![\"\"](\"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/images\/sarah-stevenson.jpg\")
<\/div>\nSarah Stevenson<\/h2>\nDeputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff<\/strong>
\nPhiladelphia Water Department<\/h3>\n13 years at PWD (17 with the City of Philadelphia)<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nExplain what you do at PWD and what is something that people would find interesting about the job?<\/h5>\nAs part of the leadership team at PWD, I have the privilege of getting to work with every division across this amazing department. No two days are alike, but I help drive decision-making in a direction that (hopefully!) moves PWD forward. Some interesting priorities include working on legislation and regulation from all levels of government that impacts us, helping with our emergency response planning, strategizing how to position PWD for future success, and maintaining strong relationships in and outside of City government.<\/p>\n
Some of my previous roles were Chief Integrity Officer for the City of Philadelphia, Acting Water Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner for Government Affairs and Policy, Enforcement Director, and Assistant City Solicitor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself looking to work at PWD in your career field?<\/h5>\nBe open to opportunities that you might not have considered. I started my career with the City as a lawyer for PWD. By being open to new and challenging projects, I was able to navigate different roles in management and leadership.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Do you think there are any barriers for women wanting to do your job? If so, how did you overcome them?<\/h5>\nBeing a mom of young kids is hard \u2013 period. It\u2019s challenging to keep home and work separate, especially being on call 24\/7. However, the City of Philadelphia, and PWD in particular, is a great employer.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Here\u2019s your chance to give a special shout out to a woman in your own life, at work, or in your community who has served as a role model or mentor \u2013 who\u2019s getting your praise?<\/h5>\nThere are so many! Family, teachers, coaches, professors, colleagues, mentors, teammates, friends \u2013 my goal is to be a link in the chain for future women leaders. I\u2019ll mention two women leaders I\u2019ve had the privilege of working with \u2013 my predecessor as the City\u2019s Chief Integrity Officer, Ellen Mattleman Kaplan, and the City\u2019s first (and so far, only permanent) woman Water Commissioner, Debra McCarty. Ellen and Deb both set very high standards, and I continue to draw lessons from each of them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Share your favorite inspirational quote by a woman…<\/h5>\nMy high school lacrosse coach deeply instilled the concept of never quitting, even in the face of a half mile hill after a 5-mile run in Valley Green. Even if you had to slow way down, we never stopped running up that hill. \u201cDo not stop!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today, we’ll talk with Sarah Stevenson, PWD Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff, who has been with PWD for 13 years. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":36978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"custom_css":"div.header { display: flex; justify-content: start; align-items: center; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 1.5em; }\r\n.header .caption { flex: 1 1 max(35%, 12em); }\r\n.header .caption img { aspect-ratio: 1; object-fit: cover; object-position: top; padding: 0; max-width: min(16em, 100%); }\r\n.header .bio { flex: 3 1 50%; }\r\n\r\n.post-content h2, .post-content h6 { padding: 0; margin: 0; }\r\n.post-content h3 { padding: 0; margin: 0.3em 0 .5em; font-size: 1.3em; }\r\n.post-content h5 { padding: 0; text-align: left; font-style: italic; }\r\nblockquote { margin-top: .5em; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-top: .4em; }\r\n.post-content blockquote p { padding: 0; margin: .5em 0; }","custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[558,559,560],"class_list":["post-3519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-history","tag-employee-spotlight","tag-women-of-water","tag-womens-history-month","wpautop"],"acf":{"suggested":null},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/phila.gov\/blog\/womens-history-sarah-stevenson\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"PWD Women’s History Month Spotlight: Sarah Stevenson","url":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/womens-history-sarah-stevenson\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/womens-history-sarah-stevenson\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Community","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Martin"}],"creator":["Justin Martin"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"@PhillyH2O Blog","logo":""},"keywords":["employee spotlight","women of water","women's history month"],"dateCreated":"2026-03-27T13:00:59Z","datePublished":"2026-03-27T13:00:59Z","dateModified":"2026-03-27T13:00:59Z"},"rendered":"
\nPhiladelphia Water Department<\/h3>\n
13 years at PWD (17 with the City of Philadelphia)<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nExplain what you do at PWD and what is something that people would find interesting about the job?<\/h5>\nAs part of the leadership team at PWD, I have the privilege of getting to work with every division across this amazing department. No two days are alike, but I help drive decision-making in a direction that (hopefully!) moves PWD forward. Some interesting priorities include working on legislation and regulation from all levels of government that impacts us, helping with our emergency response planning, strategizing how to position PWD for future success, and maintaining strong relationships in and outside of City government.<\/p>\n
Some of my previous roles were Chief Integrity Officer for the City of Philadelphia, Acting Water Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner for Government Affairs and Policy, Enforcement Director, and Assistant City Solicitor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself looking to work at PWD in your career field?<\/h5>\nBe open to opportunities that you might not have considered. I started my career with the City as a lawyer for PWD. By being open to new and challenging projects, I was able to navigate different roles in management and leadership.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Do you think there are any barriers for women wanting to do your job? If so, how did you overcome them?<\/h5>\nBeing a mom of young kids is hard \u2013 period. It\u2019s challenging to keep home and work separate, especially being on call 24\/7. However, the City of Philadelphia, and PWD in particular, is a great employer.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Here\u2019s your chance to give a special shout out to a woman in your own life, at work, or in your community who has served as a role model or mentor \u2013 who\u2019s getting your praise?