People news: Miner appoints Andrew Maxwell to lead Office of Innovation

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner has appointed Andrew Maxwell to lead the city’s newly created Office of Innovation.

Maxwell has been serving as director of the Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency. He previously led the City of Syracuse Bureau of Planning and Sustainability under the Miner administration.

Miner’s office announced the appointment in a news release last Thursday.

Maxwell’s official title will be director of policy and innovation.

“I am pleased to take on this new role in Mayor Miner’s administration and help develop solutions to the challenges facing our community,” Maxwell said in the release. “I thank the Mayor for this opportunity to lead this new team and work on issues that affect Syracuse neighbors every day.”

He’ll begin his new duties sometime within the next month, Miner’s office said in response to an inquiry from BJNN.

Maxwell holds a master of public administration degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He is also a graduate of St. John Fisher College.

Maxwell’s annual salary will be $89,000, Miner’s office said. His previous salary with Onondaga County was $92,800.

Miner in December had previously announced funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies to establish this office.

“This office will offer the city an opportunity to research and explore answers to our greatest challenges in new ways,” Miner said in the news release. “I am excited to hire this team and for them to begin their work.”

The City of Syracuse is also seeking résumés for staff positions in the new office that will include an innovation project manager, an innovation program coordinator, an innovation analytics coordinator, and an innovation fellow, Miner’s office said.

Résumés will be accepted through close of business on March 16 and should be submitted to innovation@syrgov.net. 

A three-year, $1.35 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies is making the Office of Innovation possible.

Syracuse was one of 14 cities selected in 2014 as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Innovation Teams (i-teams) program.

The program seeks to improve the capacity of local governments to “effectively” design and implement “new approaches that improve citizens’ lives,” Miner’s office said.

Grant funds allow mayors to hire and fund i-teams for up to three years.

The teams function as “in-house innovation consultants,” moving from one mayoral priority to the next, Miner’s office said.

Using Bloomberg Philanthropies’ “tested” innovation-delivery approach, i-teams help agency leaders and staff follow a data-driven process to assess problems, generate responsive new interventions, develop partnerships, and deliver “measurable” results, the office added.

The mission of New York City–based Bloomberg Philanthropies is to “create better, longer lives for the greatest number of people,” according to its website.

The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: public health, environment, education, government innovation, and the arts.

Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving.

In 2014, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $462 million, according to Miner’s news release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com