This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
Mayor Kenney has named Joyce Wilkerson, who was John Street’s mayoral chief of staff, to the School Reform Commission.
Gov. Wolf plans to appoint Wilkerson as chair of the five-member commission, as well.
Wilkerson replaces departing SRC chair Marjorie Neff, whose resignation was effective Thursday.
A longtime fixture on the city’s political scene, Wilkerson was Street’s chief of staff from 2000 to 2008. She also ran Street’s office when he was on City Council and served nine years as deputy director of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority.
After running the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority for two years, Wilkerson returned to Philadelphia in 2012 and now serves as senior adviser for community relations and development at Temple University. She was also on Kenney’s mayoral transition team.
“In the coming years, it’s important that the SRC continues to build on the District’s recent gains while also preparing for a smooth transition to greater local control,” Kenney said in a statement. “I am confident that Joyce’s strong fiscal management skills, and experience working in community engagement and for a variety of quasi-governmental organizations will enable her to succeed in this important role.”