UNDER NEW WWC SENIOR FELLOWS PROGRAM, FORMER MAYORS AND EXPERT PRACTITIONERS WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT TO CITY LEADERS AS THEY EXPAND THEIR USE OF DATA AND EVIDENCE
NEW YORK – Results for America, the campaign manager for What Works Cities, announced today that former Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter and former New York City Chief Analytics Officer Mike Flowers will serve as 2016 What Works Cities (WWC) Senior Fellows, providing expert guidance to city leaders in participating What Works Cities as they expand their use of data and evidence to improve residents’ lives. The WWC Senior Fellows will lend their expertise and city leadership experience to support the national movement focused on utilizing what works practices in government decision-making. Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, What Works Cities is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to enhance the use of data and evidence in the public sector.
“Michael Nutter and Mike Flowers both have great track records using data and evidence in creative ways to improve people’s lives in cities. The wisdom they bring to the table from their work in Philadelphia and New York will be a valuable asset for everyone participating in What Works Cities,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term Mayor of New York City.
Michael A. Nutter served as Mayor of Philadelphia from 2008 through January 2016. During his tenure, Mayor Nutter championed the use of data and evidence and performance-based governance. He established strategic goals with measureable targets to drive the work of city agencies, launched PhillyStat, Philadelphia’s performance management system, and established Philadelphia’s open data policy in 2012, one of the first large cities to adopt such a policy. In 2015, he spearheaded the redesign of OpenDataPhilly, the city’s open data portal, increasing access to data sets including crime data, property assessments and campaign finance. In 2015, he also announced the implementation of the new Philly 311 customer service system enabling citizens to submit service requests, view city information and engage with local organizations by phone, the web, an app, social media or in person. He is currently a professor of professional practice in urban policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
As a What Works Cities Senior Fellow, Mayor Nutter will serve as a national spokesperson for this work and an advisor to current mayors. He will also provide advice and strategic support to participating cities, focusing on taking action and community engagement efforts.
Mike Flowers served under Mayor Bloomberg from 2009-2013 as New York City’s first Chief Analytics Officer. During his tenure, he founded the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics, promoting the use of data to make better decisions. Flowers designed and oversaw the implementation of NYC DataBridge, a citywide analytics platform that enabled the sharing and analysis of city data across agencies and with the public, and ran the implementation of the city’s internationally recognized Open Data initiative. He is currently the Chief Analytics Officer at the tech start-up Enigma.io, where he leads data scientists assisting the development and deployment of technology and decision-support products to Fortune 100 clients.
As a What Work Cities Senior Fellow, Flowers will oversee a new Analytics Kick Start Program run by WWC partner the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University. He will also hold workshops with city leaders and help facilitate the development of a community of city government analytics practitioners.
Launched in April 2015, What Works Cities will provide direct support to 100 mid-sized cities over three years as well as release resources and tools for all cities to enhance their use of data and evidence to engage residents, make government more effective and improve lives. What Works Cities was named by Forbes as “one of the biggest philanthropic bets on social change from 2015.”
ABOUT BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES:
Bloomberg Philanthropies works in over 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2015, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed over half a billion dollars. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat: Bloombergdotorg and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.
ABOUT RESULTS FOR AMERICA
Results for America (RFA) improves outcomes for young people, their families, and communities by shifting public resources toward evidence-based, results-driven solutions. RFA is working to achieve this goal by building a strong bipartisan “Invest in What Works” coalition; developing and advancing the next generation of evidence-based, results-driven practices, policies, and programs; and supporting leaders at all levels of government to invest in what works. For more information about Results for America, click here.
Contact:
What Works Cities, Sharman Stein, o: (646) 854-5420 c: (914) 522-4102, [email protected]