Special thanks to Brian Ahier (@ahier) for podcasting an interview about GovFresh and Gov 2.0 Hero Day on O’Reilly’s Radar, Chris Dorobek (@cdorobek) for having me on the show, and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark (@craignewmark) for promoting via his blog.

Some great Gov 2.0 Hero posts:

• Beth Beck (@bethbeck): Gov 2.0 Hero Day
• Adriel Hampton (@adrielhampton): Gov 2.0 Hero Day
• Steve Lunceford (@dslunceford): 35 Gov 2.0 heroes to follow on Twitter
• Andrew Krzmarzick (@krazykriz): A Salute to 3 Gov 2.0 Heroes You Don’t Know Yet
• Kristy Fifelski (@kristyfifelski): Celebrating Gov2.0 Heroes Day
• Steve Radick (@sradick): My Gov 2.0 Heroes

Plenty of wonderful tweets can be found at the following hashtags:

• #gov20heroday
• #gov20heroes
• #gov20heros
• #gov20hero

Andrew Wilson’s (@AndrewPWilson) sentiments really resonate and inspire me to work harder and make GovFresh better:

Honored, humbled & inspired to work harder from all the #gov20heroday mentions today – many, many others deserve spotlight on their work

And Scott Horvath (@scotthorvath) gives us a parting thought for next year:

Next year for #gov20heroday…let’s have a BBQ in D.C. and bands!

Second that. Someone reserve the Mall.

Thanks again everyone.

Related posts:

1. Celebrate Gov 2.0 Hero Day June 15!
2. Gov 2.0 Hero Day: Feature your heroes on GovFresh
3. Gov 2.0 guide to Gov 2.0 Hero Day

I want to nominate Gabe Klein, our Director here at the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). I know, very self-serving, but Gabe is still very deserving of recognition as a Gov 2.0 Hero. He has made it a priority to make the agency more transparent and to improve communications with our customers, and he has pushed us to utilize every tool at our disposal to do that. We have a thriving Twitter feed, a completely redesigned and more user-friendly website, and a Facebook page that Gabe often updates himself after hours. He also hosts regular live online chats and last week launched the agency’s first ever official blog, www.ddotdish.com.

To keep up with the times, you really need leadership that recognizes that government agencies must adapt and embrace new technology, or they won’t have a voice in the conversations happening all around them.

Related posts:

1. Gov 2.0 Hero: John Lisle
2. Gov 2.0 Hero: Mike Rupert
3. New year, new Manor innovations

How did you get to Gov 2.0?

I arrived at Gov 2.0 via a circuitous path that placed me in DC at just the right time.

My undergrad was in engineering at the University of Michigan and I spent seven years at the family manufacturing business, designing products and working in every aspect of the organization. When dad and I disagreed about how best to move the business forward, I left and began a seven year process of answering Aristotle's riddle: “Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation.” Along the way, I travelled all over the country, repaired computers and set up networks, catered celebrity events in New York and LA, designed and coded web sites, practiced as a hypnotherapist, and helped pass electoral reform legislation in New Mexico. I topped this off with a master's degree in international relations from New York University and moved to DC to get a job in foreign policy in 2007.

Naive and unconnected as I was in our nation's capital, this proved very difficult. After a year of job hunting (a skill I have never learned), I got an email from the United Nations Association with the call to action, "Click here to notify your Congressman!" Something struck me as strange about this: I knew it would only take 35 seconds to send that message, but I was also certain that it wasn't worth 35 seconds. I had no confidence that the message would have any impact on policymaking.

A little voice in the back of my head said, "What? This is not the democracy I grew up in!!" And quickly followed up with, "This is 2008! I can video chat with people in India but I can't get a message to my elected officials? That doesn't make any sense!!"

With this, I had discovered where the needs of the world crossed my diverse experiences and talents: the proper application of technology to create meaningful citizen engagement with elected officials. I started the Open Forum Foundation and when the Gov 2.0 movement gained steam in early 2009, I was in the middle of it all!

What are the challenges of Open Forum Foundation and how do you deal with them?

There are a lot of challenges that come with running a non-profit, but to me the most interesting ones are working with people, and maintaining focus on our long term vision in the changing landscape that is Gov 2.0.

Working with People

As I said above, my early training was in engineering and while this may come as a surprise, engineers are not well-known for their people skills. Consequently, coming to grips with my own (and even accepting that I have some) has been an ongoing challenge for me. At this point, it's increasingly rare that I fumble for a name or past association, but the complexity of government titles still completely eludes me.

