Mayor-Elect Kenney Picks Finance, Commerce Bosses

Mayor-elect Jim Kenney revealed on Monday the members of his administration who will be in charge of finance and commerce.

He named Rob Dubow, the current finance director for Mayor Michael Nutter, the city’s chief financial officer. It’s an interesting pick, given how much Kenney’s former colleagues on Council have grilled Dubow during past budget hearings. Then again, Kenney has praised Nutter for keeping the city afloat during the Great Recession, and Dubow was a huge part of that.

Kenney chose another Nutter official, budget director Rebecca Rhyhart, to be his chief administration officer, a new cabinet-level position that will “focus on improving the way the city allocates resources, acquires goods and services, and the way it hires, trains and compensates employees,” according to a press release from Kenney’s team.

Kenney tapped Sheila Hess, director of Independence Blue Cross Foundation & Community Affairs, to be his city representative, a position that is “responsible for attracting commerce, increasing tourism, and enhancing Philadelphia’s reputation as a world-class city.”

And Harold Epps, president of PRWT Services, will be Kenney’s commerce director. PRWT is “one of America’s largest minority-owned firms and a $100 million premier provider of high-performance business solutions, facilities management and infrastructure support services.”

Read Team Kenney’s full press release on the appointments below:

Today, Mayor-elect Jim Kenney will formally announce his appointments for Chief Financial Officer, Commerce Director, Chief Administrative Officer, and City Representative in a press conference at the Mayor’s Reception Room.

Rob Dubow will continue to serve the City of Philadelphia as Chief Financial Officer in the Kenney Administration. Dubow was appointed as Finance Director by Mayor Michael Nutter in 2008, guiding the City through the Great Recession. Prior to his appointment, Dubow was the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA), a financial oversight board established by the Commonwealth in 1991. Dubow also served as Chief Financial Officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2005. From 2000 to 2004, he served as Budget Director for the City of Philadelphia, where he had also been a Deputy Budget Director and Assistant Budget Director. Before working for the City,  Dubow was a Senior Financial Analyst for PICA. He also served as a Research Associate at the Pennsylvania Economy League and was a reporter for the Associated Press. Dubow earned a Master in Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Rebecca Rhynhart will serve as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). The CAO is a Cabinet-level position that will report to the Mayor. The CAO will focus on improving the way the City allocates resources, acquires goods and services and the way it hires, trains and compensates employees. Key administrative functions that will report to the CAO include IT, Procurement, Human Resources, Property and Fleet. Rhynhart has served the Budget Director for the City of Philadelphia since November 2010, during which time she has overseen the City’s $8.1 billion operating budget, including the $4 billion general fund budget and the budgets for Water, Aviation and Grant Funds. Prior to that, Rhynhart was the City Treasurer of Philadelphia and worked as a credit analyst for Fitch Ratings. In recognition of her work, Rhynhart received the 40 Under 40 Award from the Philadelphia Business Journal. Rhynhart received her Masters of Public Administration from Columbia University and her Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College.

Sheila Hess will serve as City Representative. The Office of the City Representative is responsible for attracting commerce, increasing tourism, and enhancing Philadelphia’s reputation as a world-class city. Since 2011, Hess has served as the Director of Independence Blue Cross (IBC) Foundation & Community Affairs, overseeing the company’s charitable $65M private foundation. She leads key corporate initiatives such as Independence’ corporate volunteer program and the United Way company-wide campaign. Hess was also the first female chairwoman of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’ Young Professionals Network (YPN), United Way of SEPA Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC) and a former executive board member of Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the Young America Political Action Committee (PAC). Hess’ efforts in the community earned her one of LEADERSHIP Philadelphia’s Top 101 Emerging Connectors. She was also honored with the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award and was one of fifty individuals citywide nominated for the “Spirit of Philadelphia” award.  She is a proud Temple University alumna receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, and past recipient of the Diamond Excellence Award presented by Temple University Young Alumni. Hess currently serves on numerous non-profit boards in the community.

Harold T. Epps will serve as Commerce Director. Since 2007, Epps has led and served as the President & CEO of PRWT Services, Inc., one of America’s largest minority-owned firms and a $100M premier provider of high performance business solutions, facilities management and infrastructure support services. In addition to this experience in the professional and business services arena, Epps also spent many years in the industrial and manufacturing sector. Serving in executive roles with Quadrant and Manasha Corporation, Epps led subsidiaries and divisions with annual revenues of up to $175M and 2000 employees. Epps also serves as Co-Chairman of the Comcast National African-American Advisory Council, as an executive committee member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and on the board of directors of Center City District U.S. Facilities, Inc. and PRWT Services. For his work, Epps has been awarded the National Urban League’s Pioneer Award, the Urban League of Philadelphia’s Business Leader Award, and the American Diabetes Association Father of the Year Award.