There will be a changing of the guard in the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office beginning October 1 as Christina Pastrana Hernandez, currently First Deputy Chief of Staff, will succeed James Engler as Chief of Staff.

Mayor Jim Kenney accepted Engler’s resignation, as he will ChristianaCare as Executive Director of the Office of the President and Chief of Staff. Engler has served as a senior advisor to Kenney since the beginning of his term in office.

“While I accept Jim Engler’s resignation with great regret, I’m also pleased to see him take on an exciting new opportunity, one that aligns with his passions and experience,” said Kenney. “I have known Jim for over 15 years, and he has always been the consummate professional and measured leader that provided invaluable guidance and strategic thinking as we tackled critical issues facing our city.”

Hernandez joined the administration in February 2016, first serving as Assistant Director of Legislation, and later Director of Legislation. As First Deputy Chief of Staff, she currently oversees the Mayor’s Office of Legislative Affairs in their efforts to advocate Administration priorities on the local, state and federal levels and serves as the Administration’s liaison for a portfolio of departments including Finance, Law, and the Public Safety cluster in the Managing Director’s Office.

“I’m also thrilled to select Christina Hernandez as my new Chief of Staff,” said Kenney. “Throughout my career in public service, I have always worked hard to attract the smartest and most talented staff, and recognize the need to empower them and listen to them. Christina exemplifies this, as her expertise and advice has been an incredible asset to our Administration since she first joined in February 2016 as Assistant Director of Legislation. Over nearly the past seven years, I’ve come to depend on her advice and judgment on the complex issues facing Philadelphians, and she garners the same respect from her colleagues across the City.”

Engler replaced Jane Slusser, who resigned in August 2018.