MEET NICOLAS DIAZ AMIGO

CHIEF INNOVATION & DATA OFFICER

My commitment to public sector innovation has always been rooted at the local level. My first job at the municipality in Santiago, Chile where I'm originally from introduced me to my lifelong love for city government. Though resources were always scarce and the needs plenty, I also got to learn from so many colleagues who were relentless in their pursuit of a better city for all, in matters as diverse as improving the pedestrian experience and reducing childhood obesity. I aim to carry that passion with me for the rest of my professional career.

During the two years that I pursued a Master in Public Policy, my one overarching goal was to understand what methodologies and tools can help cities produce outcomes and services that are more efficient, effective and equitable. Working for the City of Syracuse is the best opportunity to put those ideas into practice: not only is the City already aware of the need for innovation (after 5 years of the teams existence), but also possesses vibrant civic, academic and professional communities that we will need to work alongside to fulfill our promise.

In my free time I enjoy nature and music. I think I will very much enjoy apple picking season.

Please reach out if there is any way that the Innovation Team can help out.

Connect with Nico (he/him)

Email: ndiaz@syrgov.net | LinkedIn Profile

MEET CONOR MULDOON

DEPUTY CHIEF INNOVATION & DATA OFFICER

I am a native Central New Yorker who recently relocated my family back to Syracuse after fifteen years in Chicago and New York City.

My professional background is in urban planning, economic development, and real estate. In hindsight, it’s easy to see that the seeds for that career path were planted at my parent's kitchen table, pouring over full-page Post Standard spreads about the future plans for the expansion of Carousel Mall.

My introduction to programming and data analysis began in graduate school, where I learned to write code in SAS and use GIS to support the Furman Center’s affordable housing research. Following grad school, I spent 6 years at HR&A Advisors, an economic development and real estate consulting firm, where I led interdisciplinary teams to develop downtown placemaking and revitalization strategies, quantify the economic and fiscal impact of large-scale capital projects, and construct long-term strategic visions for organizations and municipalities across the country.

I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to work in my hometown to develop new and creative solutions to our city’s civic challenges and champion an administration-wide effort in data-driven decision making and performance management.

In my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with my wife and two young daughters, cooking elaborate meals, building backyard playhouses, and exploring all that Syracuse and Upstate New York have to offer from the home base of our Meadowbrook neighborhood. 

Connect with Conor (he/him)

Email: cmuldoon@syrgov.net | LinkedIn Profile

MEET CRAIG WITMER

INNOVATION PROJECT LEADER

Craig was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the Southtowns of Buffalo, NY. He pursued a bachelor’s degree in diplomacy and international relations at Seton Hall University. Upon graduation, he worked in the service, hospitality, and start-up spaces before joining a boutique law firm in New York City, all while serving different causes through grassroots community organizations. 

He recently graduated from a double-degree master’s program between the University of South Carolina and  ESCP Business School – Paris, specializing in International Trade and Investment; Economics and Public Policy; and Global Strategy. 

The opportunity to work on a dynamic, thoughtful team back in the State of New York motivated him to join the API team – and he’s excited to work on projects that improve the lives of Syracusans while getting to know the City as a new resident (and for lacrosse season).

He's passionate about hospitality, food, travel, reading, public policy, fashion, urbanism, games, learning new things, and lists.

And, of course, Go Bills. 

Connect with Craig (He/Him)

Email: cwitmer@syr.gov

MEET JOANNA BAILEY

DATA ANALYST

I am a born and raised Central New Yorker, having lived across from a dairy farm through high school and then moving all around Syracuse and its suburbs for school and work. I have been fortunate to work for several local companies and universities in data analytics, and I am continuing my education at Syracuse University with a Master’s in Public Health. I’m excited to work as a data analyst in the Office of Accountability, Performance, and Innovation to help inform on work that can benefit the city that has been my home my whole life.

I enjoy the four seasons of the Syracuse area, especially summers on local lakes and falls with apple and pumpkin picking. I also love all the local food available, including supporting food trucks, shopping at the Regional Market, and cooking with the items in my CSA.