<\/h5>\nThere are so many! Family, teachers, coaches, professors, colleagues, mentors, teammates, friends \u2013 my goal is to be a link in the chain for future women leaders. I\u2019ll mention two women leaders I\u2019ve had the privilege of working with \u2013 my predecessor as the City\u2019s Chief Integrity Officer, Ellen Mattleman Kaplan, and the City\u2019s first (and so far, only permanent) woman Water Commissioner, Debra McCarty. Ellen and Deb both set very high standards, and I continue to draw lessons from each of them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Share your favorite inspirational quote by a woman…<\/h5>\nMy high school lacrosse coach deeply instilled the concept of never quitting, even in the face of a half mile hill after a 5-mile run in Valley Green. Even if you had to slow way down, we never stopped running up that hill. \u201cDo not stop!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today, we’ll talk with Sarah Stevenson, PWD Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff, who has been with PWD for 13 years. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":36978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"custom_css":"div.header { display: flex; justify-content: start; align-items: center; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 1.5em; }\r\n.header .caption { flex: 1 1 max(35%, 12em); }\r\n.header .caption img { aspect-ratio: 1; object-fit: cover; object-position: top; padding: 0; max-width: min(16em, 100%); }\r\n.header .bio { flex: 3 1 50%; }\r\n\r\n.post-content h2, .post-content h6 { padding: 0; margin: 0; }\r\n.post-content h3 { padding: 0; margin: 0.3em 0 .5em; font-size: 1.3em; }\r\n.post-content h5 { padding: 0; text-align: left; font-style: italic; }\r\nblockquote { margin-top: .5em; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-top: .4em; }\r\n.post-content blockquote p { padding: 0; margin: .5em 0; }","custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[558,559,560],"class_list":["post-3519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-history","tag-employee-spotlight","tag-women-of-water","tag-womens-history-month","wpautop"],"acf":{"suggested":null},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/phila.gov\/blog\/womens-history-sarah-stevenson\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"PWD Women’s History Month Spotlight: Sarah Stevenson","url":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/womens-history-sarah-stevenson\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/womens-history-sarah-stevenson\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Community","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Martin"}],"creator":["Justin Martin"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"@PhillyH2O Blog","logo":""},"keywords":["employee spotlight","women of water","women's history month"],"dateCreated":"2026-03-27T13:00:59Z","datePublished":"2026-03-27T13:00:59Z","dateModified":"2026-03-27T13:00:59Z"},"rendered":"
As part of the leadership team at PWD, I have the privilege of getting to work with every division across this amazing department. No two days are alike, but I help drive decision-making in a direction that (hopefully!) moves PWD forward. Some interesting priorities include working on legislation and regulation from all levels of government that impacts us, helping with our emergency response planning, strategizing how to position PWD for future success, and maintaining strong relationships in and outside of City government.<\/p>\n
Some of my previous roles were Chief Integrity Officer for the City of Philadelphia, Acting Water Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner for Government Affairs and Policy, Enforcement Director, and Assistant City Solicitor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself looking to work at PWD in your career field?<\/h5>\n
Be open to opportunities that you might not have considered. I started my career with the City as a lawyer for PWD. By being open to new and challenging projects, I was able to navigate different roles in management and leadership.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Do you think there are any barriers for women wanting to do your job? If so, how did you overcome them?<\/h5>\n
Being a mom of young kids is hard \u2013 period. It\u2019s challenging to keep home and work separate, especially being on call 24\/7. However, the City of Philadelphia, and PWD in particular, is a great employer.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Here\u2019s your chance to give a special shout out to a woman in your own life, at work, or in your community who has served as a role model or mentor \u2013 who\u2019s getting your praise?<\/h5>\n
There are so many! Family, teachers, coaches, professors, colleagues, mentors, teammates, friends \u2013 my goal is to be a link in the chain for future women leaders. I\u2019ll mention two women leaders I\u2019ve had the privilege of working with \u2013 my predecessor as the City\u2019s Chief Integrity Officer, Ellen Mattleman Kaplan, and the City\u2019s first (and so far, only permanent) woman Water Commissioner, Debra McCarty. Ellen and Deb both set very high standards, and I continue to draw lessons from each of them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Share your favorite inspirational quote by a woman…<\/h5>\n
My high school lacrosse coach deeply instilled the concept of never quitting, even in the face of a half mile hill after a 5-mile run in Valley Green. Even if you had to slow way down, we never stopped running up that hill. \u201cDo not stop!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today, we’ll talk with Sarah Stevenson, PWD Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff, who has been with PWD for 13 years. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":36978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"custom_css":"div.header { display: flex; justify-content: start; align-items: center; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 1.5em; }\r\n.header .caption { flex: 1 1 max(35%, 12em); }\r\n.header .caption img { aspect-ratio: 1; object-fit: cover; object-position: top; padding: 0; max-width: min(16em, 100%); }\r\n.header .bio { flex: 3 1 50%; }\r\n\r\n.post-content h2, .post-content h6 { padding: 0; margin: 0; }\r\n.post-content h3 { padding: 0; margin: 0.3em 0 .5em; font-size: 1.3em; }\r\n.post-content h5 { padding: 0; text-align: left; font-style: italic; }\r\nblockquote { margin-top: .5em; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-top: .4em; }\r\n.post-content blockquote p { padding: 0; margin: .5em 0; }","custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[558,559,560],"class_list":["post-3519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-history","tag-employee-spotlight","tag-women-of-water","tag-womens-history-month","wpautop"],"acf":{"suggested":null},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/phila.gov\/blog\/womens-history-sarah-stevenson\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"PWD Women’s History Month Spotlight: Sarah Stevenson","url":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/womens-history-sarah-stevenson\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/womens-history-sarah-stevenson\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Community","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Martin"}],"creator":["Justin Martin"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"@PhillyH2O Blog","logo":""},"keywords":["employee spotlight","women of water","women's history month"],"dateCreated":"2026-03-27T13:00:59Z","datePublished":"2026-03-27T13:00:59Z","dateModified":"2026-03-27T13:00:59Z"},"rendered":"