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RSSCity Council Approves the Nomination of Brenna Berman as Chief Information Officer and Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Innovation and Technology
City Council today approved the nomination of Brenna Berman as the City’s next Chief Information Officer and the Commissioner of the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT). Berman is currently the acting Commissioner of DoIT and boasts over a decade of experience working with local governments to leverage data and technology to provide more innovative and effective services to residents.
“Throughout her career, Brenna has been a champion for leveraging data and technology to ensure that governments provide the best service possible for their residents, and I am proud to nominate her to lead our Department of Innovation and Technology,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Under her leadership, we will continue to be a leader in innovation and become an even more data-driven and nimble city, making Chicago a better place live.”
Now approved, Berman will succeed Brett Goldstein, the City’s first Chief Data Officer. Berman served as Goldstein’s First Deputy for the past year, playing an instrumental role in transforming DoIT to align with the Mayor’s vision for an open and data-driven government. She helped build Chicago’s open data program into one of the largest in the country, worked to implement the ground-breaking “WindyGrid” real-time spatial analytics platform across City government, has identified innovative civic and commercial partnerships, and has helped set a new standard for government IT. As Commissioner, Berman will ensure these projects continue to thrive and continue advancing the Mayor’s directive to enable more efficient, effective and open government on a platform of innovative technology.
“Residents expect their governments to be responsive and agile, and we can use data and technology to drive not only an effective government, but a smart government, that can meet these expectations,” said Berman. “I am honored to continue to serve the people of Chicago and excited to continue building upon the groundbreaking projects we’ve developed over the past two years to keep Chicago at the forefront of government innovation.”
Berman built a career promoting government innovation at IBM for more than ten years, where she worked closely with government agencies in cities and countries worldwide to leverage technology and analytics to improve the services they provide to their residents. Throughout her time at IBM, she tailored cutting-edge business models, from processes to analytic algorithms for large government organizations, in order to accelerate modernization efforts, cultivating an incredibly valuable skill set to help guide the work she will continue at DoIT.
"Brenna has worked tirelessly to make Chicago a better place,” said Chicago Chief Technology Officer John Tolva. “Operationally savvy, technologically astute, and completely dedicated to realizing Mayor Emanuel's vision of Chicago as America's technology hub, Brenna is an excellent choice to help lead the city’s continued innovation.”
Brenna Berman Biography
Berman currently serves as the acting Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT). She was previously the First Deputy Commissioner of DoIT, working with the first municipal Chief Data Officer to streamline government operations, incorporate analytics into everyday government operations and build one of the largest open data programs in the country. Berman began her time with the Emanuel Administration in May 2011 as a Deputy Budget Director. Before joining the administration, Berman spent over a decade at IBM Corporation, as a Global Sales Leader and Managing Consultant, focusing on government modernization initiatives across the globe to leverage the right technology and analytics to spur innovation, modernize operations, reduce costs and deliver better services to residents. Brenna earned her BA and a MA in Public Policy at the University of Chicago. She resides in Chicago with her husband and two sons.
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