Connect with Joanna (she/her)

Email: jbailey@syrgov.net 

Meet Sunaina Kuhn

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT & INNOVATION SPECIALIST

I have worked in or alongside the public sector for over a decade and am passionate about creating positive social change for residents and communities. After many years at a grassroots level, evaluating and identifying inefficiencies and bottlenecks in policy implementation, I was driven to pursue my Master’s in Design from the Institute of Design, Chicago, where I specialized in Civic Design, Systems Thinking and Service Design. Working on the API team and with the City of Syracuse allows me to marry my recently acquired design skills with my research, evaluation and data skills from previous experiences. As a Performance and Innovation specialist I look forward to utilizing data to better inform decision making and performance management within the city to ultimately serve residents better. 

When not at work, you can find me outside – playing pickleball, walking, or even just laying in the grass. I adore animals, love a good book, a delicious meal, napping, and I am currently trying to address my fear of a blank page by putting pencil to paper and trusting the process. 

Connect with Sunaina (she/her) 

Email: skuhn@syrgov.net  

MEET JORDANNA COUTIHNO

Innovation Designer

I am a social innovator and systems thinker, channeling my expertise in design research and strategy towards identifying patterns and providing insights that turn social and civic problems into opportunities for impact through creative problem-solving. I believe design has the power to unlock resilient cities, living communities, and a net positive economy. It’s this belief that led me to pursue a Masters's Degree in Design For Sustainability at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Since then I have worked with social enterprises, nonprofits, and start-ups to maximize their impact, designing at the frontlines to build resilient products and services that speak to communities.  As an innovation designer with the City of Syracuse, I am most excited to explore the intersection of human-centered design, service delivery, and policymaking. 

In my free time, you can find me snuggled in with a good book, illustrating, playing the ukulele, or picnicking in the park.

Connect with Jordanna (she/her)

Email: jcoutihno@syrgov.net

MEET JASON THOMAS

ARPA Data Analyst

I wasn't born in Syracuse but I got here as fast as I could. I moved to Syracuse in 2015 and quickly grew to love the snowy winters and gorgeous summers.

Growing up, I used my love for numbers to gain an edge in video games before going to graduate school to get my Ph.D. in political science. I wrote my dissertation using quantitative analysis and econometric models to study election outcomes around the world before moving to Syracuse to work as a post-doctoral researcher at Syracuse University in an analytics role. Afterward, I worked in the private sector as a consultant, helping local businesses to better understand and use their own unique data to reach their goals and operate more efficiently.

Now I look to bring my passion and skills for quantitative analysis to help the city of Syracuse and the API team. In my free time, I love cooking, running, and gaming with friends.

Connect with Jason (he/him)

Email: jthomas@syrgov.net

MEET ROBIN BISTA

Data Engineer

My fascination with technology shaping our society led me to DePauw University to pursue a degree in Computer Science. During my undergraduate years, I experimented with various tech-related fields, from troubleshooting issues on the college website to 3D printing space suits. Over time, I found my niche – Data. In my work, I enjoy turning data into impact and helping individuals, societies, and organizations make more informed decisions. 

I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with the City of Syracuse as a Data Engineer. There is freedom for me to dig deep into the challenges Syracusans face in real life and find ways to solve the problems. As a result, government operations are more efficient. 

In my free time, I chiefly enjoy venturing outdoors, reading a book (sometimes rereading them), cooking and experimenting with new recipes, or wandering (for curiosity) on beautiful aspects of life, society, and human culture.

Ping me anytime and we are on for an adventure!

Connect with Robin (he/him)

Email: rbista@syr.gov | LinkedIn 

MEET JASON SCHARF

Data Program Manager

I have lived in Syracuse, NY for the last 15 years and have grown to love it as my new home. I enjoy exploring the many parks, hiking trails, and waterways with my family which includes my wife, Courtney, our sons, Jaiden and Luke, and our dog, Ryder. I have worked in local government for the past 10 years and am passionate about using technology and open data to educate, inspire, and help our residents. With a group of friends, I previously helped launch and lead a local Code for America chapter in Syracuse, NY which sought to partner with local non-profits and local governments to create websites and digital products to help community members. I have also enjoyed accessing public data to create Data Visualizations as a student and hobbyist.  

