Clarena Tolson

Revenue Commissioner Clarena I. W. Tolson is an experienced leader, having served Philadelphia’s residents in a number of positions over the past 30 years in City government.  The Commissioner is a proven and inventive leader in public policy, logistics and organizational management.Previously, Tolson served as Streets Commissioner for the city.  During her tenure as Streets Commissioner, the department made ground-breaking strides on a number of fronts, including the turnaround of sanitation efficiency and service delivery, development of a growing single-stream recycling program, the UnLitter Us program, the Big Belly solar compactors and the conversion of 55,000 traffic signals to LED signals. Commissioner Tolson led the department in the reconstruction of the South Street Bridge, the largest and most complex project in the history of the Streets Department. During her tenure as Streets Commissioner, the department made ground-breaking strides on a number of fronts, including the turnaround of sanitation efficiency and service delivery, development of a growing single-stream recycling program, the UnLitter Us program, the Big Belly solar compactors and the conversion of 55,000 traffic signals to LED signals. Commissioner Tolson led the department in the reconstruction of the South Street Bridge, the largest and most complex project in the history of the Streets Department.Her professional affiliations include the American Public Works Association (APWA), United States Conference of Mayors, Urban League Leadership Institute, Leadership, Inc, National Coalition of 100 Black Women and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Tolson was selected as a “2012 Minority Business Leader” by the Philadelphia Business Journal.  She was, also featured as an exceptional woman executive in the Profiles in Diversity Journal’s 2012 September/October “11th Annual Women Worth Watching®” issue. Tolson lives with her husband, Gus, and their three children in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia.  She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. @PhillyRevComm