As the head of the Public Affairs division, Joanne Dahme became the face of the Philadelphia Water Department. She spoke for PWD at town hall meetings, rate hearings, City Council budget sessions, and neighborhood meetings big and small. Now, after 37 years, she'll make tomorrow her last day at PWD.
We were lucky to fill her shoes with Glen Abrams—a former PWD employee who left a leadership role at the Pa. Horticultural Society this summer to return to the Department.
We’re looking forward working with Glen, and he knows better than most what a role model Joanne is—and a hard act to follow!
A uniquely talented individual, Joanne began her career as one of the first women to serve as a Water Pollution Control Plant engineer. And, because she wore many other hats over the years, we asked her to sit down for an on-camera interview and reflect on her decades of experience.
We were inspired by what she said, and we hope you will be too—the water industry truly needs a new generation of leaders like her.
We want to thank Joanne for her endless contributions and for making PWD customers her No. 1 priority. Her dedication to doing everything in her power to serve the city has been nothing short of superhuman.
Still trying to figure out what you want to study or what career to pursue?
Check out her story and what makes her so passionate about this work, and see if you aren’t inspired to explore public service with PWD:
Joanne Dahme: Retrospective Interview
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