I am beyond thrilled to support and improve our public data portal and provide transparency on how the City of Syracuse uses surveillance technology. I enjoy being active in computer coding boot camps, Syracuse's developer Meetups, local Hackathons, and community data meetings. Please feel to reach out if you have ideas about public data, datasets that you would like to see, or are interested in using public data for an educational, work, or personal project.

Connect with Jason (he/him)

Email: jscharf@syrgov.net | LinkedIn Profile ​

MEET TREVOR GRANT

Cloud Architecture and Smart Cities Fellow

I was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, and graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. in Philosophy and Neuroscience. I am currently working towards a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a focus on Human-Centered Computing and Algorithmic Economics.

I am a proponent of the democratization of data and am therefore excited to become a member of the API team and help to build and maintain the city’s data infrastructure to help deliver actionable results as well as make the process of leveraging data in day-to-day operations easier for all. I am pleased and humbled to have to opportunity to give back to the community that has always been my home.

When not in the office I spend my time writing and performing music, coming in 4th place in Mario Party, and learning how computers do (and don’t) work by fixing (and breaking) them.

If you want to talk about bits and bytes, guitar tones, or the meaning of life (or, if you just need something accomplished with regards to data, I suppose) my inbox is always open.

Connect with Trevor (he/him)

Email: tgrant@syrgov.net

MEET MIA CAPONE

Procurement Transformation Fellow

Born in Watertown, NY, I was excited to accept the Harvard Kennedy School's Government Performance Lab's (GPL) offer to work with the City of Syracuse as a Government Innovations Fellow. As a member of the GPL Procurement and Economic Mobility Team, for the next year, I will be closely collaborating with teams across City Hall and, in particular, the API team, to transform the City's procurement systems as a tool to increase vendor diversity and to strengthen the delivery of services to the community.I bring to this work a variety of experiences from the non-profit and international development sectors, ranging from on-the-ground project design and implementation while leading a two-year community development program in Amazonas, Peru, to managing a $120+ million grant portfolio at the Rainforest Alliance. In my previous roles, I have spearheaded the development and implementation of new protocol and tools for improved program efficacy and inter-departmental coordination, holistic grants and data management, and donor stewardship, with a focus on sustainability and cross-cultural collaboration.

I am grateful for this opportunity to return to my roots and apply my expertise to give back to the region that raised me - while simultaneously soaking up my favorite things in Northern New York -- the nature, the people, and the cheese curd!

Connect with Mia (she/her)

Email: mcapone@syrgov.net 

MEET PABLO URIBE

Gun Violence Reduction Fellow

I am a lawyer with degrees from Universidad del Rosario (Colombia), a Master’s in Government from ICESI University (Colombia), and most recently the Kennedy School.

I started my career working as an attorney-at-law representing low-income communities and small businesses. In 2016 I entered the public service sector, working as a public safety and justice consultant in the government of the city of Cali, the third most important city in Colombia and one of the most violent worldwide. A year later, I was promoted to Deputy Secretary for Security Policy. In that position, I designed and implemented crime policies that reduced homicides by 17% in three years, reaching their lowest levels in reliably recorded history.

Subsequently, I went to work as a citizen security consultant for the Bucaramanga city government. There I coordinated the design of the city's four-year crime strategy, recognized as Colombia's best municipal security plan by the Interior Ministry. At Harvard, I worked as a teaching assistant for the courses “Corruption: Finding It and Fixing It,” and “Why Are So Many Countries Poor, Volatile, and Unequal,” and the executive education program “Leading Economic Growth.”

Connect with Pablo (he/him)

Email: puribe@syrgov.net 

CONTACT US

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