White House Honors “Champions of Change” in City and County Innovation

Thirteen Local Innovation Champions of Change were highlighted at a White House event, Sept. 25, 2012. (Photo by the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs) September 25, 2012.

On Tuesday, the White House welcomed 13 Local Innovation Champions of Change from cities and counties across the country who have committed themselves to creating a more open and innovative government through entrepreneurship.

Whether making local government information and public data more accessible; creating local environments to encourage and support entrepreneurs; or developing workforce programs to provide residents with skills for the high-tech economy, these Champions of Change have worked tirelessly to build a better future for the citizens they serve, create jobs in their community, and ensure more efficient and effective government. 

As a result of their efforts, citizens across the country have access to a more transparent government, more opportunities for participation in the activities of their city or county, and tools that catalyze new types of collaboration between the public, private, non-profit, and citizen sectors of the local community. 

All of the Champions honored on Tuesday showcased the amazing movement of innovation in government across America. In addition to celebrating success, the Champions of Change event provided a unique opportunity to share innovative city government products, services, and business models with other cities and discuss how to scale these innovations to others, challenging all cities across the nation to similar levels of improvement.

Check out all 13 Local Innovation Champions recognized this week:

• Phil Bertolini
• Mary Bunting
• Adel Ebeid
• Michael Flowers
• Carolyn Hogg
• Michele Hovet
• Nigel Jacob
• Doug Matthews
• Jay Nath
• Chris Osgood
• John Tolva
• Ted Smith
• Rob White

Find out more about the Champions of Change program and nominate a future Champion.