Gutmann to aid Nutter transition

Penn President Amy Gutmann is bringing her political expertise to the city of Philadelphia.

Mayor-elect Michael Nutter appointed Gutmann and five other co-chairs to his transition team, yesterday.

Gutmann said she was "honored" to serve as part of the team, which will evaluate the city's operations and develop long-term policy plans in preparation for the mayor-elect's administration.

"I look forward to doing everything I can to further the agenda that he has set out," she said. "We're proud to have a Penn graduate as mayor, and the most important thing one can do to show one's pride is to [help] that very important agenda succeed."

Nutter said in a press release that he was proud of the team's "extraordinary talent and diverse experience."

The transition committee also plays an important role in helping to select staff for the new administration.

"That's probably the most important piece of the transition team's work," said Zachary Stalberg, president of the Committee of Seventy, a non-partisan group for clean government.

"New staff members are the ones that are implementing policy. It's not too often that a transition team will surface with a great new idea that you've never heard of before."

Members will likely produce a public report evaluating the city's current state of affairs within the first few months of the administration, Stalberg added.

Jon Herrmann, executive director of Campus Philly, an organization that helps attract and retain college students in the area, said Gutmann's appointment underscored Nutter's "commitment to the importance of higher education and economic development."

"Gutmann serving on the transition committee allows her to tap expertise throughout the University to assist the incoming administration on a number of issues," he said.

The transition committee will also take the unique step of evaluating existing agencies on their customer service, said Richard Hayden, a lawyer with Saul Ewing and Counsel to the Committee.

He added that officials are also planning to divide the team into seven policy committees, tackling issues like environmental sustainability, urban planning and city branding.

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