Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has chosen David Elges, currently CIO of DC’s Child and Family Services Agency, to lead Boston’s Department of Innovation and Technology. Elges has more than 15 years of IT experience, including leading the DC agency for the past two years.
The city is well-known for its technology and innovation efforts. Under Jascha Franklin-Hodge, the city’s previous CIO who left in January, Boston launched an integrated 311 system, worked machine learning into its performance tracking and embraced open data. The city set up an outdoor free Wi-Fi network in 2014. It’s also made headlines in the past for the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, which pushed technology solutions to several transportation problems, including apps for parking and identifying potholes.
Since Franklin-Hodge left, Boston DoIT has been led by Chief of Staff Patricia Boyle-McKenna.
The agency Elges is coming from has a history of embracing technology as well. A procurement document from last year showed the agency seeking cloud services for a series of mobile apps it had developed to serve social workers, foster parents and youth under the agency’s care.
"I'm looking forward to starting as the new CIO for the city of Boston to build on their successes in utilizing technology in strategic and transformative ways," Elges said in a statement. "It's important to think beyond devices as technology continues to evolve, to ensure that we are using all the tools we have to engage with our constituents, optimize our performance, and track our progress."
Elges has also acted as an IT consultant and magazine columnist, according to his LinkedIn profile. He holds a master’s degree from Strayer University and a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College.
Elges will start the new position in December.
The city is also seeking applicants for director of innovation and technology at the Department of Neighborhood Development.
