November 15, 2017
Published by: Managing Director’s Office, Department of Commerce, Office of the Mayor
PHILADELPHIA — The Department of Commerce and Managing Director’s Office announced that the City of Philadelphia is partnering with FUSE Corps to welcome an executive FUSE Fellow who will support the development and implementation of a citywide workforce strategy. Barry Wilkins, the City’s inaugural FUSE Fellow, joined the program after 15 years of experience in the banking industry.
“Creating a vision for workforce development that addresses the needs of both employers and Philadelphia residents is a top priority for my administration,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “The Department of Commerce and Managing Director’s Office have been working diligently to turn that vision into an actionable strategy; and the addition of a private sector leader like Barry Wilkins to our team will help ensure the employer perspective is well represented in the citywide workforce strategy.”
In his role as a FUSE Fellow, Wilkins will be focused on reaching out to stakeholders and especially to employers to understand their challenges and get their buy-in for participation in the workforce development strategy. He will also coordinate with workforce intermediaries and partners to build out the infrastructure necessary to support the development of relevant and impactful sector-based partnerships in high-growth sectors of the economy.
“It is a great honor to join the City of Philadelphia as a FUSE Fellow for the next year,” said Barry Wilkins. “After more than a decade in the private sector, I am eager to apply my skillset as a public servant. Creating an environment and opportunities where more Philadelphia residents can realize economic security and move into the middle class is not about charity – it is smart policy, and smart business. I look forward to being part of the strategy that will guide the City’s efforts in this arena for the next several years.”
Wilkins will work with the Department of Commerce and Managing Director’s Office during his one-year fellowship. He is a banking professional with more than 15 years of industry experience across retail banking, corporate and investment banking, and wealth management. Most recently, Barry served as a senior relationship strategist at PNC Bank, where he led a team of advisors in the creation and implementation of comprehensive wealth plans tailored to the unique needs of his clients. Prior to that, he held several positions at Wachovia, including international structured trade analyst, where he provided detailed management reporting related to commercial lending activities across the company’s global correspondent banking network. Barry earned a BS in economics from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA in finance from LaSalle University.