“Every person came here because they believe something that, honestly, can feel rather radical right now,” said Jean Scrimgeour to a lively crowd of revelers who came to celebrate this year’s Integrity Icon honorees on June 3 at Fitler Club, that government can work, that public service is a critical part of civic life, and that integrity is not just a word on a wall.”It’s something people actually live.”

Scrimgeour is the Co-CEO and Chief Innovation and Operations Officer of Accountability Lab Global; her organization started the Integrity Icon program 12 years ago as a way to elevate — and, ideally, replicate — the work of city workers who model the highest ideals of integrity.

Since launching Integrity Icon, nearly 300 public sector workers worldwide — in Nepal, Mexico, Morocco, Niger, Pakistan, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, DRC, South Africa, Somaliland, Zimbabwe, and Ukraine — have been named to its ranks. Philadelphia is the only city in the United States to host the program, which The Citizen brought here after learning about it back when we hosted our first-ever Ideas We Should Steal Festival in 2018.

We named our first cohort of icons back in 2020, bringing our total to 30 non-elected city workers who go above and beyond for their fellow Philadelphians. (You can read about all of our previous and new winners here.)

“Too often the loudest stories about government workers are stories about failure, corruption, waste, and broken promises,” she said. “But we’re here tonight to change that narrative. By finding, celebrating, and connecting civil servants who go beyond the call of duty, we can build support for their efforts to realize a collective societal shift towards ethical conduct and greater accountability.”

This week’s event welcomed our five 2026 winners alongside hundreds of city workers, family, and friends. “I’m so happy to join this ‘fraternity’ of winners around the world,” said winner Keith Scott, Director of the Community Crisis Intervention Program (CCIP) and Incarcerated Crisis Intervention Program (ICCIP), Division of Safe Neighborhoods, Office of Public Safety. “So many times it feels like city workers work in silence, we work in the dark. Just being able to showcase what we do is amazing.”

“Too often the loudest stories about government workers are stories about failure, corruption, waste, and broken promises. But we’re here tonight to change that narrative.” — Jean Scrimgeour

His fellow winner, Dr. Mandy Manna, Principal and Farm Manager at Fox Chase Farm in Roxborough, said that the work she’s being honored for gives her hope. “Every day I learn from the students how to be better. So do I see a positive future for Philadelphia? Absolutely.”

“I’m just humbled and honored to be here,” said honoree Anthony Sweeney, a driver for the Sanitation Department. “Sanitation doesn’t get honored a lot, so this means the world to me.”

In addition to Scott, Manna, and Sweeney, the other winners included Michelle Bailey, Public Relations Specialist, Public Affairs Division, Philadelphia Water Department, and Faith Harris, Director of Social Service and Operations, Division of Criminal Justice, Office of Public Safety for the City of Philadelphia.

After presenting all of the winners their awards, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter led the crowd in taking the Athenian Oath — a pledge that dates back more than 2000 years and calls on all citizens to make like this year’s winners, and leave our city better than we found it. The oath — which Nutter has printed on the back of his business cards — reads:

“We will never bring disgrace on this our City by an act of dishonesty or cowardice. We will fight for the ideals and Sacred Things of the City both alone and with many. We will revere and obey the City’s laws, and will do our best to incite a like reverence and respect in those above us who are prone to annul them or set them at naught. We will strive unceasingly to quicken the public’s sense of civic duty. Thus, in all these ways, we will transmit this City not only, not less, but greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.”

Watch a recap video of the event:

Check out some pics from the event – a night Scrimgeour and others call “the most inspiring night of the year” – below, and be sure to follow us on social for more.

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