Across the country, a growing segment of the population has been struggling to gain a foothold. For people with histories of homelessness, incarceration, substance abuse, mental health challenges, limited education and low-income, finding a job in an increasingly high-skilled labor force is proving to be more difficult. According to a 2017 report by McKinsey & Co, almost … Continued
More than 250 students were gathered at the Bob Hope Theater on January 16, waiting for Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs to make an announcement about the future of their education. Before Tubbs took the stage, motivational speaker Amanda King addressed the crowd. “How many of you are planning to go to college?” she asked. Nearly … Continued
City leaders from across the country convened last week at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, pledging to work together in a bipartisan fashion on the most critical issues that affect the communities they serve. Over the course of three days in Washington D.C., more than 250 mayors addressed a broad range of issues, including immigration, … Continued
As cities face ever-changing challenges, civic leaders from across different sectors and industries are finding new ways to take them on. At the recent Meeting of the Minds summit, a group of leaders from local government agencies, corporations, foundations, nonprofits, and academia came together during a lively discussion to share what they’ve learned. We asked the … Continued
Chris Hornstein began his fellowship in Pittsburgh two months ago, and he’s already well on his way to designing a systemic approach to developing a strategic plan for clean, safe, and functional public facilities. It’s become clear at the outset that collaboration is going to be imperative in getting any traction on this project, as is … Continued
What makes a community flourish? It’s a subjective question, and the answer depends on what each community needs. But even weighing the many variables from city to city, a few universal themes emerged at the NationSwell Summit Roadmap to the Future, a recent gathering of civic leaders who had assembled to share proven solutions. These tactical … Continued
The San Francisco Ethics Commission was established to provide education and enforcement of ethics, campaign finance, and lobbying laws. FUSE Fellow Gayathri Thaikkendiyil was tasked with developing a plan to redesign and modernize the commission’s website and e-filing project, with the ultimate goal of increasing public engagement and government accountability. She brought together key stakeholders such as … Continued
Niles Friedman worked with the State of California to establish an Office of Innovation for the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS). That included creating a staffing model and a plan from the ground up, and most importantly, building an innovation movement among the complex web of 12 departments and three offices within CHHS. … Continued
What does it take to drive innovative solutions in local government? It all comes down to people skills. That, and a vision for the long game. That was the conclusion of the panel entitled “The Challenges and Opportunities of Driving Innovative Change” at the Meeting of the Minds conference in Cleveland last week, moderated by FUSE CEO … Continued