PHILADELPHIA — Today, Mayor Jim Kenney announced the departure of Kevin Lessard, Communications Director for the City of Philadelphia, who is leaving City government for a new opportunity. Sarah Peterson, currently Deputy Communication Director in the Mayor’s Office of Communications, will become the City’s Communications Director effective Monday, December 26, 2022.
“Our communications office is tasked with the important mission of implementing strategies to inform Philadelphians about their government and expand access to City services while also providing residents with critical information in times of emergency or breaking news. This mission is not always easy, but I’m thankful for and proud of the crucial efforts that Kevin has led to ensure our government remains transparent, accessible, and open,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “With her experience in various communications roles across City government, I’m also confident that Sarah Peterson is exactly the kind of committed and passionate public servant needed to build on our efforts moving forward.
Through nearly four years of service to the City, first as Communications Director for the Department of Commerce and then leading communications efforts in the Mayor’s Office, Kevin has been instrumental in creating and implementing comprehensive communications strategies that have helped to expand access to and keep residents and stakeholders informed about government programs, services, and resources. He joined the City in April 2019 and developed strategies to promote the work and impact of the Commerce Department, helped elevate Philadelphia’s global reputation as a place for business, and led communications efforts for business relief programs during the pandemic. In January 2023, Kevin will join PIDC as Vice President of Marketing Communications and Government Affairs.
“Serving the City of Philadelphia for the past four years—including the past two leading communications efforts for Mayor Kenney—has been the honor of my career. I’m proud to have had the opportunity to help move Philadelphia forward through some of the most difficult challenges our city has ever faced,” said Kevin Lessard. “Effective communications is central to City government, and I can’t think of a better successor than my talented and dedicated colleague Sarah Peterson to uphold this administration’s commitment to implementing effective ways to inform Philadelphia’s diverse residents, communities, and businesses about the City’s many—often critical—services and programs.”
“Providing timely, useful, and accessible information to residents is a vital function of government, and I look forward to working with the Mayor’s Office and City departments to sustain and build on our communications strategies to engage with and inform the public we serve,” said Sarah Peterson. “It’s an incredible privilege to work alongside the City of Philadelphia’s dedicated public servants, and I am proud to support and highlight their efforts to move our city forward.”
Sarah has served as a Deputy Communications Director in the Mayor’s Office since May 2021. Before joining the Mayor’s Communications Office, Sarah was the Communications Director in the Office of Children and Families and in the Mayor’s Office of Education. In those roles she developed public information campaigns about City supports for children and families during the pandemic, led the press and marketing efforts for PHLpreK and Community Schools, and managed communications related to the School District’s return to local governance. Sarah joined the City in 2017 after several years of working with local non-profit organizations.
Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Educational Studies minor, from Swarthmore College. She also earned a Master of Science in Communication Management from Temple University.
