Phila.gov
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Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Wednesday announced appointments to 10 top posts in her administration, filling positions that have been vacant for as little as one week — such as the city’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, who was fired last week — and as long as 16 months.
Parker named Kehinde “Kenny” Solanke as the next commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, or DBHIDS, which manages city services for Philadelphians struggling with substance abuse and mental health and receives most of the federal funding directed to the city. Solanke’s role had not been filled on a permanent basis since March 2024, two months after Parker took office.
“I step into this role with humility, a sense of urgency, and deep commitment to the people of this city,” said Solanke, who will play a key role in Parker’s efforts to address the opioid crisis in Kensington and other neighborhoods. “The city is invested in a broad wellness ecosystem that recognizes how behavioral health connects to safety, housing and opportunity, and aims to give people a chance to heal, to recover, to thrive, and to belong.”