WHEREAS, Joanne Dahme is a longtime resident of the Roxborough Neighborhood of Philadelphia. She was first hired by the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) in 1980 as a Civil Engineer after graduating from Villanova University; and
WHEREAS, From 1999 to 2008, Joanne Dahme served as PWD’s Watersheds Programs Manager. At the Office of Watersheds, Dahme directed the development and implementation of regional watershed partnerships; and
WHEREAS, During the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Dahme tirelessly worked to visit many impacted areas to coordinate relief efforts, as well as reassure residents and the rest of Philadelphia that PWD was there for them and ready to respond; and
WHEREAS, It was Dahme’s leadership that greatly improved customer service within PWD by pushing the Department towards a modern cloud-based system and by streamlining the way PWD and the Water Revenue Bureau work together; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, Dahme served as the first ever Chair of the Citywide Flood Risk Management Task Force, an inter-departmental group she shepherded into existence to address flooding concerns in every neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, Dahme’s work did not stop at the City level. She also rallied federal and state regulators, along with City partners, and community leaders behind the revolutionary Green City, Clean Waters Program, to reduce storm water pollution entering the Philadelphia water system; and
WHEREAS, In 2016, Dahme won the Richardson Dilworth Award for Excellence in Customer Service, one of the most prestigious awards a City employee can receive; and
WHEREAS, In addition to her work with PWD, Dahme is an accomplished writer, having published five young adult novels, including “Contagion,” a historical novel set in the Water Works in 1895 during the typhoid epidemic; and
WHEREAS, Dahme’s unwavering dedication to public service, contagious enthusiasm, and positivity have made her a great asset to the City of Philadelphia, as well as an inspiration to those around her; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes and honors Joanne Dahme for her many years of service as the General Manager of the Public Affairs Division for the Philadelphia Water Department.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Joanne Dahme as further evidence of the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body.
End