A note from Amanda Daflos, the Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University:
Proving that public innovation is a force for positive change in communities around the world has never been more important. It is through this lens that I will be returning to the City of Los Angeles next month as the Deputy Mayor of a new Office of Strategic Partnerships, stepping down from my incredible role as the Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation (BCPI) at Johns Hopkins University. In my new role, I will focus on building partnerships with philanthropic organizations, businesses, and community groups to advance the success of important moments in the Los Angeles region including the World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.
Helping to establish and lead the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation has been the great honor of my career. Together with my team, and an extraordinary array of partners, we have advanced public sector innovation in local governments around the globe in service of making tangible impact in residents’ lives. From establishing the Center to cultivating a thriving Public Innovators Network, to strengthening city innovation teams and leaders, to launching the first-of-its-kind Path to Public Innovation curriculum, to forming the BCPI Summer Scholars Program to inspire Johns Hopkins students to take on careers in public innovation, to housing unique fellowships for public sector leaders, this work makes a difference and is moving the field forward.
While my time with the Center will come to a close on March 21, this important work will continue to thrive under Dr. Francisca Rojas, who will step into the role of Interim Executive Director. In addition to her three-plus years as Academic Director at the Center, Dr. Rojas has dedicated her career to improving quality of life for residents in cities through innovation. She has led housing and urban development initiatives at the Inter-American Development Bank, advised Chile’s Minister of Housing and Urban Development, and served as project planner for Washington D.C.’s Office of Planning. As a research director and postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, she has helped to shape strategies that make governments more effective and transparent.
It has been a privilege to work alongside so many partners, peers, and public sector leaders dedicated to lifting up local governments – and the people they serve – each day. I look forward to cheering on the Center and all it will do to advance its mission of strengthening public sector innovation from the ground up—for the cities that impact people’s lives most directly.
With gratitude and optimism for the future,
