Oakland’s Chief Information Officer Andrew Peterson Receives Harari Conscious Leadership and Social Innovation Award
Oakland – Information Technology Department Chief Information Officer, Andrew Peterson has been awarded the Harari Leadership Award from the University of San Francisco (USF) for his work in bridging theory and practice in the fields of conscious leadership and social innovation.
The USF Harari Conscious Leadership and Social Innovation Award is named after esteemed faculty member (Oren Harari) who wrote prolifically about the importance of socially conscious business practice and leadership. “Every year at USF in the School of Management, we offer an award to an individual that exemplifies a career of leadership and innovation for good,” said Charles Moses, Dean School of Management.
Andrew Peterson, an Alum of USF began working for the City of Oakland in 2017. Since that time, he has spearheaded a multitude of technology projects that have made a difference in the lives of many Oakland residents. “I joined the City of Oakland four years ago, with the explicit goal of utilizing my skillset to give back/make a difference in my community,” Peterson stated.
Some of the projects Mr. Peterson has led include:
OAK WIFI – Free Public WIFI to help Bridge the Digital Divide – Initiated in July 2020 to help address the lack of internet access in some of the most underserved and disadvantaged communities in Oakland. This situation was greatly exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a 7-month period over 1500 hotspots were activated in these communities.
VISION – Police Performance and Risk Management Application – Provides a 360-degree performance monitoring view of the police department at every level of the organization. The application is part of a negotiated settlement agreement overseen by the Federal court in response to police misconduct.
OAK APPS – Digital Services Delivery Platform – a digital framework that allows the City to quickly digitally transform manual services and/or legacy applications, making them more accessible to residents. The platform has been used to deliver several apps including but not limited to:
• Rent Adjustment Program – Provides for tenants and landlords to file petitions concerning rent increases and other rental-related matters.
• Community Police Review Agency – Allows residents to easily file complaints against Oakland police officers.
• OPD Camera Registry – Allows residents to register security cameras with Police
• Digital Mailbox – Allows residents and developers to submit plans online for permitting
Mr. Peterson went on to say, “I am extremely proud of the work we have done in these four years. We may not have achieved as much as we would have liked, but the programs we’ve implemented have a direct impact on quality of life for Oakland residents.”
Under Peterson’s leadership the City of Oakland also received the IDG CIO 100 Award in 2019 and 2020, an honor that is awarded to IT organizations for driving business value through technology innovation; in 2018 the department received an Innovation Award in the Government Sector, and in 2019 Peterson was named as an Agent of Change by Diablo Magazine. Of these awards, Peterson says that “The Harari award is the most satisfying as it means we are using our skills and resources to help those less fortunate than ourselves.”
Post based on press release from City of Oakland to Zennie62Media, Inc.