Mayor Announces Appointment of Melissa Andre as Executive Director of the Office of Administrative Review
PHILADELPHIA- Mayor Kenney today announced the appointment of Melissa C. Andre, Esq. as Executive Director of the Office of Administrative Review, succeeding the retiring Paula Weiss.
“I’m thrilled to have someone of Melissa’s caliber and wealth of experience to helm the OAR,” said the Mayor. “The OAR is a crucial venue in which citizens interact with their City government, and we will all benefit from Melissa’s leadership of the OAR going forward. At the same time, I thank Paula Weiss for her many years of steady stewardship of the OAR, and for her willingness to stay on and help with the transition.”
The Office of Administrative Review reviews cases where residents or business owners disagree with a fine, violation notice, tax assessment, or another administrative decision made by the City of Philadelphia. The OAR provides a consistent appeal process, administers hearings, and manages the financial aspects of some cases.
“I look forward to the challenge of overseeing the vital functions that the Office provides to Philadelphia residents and businesses,” said Andre. “I plan to ensure that the OAR continues to modernize and observe best national practices for the fair and timely review of matters that come before it. And, of course, I’m thrilled to be back in Philadelphia, where I studied and worked for several years.”
Melissa C. Andre recently relocated to Philadelphia from her hometown of Queens, New York. However, she is no stranger to Philadelphia as she studied Strategic Organizational Communications, and graduated Cum Laude, from Temple University. She went on to earn her Juris Doctorate from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Melissa then joined the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and served as Assistant District Attorney, handling more than 250 trials.
In 2015, Andre was offered an opportunity with the NYC Dept. of Corrections that took her back to her roots in New York. As Director of Human Resources Compliance, she tackled and reduced the backlog of disciplinary hearings and handled all aspects of compliance oversight. Within months, her exemplary work ethic and record for getting results gained her a promotion to Senior Counsel to the First Deputy Commissioner.
Paula Weiss began her career in public service in 1980 as an appointee by Mayor Green to the first Mayor’s Commission for Women. In 1984, she became the Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Commission for Women, appointed by Mayor Goode. Weiss became a member of the Tax Review Board in 1988
In 1995 Weiss was named as a deputy for the newly created Office of Administrative Review. She was promoted to Executive Director of the OAR in 2003. During her tenure at the OAR, she created administrative appeal processes for citizens seeking reviews for various city issued bills and participation in certain taxpayer assistance programs.
Headshot of Melissa C. Andre available upon request.