that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) builds wealth for Philadelphia residents who have long been excluded from opportunity, especially people of color.
“The Biden-Harris Administration and our national leaders understand that when we are talking about the infrastructure that makes up our city, we are talking about more than the roads we travel on or the pipes that deliver clean water to our homes, we are talking about the people who build them,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help build Philadelphia’s human infrastructure as well as the things made of concrete and steel. Lily Reynolds is going to get all the help we can give her as we rebuild our infrastructure for generations to come.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once in a generation opportunity to rebuild Philadelphia’s critical infrastructure and to prepare the city for the future. “We can build back better in a way that is equitable and sustainable,” said Deputy Managing Director for Transportation Mike Carroll. “Lily Reynolds shares this vision and has the talents and the drive to get us there. Since she started with OTIS in 2019, she has demonstrated the mix of tenacity and flexibility that is crucial to success as a public servant. She has a proven ability to build consensus around new challenges such as pandemic response to outdoor dining and delivering complex infrastructure projects.”
In her former role as the Deputy Director for Complete Streets, Ms. Reynolds oversaw the development of the City’s first Vision Zero Capital Plan, released an updated Vision Zero Action Plan, and led her staff to implement transportation safety programming and messaging. Ms. Reynolds’ experience with cross-departmental work in Philadelphia and her previous positions has given her insight into building a local government that is responsive, fair, and effective. Ms. Reynolds has a background in planning and community engagement and has spent time working in the nonprofit and public sectors in Vancouver, British Columbia, Vigo, Spain and Newton, Massachusetts.
“I believe that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will fund public works projects that can not only work for the public but can put the public to work. These projects are a tremendous opportunity to grow Philadelphia’s workforce by creating new jobs, new expertise, and new wealth in our city,” said Ms. Reynolds. “Past generations of infrastructure projects have divided Black and Brown neighborhoods from safe transportation options and cut people out of economic opportunity. BIL positions us to build new infrastructure for Philadelphia and invest in Philadelphia workers. Throughout my career and during my time here in Philadelphia, I’ve put community first by listening and learning before leading. We can do things better and I am thrilled to be leading this effort to do just that.”
Ms. Reynolds has received certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and serves on committees for the Philadelphia chapters of WTS International and the Urban Land Institute.
A headshot of Ms. Reynolds is available to download online.