A former information analyst for the state of Delaware has been appointed as the city’s first chief data officer tasked with helping to create a more transparent government.
Mark Headd will work in the Office of Innovation and Technology and be responsible for publishing data online that will be available to the public through a searchable, user-friendly catalog. Mayor Michael Nutter established the city’s open data policy with an executive order signed in April.
Headd comes from Code for America, a nonprofit organization that helps city governments become more connected through innovation, where he served as government relations director. He also has an extensive resume in government. Prior to joining Code for America, he served as chief policy and budget adviser for Delaware’s Department of Technology and Information, director of the Delaware Government Information Center, and technology adviser to former Delaware Governor Thomas Carper.
Headd has also built open software applications for the District of Columbia, New York City and several other cities.
No timeline has been announced for the city’s open government portal.
