Contact: LaToya Foster (EOM) (202) 727-5011; [email protected]
Michael Rupert (OCTO) (202) 724-5178; [email protected]
(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser named Matt Bailey, User Experience Manager for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as the District’s first Director of Technology Innovation for the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO).
"The District of Columbia is answering the call to create innovative solutions to address the challenges we face as a city. Director Bailey will use technology to improve the way we work and serve residents—delivering better access and transparency across District government. His work will be critical in our efforts to expand opportunity and create more pathways to the middle class," said Mayor Bowser.
In his new role, Bailey will help connect DC government with the innovation economy and the civic technology community. His focus areas will include closing the innovation gap, using technology to stimulate job creation, and improving access to innovative solutions to serve the District’s most overlooked communities. Bailey’s selection came after a long-term search for an innovation leader who could use technology as a platform to engage citizens, create transparency and broaden access to District government. He is scheduled to begin his new role on Monday, May 11, 2015.
"Innovation isn’t just about creating the latest app or deploying the newest technology. Innovation is about improving how we live and making government more accessible and accountable to residents. I look forward to working with Mayor Bowser to make the District of Columbia a better place, defined by its responsiveness and its collaborative spirit," said Bailey.
Matt is also a co-founder of Code for DC, an all-volunteer organization that builds technology to help to improve the lives of District residents. Prior to that, Matt was the Chief Technology Officer for Citizen Effect, a nonprofit that paired a Kickstarter-like fundraising platform with community organizing and skill-building domestically and abroad. He’s worked in civil sector technology consulting, web development and information security.
The announcement came as part of innoMAYtion, a month-long initiative launched by Mayor Bowser this week to highlight innovative programs that spur job creation, engage residents, and position the District as an innovation hub.
Bailey received his BA in English from Gonzaga University in 2004 and Master of Arts in English from Georgetown University in 2011. Bailey is a resident of Ward 2.