SAN FRANCISCO, CA---Today, Mayor London Breed and City Administrator Carmen Chu announced the appointment of urban planner and data & analytics manager Michelle Littlefield to serve as San Francisco’s Chief Data Officer. In this role, Littlefield will lead efforts to enhance the City’s operations and services through the use of data with the DataSF team.
“I’m proud to appoint Michelle Littlefield to serve as Chief Data Officer and excited to see her build on the critical work that the DataSF team has accomplished during the pandemic,” said Mayor Breed. “Her years of experience and knowledge within the field of data and analytics will help push what is already an impressive and seasoned department forward during a time when access to public data is so important.”
“I am pleased that Michelle Littlefield will continue her impact with the City as our new Chief Data Officer,” said City Administrator Carmen Chu. “Michelle is a proven leader with strong technical knowledge and a deep understanding of how to drive change. She is the right person to lead the important work of DataSF, bringing extensive local government experience, a keen technical eye, and a steadfast commitment to equity.”
As Chief Data Officer, Littlefield will focus on leading efforts to enhance the City’s trailblazing Open Data Portal (DataSF.org) and increase internal data sharing capacities across City departments, in addition to providing timely and transparent data in support of the City’s COVID-19 response and recovery work. She currently leads data and analytics initiatives for the San Francisco Planning Department and previously worked as a city planner for several Bay Area cities.
“San Francisco was one of the first cities in the country to establish an open data policy, and I’m excited to build upon this great legacy,” said Michelle Littlefield. “As we continue to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, timely access to accurate data is vitally important to make informed decisions. I look forward to working with City agencies to continue to develop a robust analytics ecosystem to help the City respond, anticipate risks, and adjust course when needed.”
The role of the City’s Chief Data Officer was first created in 2014 to empower the use of data in decision making and service delivery among citywide agencies. Over the years, DataSF has helped City departments use data to improve services and drive effective operations. The team has published 538 open datasets to date and has supported data dashboarding, data analytics, and citywide data policy development. Their innovative open data program, which makes timely data available for public use, has served as a model for organizations across the world.
DataSF has played an imperative role throughout the pandemic, making crucial COVID-19 data visible to the public through data dashboards that were accessed more than 4 million times in 2021 alone. These COVID-19 datasets help City leaders and agencies make data-driven policy decisions and advance equity in the City’s pandemic response.
Littlefield brings 10 years of experience leading and building analytics capabilities and driving digital transformation in local government. Littlefield was first hired by the City in 2019 to serve as the Data & Analytics Manager for the San Francisco Planning Department. During her tenure, she focused on establishing consistent data governance standards for reporting and data visualization, increasing GIS capabilities, and expanding the Department’s Data & Analytics team. Littlefield is passionate about connected urban systems and serves as an advisor on smart cities and urban analytics at various academic institutions and organizations.