As part of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s effort to ensure full disclosure to the public, he announced Wednesday the hiring of a chief data officer to organize and oversee dissemination of the reams of information being collected.
Abhi Nemani, who had been co-executive director of the nonprofit Code for America, a technology organization dedicated to reinventing government for the 21st century, will be coordinating with city agencies to process the data and ensure its clear posting on the mayor’s Open Data portal, data.lacity.org.
“I’m pleased that Abhi Nemani is joining my team to manage the collection of data citywide and create tools to use data that will help solve everyday challenges for our residents,” Garcetti said.
He had issued an executive directive last year for all departments to begin providing the raw information on the activities they perform. Under the order, the mayor said he was seeking to promote transparency and accountability by making everything possible available to the public.
“Open Data is raw data generated or collected by government agencies made freely available for use by the public, subject only to valid privacy, confidentiality, security and other legal restrictions,” he said.
Nemani is looking forward to the challenge. “Data has the power to transform the daily lives of L.A. residents and visitors,” he said.
“Knowing where your money is going, where a parking space is available and where an event is taking place puts information into the hands of those who need it most.”
Nemani will be part of Garcetti’s Office of Budget and Innovation and will work with the city’s Information Technology Agency and Peter Marx, the mayor’s first Innovation Technology Officer.
