Basil L. Merenda, Esq., is a distinguished lawyer and dedicated public servant with a Juris Doctor and undergraduate degrees from Villanova University, as well as a master’s degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame.

Merenda joins the Department of Licenses and Inspections from the Department of Labor, where he served as Deputy Mayor for Labor from January 2023. Prior to this role, he was the Deputy Secretary for Safety and Labor Management Relations at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry starting in December 2020. As Deputy Secretary, Merenda managed four key bureaus: the Mediation Bureau, which handles public sector collective bargaining disputes including those in education, police, and fire sectors; the Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety, which enforces safety standards and oversees building construction inspections across Pennsylvania; the Bureau of Disability Determination, which aids the Social Security Administration in assessing federal disability benefits eligibility for Pennsylvania residents; and the Bureau of Labor Law Compliance which is responsible for enforcing the state’s 13 labor laws, including construction worker misclassification. He also served as Deputy General Counsel at the Governor’s Office of General Counsel.

Before his tenure with the City, Merenda held various significant positions, including Chief Deputy Attorney General and Director of the Consumer Protection Bureau at the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Commissioner of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA) at the Pennsylvania Department of State under Governor Edward G. Rendell, and Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. His early career included roles at the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, Antitrust and Financial Crimes Bureau, and as a Deputy Attorney General in the Division of Criminal Justice. He also practiced union labor law in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania, serving as legal counsel for UFCW Local 1776.

Residing in South Philadelphia, Merenda is a passionate supporter of Philly sports teams, including the Eagles, Phillies, 76ers, and Flyers, as well as Villanova and Notre Dame football and basketball. He dedicates time to volunteering with the IHM Literacy Center at Holy Innocents’ School in Hunting Park, assisting at Saint Gabriel Church in Grays Ferry, and running marathons, having completed four to date. True to his third-generation Philadelphian roots, he enjoys spending time at the South Jersey shore to savor the sun and ocean during the summer and fall.