Fire Dept. Commissioner Adam Thiel to be city's next managing director

As she continues to add members to her incoming administration, Philadelphia Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker has tapped Philadelphia Fire Department Commissioner Adam Thiel to be the city's next managing director.

In calling Thiel the 'right candidate' to lead the managing director's office, Parker highlighted Thiel's past -- not just his time atop the Philadelphia Fire Department -- but also his years as the director of the city's Office of Emergency Management as well.

Overall, she noted, Thiel has over 30 years of experience that, she said, would make him a good fit for this role.

"I believe that Adam Thiel is the right choice for managing director," she said to a round of applause.

Mayor Jim Kenney appointed Thiel as commissioner of the fire department in 2016 after Thiel had been serving as deputy secretary of public safety and homeland security for the commonwealth of Virginia.

He served as director of the Office of Emergency Management from 2019 to 2022.

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In accepting the role, Thiel said he was 'energized' by Parker's efforts and promised to work with her on a daily basis to make the city a better place.

"I am thrilled to be part of this incredible team, part of Mayor-elect Parker's team," he said Tuesday. "Twenty-four, seven, three-sixty-five, Mayor-elect, let's get started."

As for who will replace Thiel in the fire department, Parker said they are currently working to find a replacement.

"We are working on that, slow down," she said with a grin.

Earlier this month, Parker, announced the appointment of, what her office called her "top-three staff positions in her administration" -- her chief of staff and two deputy mayors.