This week, chief data officers from some of the country’s biggest cities convened at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC to share experiences and learn from leaders in the field. CDOs from DC, Boston, San Francisco, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and other U.S. cities, all members of the Civic Analytics Network, attended. The Network was founded 10 years ago by Professor Stephen Goldsmith at Harvard and is now facilitated by GovEx.
The CDO role has taken on new prominence in recent years, as cities grapple with when and how to seize the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence while avoiding potential risks, including alienating residents who are also adapting to AI. The convening opened with a lightning round, in which cities shared updates on recent projects and efforts to integrate AI across city halls. Many discussions focused on breaking down silos between city departments and leveraging AI to improve resident services, like permitting and waste collection.
Next, the CDOs heard from expert speakers, including Denice Ross, director of federal data policy at the Federation of American Scientists, Dr. Dominique Duval-Diop, acting CDO of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Keith Krut, manager of analytics and enterprise architecture at the National Gallery of Art. Participants discussed changes in the collection and availability of federal data sources, integration of federal, state, and city data, and increasing public access to data.
After lunch, the CDOs met with William Howell, dean of Johns Hopkins’ new School of Government and Policy, the primary tenant of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center. Dean Howell told the CDOs that he hoped the Center would continue to host sessions like this one, where on-the-ground practitioners shared notes on governance and problem-solving in cities. He encouraged the CDOs to stay connected with him and the school and expressed hope that their work would inform the kind of strategic, practical education the school will offer.
Next the group heard from Lynn Overmann, executive director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation. Overmann talked about the State CDO Network and presented archetypes of state CDO roles and structures, noting that they largely align with GovEx’s recently published description of city CDO archetypes. She also noted state CDOs’ challenges, including increased responsibilities without increased resources, and efforts to leverage AI tools without adequate training or governance frameworks – challenges echoed by some city CDOs.
Day one rounded out with a professional development seminar on Claude presented by GovEx CDO-in-Residence Justin Elscasz, former CDO of Baltimore, and a tour of the National Gallery of Art.
On the second day, CDOs spent the morning in a closed executive session in which they officially named Cheriene Floyd, CDO of Miami, as member-chair of the Civic Analytics Network before adjourning. Listen to Floyd’s reflections on the changing CDO role in our conversation with her on GovEx’s Data Points podcast. During the convening, we also sat down with Boston CDO Shin-pei Tsay and Washington DC CDO Matthew Sokol for future Data Points episodes. Follow GovEx on LinkedIn and Instagram to make sure you don’t miss them.
