The City of Philadelphia Department of Aviation, operator of Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) has announced the appointment of Donna Jackson-Stephans as Deputy Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Jackson-Stephans is the Department of Aviation’s first Deputy Director of DEI and will report to Chief Administrative Officer Delicsha Wilds.

“The Deputy Director for DEI is key role in the Department of Aviation, and we are excited to have Donna on our team,” said Wilds. “Donna has dedicated her 25-year career to the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion, specifically in municipal government. She is a champion for both organizational and individual change and strived to dismantle systemic racism and promote inclusive policymaking with a focus on racial healing."

In her role, Jackson-Stephans will direct the airports’ DEI initiatives, Workforce Development program and the Racial Equity Advisory Council (REAC), leading the creation and implementation of programs that ensure equal possible outcomes for every individual. She joins the Department of Aviation following a 20-year career in the City of Austin, Texas, including more than 10 years in enterprise departments, where she spearheaded workforce development, executive leadership development, succession planning, and diversity/ equity initiatives within a complex political environment.

Jackson-Stephans earned a Master of Science in Human Resources from Texas State University, graduating with honors. She was recognized in the LinkedIn 2021 Government Workplace Learning Report for efforts to deepen organizational conversations beyond diversity and bias to systemic inequities.