Integrity Icon 2024 Awards Celebration

Deputy Commissioner at the Office of City Commissioner Seth Bluestein

Eric Kapenstein worked around the clock to ensure all Philadelphians’ voices were heard in the 2020 presidential election. He was responsible for creating new processes, including the counting process for an unprecedented amount of mail-in ballots,  He is also behind the expansion of language access for non-English proficient voters.

Director of Group Violence Intervention at Group Violence Intervention

Deion Sumpter leverages his experience with incarceration to build strong, lasting relationships in communities through weekly, on-the-ground outreach. He identifies members of the community who are at high risk for gang activity and provides them with services including employment, relocation, and therapy. Over 1,000 group members have been identified so far.

Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Records

Tracey Williams listens to deed fraud victims with patience, warmth, and understanding. She is committed to educating people in and out of the office on how to spot scams and access resources to prevent fraud. Tracey is a role model and mentor for other City employees, especially women of color.

Philadelphia Victim Advocate at the Office of the Victim Advocate

Adara Combs wraps her arms around the victims and co-victims of trauma to connect them with the resources they need to heal. She is the first person to hold the position of Philadelphia Victim Advocate. Under her leadership, the Office will launch the Crime Scene Cleanup pilot, a unit that will handle the needs of families and communities after a crime has occurred and police have moved on from the scene.

Director of Problem Solving Courts at Municipal Court, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania

Lesha Sanders does everything possible to empower clients through their struggles toward treatment, employment, reconnection with loved ones and a better quality of life. Her office serves as a resource hub and drop-in center, equipped with a “closet” that offers clothes to clients in need. Lesha promotes educational opportunities to colleagues through routine email lists.

Integrity Icon 2024 is The Philadelphia Citizen’s fourth annual contest to name the non-elected city employees who have demonstrated the highest ethics and integrity in their work. In partnership with Accountability Lab—which has run Integrity Icon competitions throughout the world since 2012—The Citizen has made Philadelphia the first and only American city to participate in the program.

After a citywide nominating process earlier this year, a panel of civic leaders selected five workers who best embodied the simple but powerful criteria: a high-integrity public service employee is respectful and caring; knows their work makes a difference to people’s lives; acts in a trustworthy and transparent way to solve problems the best they can; treats everyone equally, without regard to politics or influence; and goes above and beyond to provide good service to Philadelphians.