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People thought Rebecca Rhynhart was crazy when she decided to run for Philadelphia controller. At the time, the city never had a woman in the position. Rhynhart also did not have a traditional political background.
She worked on Wall Street for seven years before transitioning to city government, where she took on the roles of treasurer, budget director and chief administrative officer.
Despite doubts, Rhynhart shocked the political establishment by ousting a three-term incumbent to become the city’s first female controller in 2018.
Now, she’s shaking up the old-school political climate by auditing public spending and identifying ways to help taxpayers get the most for their money.
“If we can identify $10 million of wasted money and have that money be redirected to go towards helping people with the opioid crisis, or the trauma of gun violence, or repaving streets, then that matters,” says Rhynhart.
Hear more from Rhynhart on this episode of "In the Arena."
Previous Guests:
- Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University
- Mayors Melvin Carter of St. Paul, Minn.; Jenn Daniels of Gilbert, Ariz.; Jacob Frey of Minneapolis and Francis Suarez of Miami
- Chris Castro, Director of Sustainability for Orlando, Fla.
- Kim Foxx, State's Attorney for Cook County, Ill.
- Doug Burgum, Governor of N.D.
- Steve Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, S.C.
- Kristen Cox, Executive Director of Utah Office of Management and Budget
- Acquanetta Warren, Mayor of Fontana, Calif.
- Greg Fischer, Mayor of Louisville, Ky.
- Themis Klarides, Minority Leader of the Conn. House
- Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, Calif.