Part of my growth in this regard has been learning to appreciate skills that I previously considered to be trivial. As it turns out, there is a great deal of complexity and skill required to organize events, understand other people's passions and capabilities, and connect people together so that they can accomplish greater things in concert than they could have separately.

My current project utilizes all of these skills as I assemble the Open Model for Citizen Engagement. It's an association where software vendors are defining and implementing a new paradigm of citizen engagement with elected officials. The founding members include vendors that focus on the needs of Congressional offices, advocacy groups, and citizens; work at federal and state levels; and represent both startups and well-established companies. My responsibilities include rounding out the membership and developing stakeholder communities to ensure that the solutions created by the association meet the needs of everyone involved in citizen engagement, as well as managing the needs of the members, some of which are direct competitors. While the website is still a work in progress, please join us at om4ce.org/.

Maintaining Focus

The main reason I go to events these days is to find out what's going on in the Gov2.0 community. I have no need to re-create good work that's already being done and there are new players in this field every month. In addition, the conversation turns, the expectations shift, new tools are introduced and become popular while old ones fall out of favor. It's easy to get caught up in the desire for a quick fix, or a solution that only meets the needs of Congressional offices or a single government agency or that may capture the heart of the public and become the "Facebook for political discussion".

I've come to realize however that there will be no immediate solution to the problems that Gov 2.0 confronts and aims to solve. Fully transparent and publicly available data does not instantly create accountable government. The best public-facing citizen engagement technology ever devised does not necessarily draw an audience. And an open channel for public comment may be co-opted by a well-organized group of concerned citizens. In short, these issues are complex and how they will be solved is partially determined by who it is that's working on solving them.

When I established the Open Forum Foundation, my goal was to build THE communication channel between citizens and governments. That hasn't worked out so well. In the abstract, the idea is fine but in reality, there are dozens of other players in the market and many of them are well-established and profitable. At some point, I had to ask myself, "Is my goal to build software or is it to solve the communication problem?" Given those options, I relinquished the trail I was on and found a new way to contribute to bringing a legitimate solution to fruition. The market as it stands today will not accept a single communication channel managed by a single entity. Instead, it demands a distributed system with multiple points of entry for innovation from competitors new and old. Sometimes, accepting reality is a challenge in and of itself. Doing so without losing sight of the end goal is even more difficult.

Dealing

To answer the original question, the main way I've dealt with challenges is by continuously questioning what I'm doing. Frankly, I've changed direction so many times, it feels more the norm than the exception, and I mean this in the most positive of ways. I try to live by the belief that the only time you can be wrong is when you decide that you're right. As long as you hold open the possibility that you're wrong, life is just one continuous string of growth opportunities, each of which leads to a better understanding of who you are and what you can do to make a difference. This is the biggest factor in how I overcome challenges – by simultaneously believing that I can while being uncertain about whether or not I'm going about it the right way.

What's most interesting to you about the open government movement?

I think the most interesting thing about the open government movement is the fact that while those of us in it tend to view technology as a panacea of solutions, it can just as easily create problems. In fact, a significant portion of the problem that the Open Forum Foundation is trying to solve was created by technology! It is the advent of effortless web-based communications that created the deluge of messages into Congress and has rendered the majority of the communication between representatives and their constituents meaningless.

I believe that our job as early adopters, promoters, and developers of open government is to see that technology is implemented in ways that solve problems, and not just for the sake of doing it. Clearly this is our goal, but realizing that it is not pre-destined to work out to our benefit adds an additional importance and perspective to everything we do.

In the last two or three months, I have found the maturation of the movement fascinating. Up until that point, discussions have been primarily abstract and guess-based. This lead (appropriately) to a lot of trial and error that only recently has enabled the discussions to shift towards experience-based discourse and advice, eg how to responsibly implement transparency of data, how to engage with citizens to achieve specific goals, and how to get buy-in from both senior management and throughout government bureaucracy. I think there is also a growing awareness that the open Government movement is not about implementing technology or establishing a new department, it's actually about culture change both within government and within citizen expectations of government.

What resources, books, blogs, apps or Websites do you recommend to others?

If it isn't obvious from what I've written so far, I tend to focus on people and the long term perspective. Consequently, I get most of my information first hand (and that includes through Twitter) and am always encouraging people to think in terms of 5 or 10 year plans for what we're doing. That said, we are blessed with some great 'reporters' within the space – GovFresh (of course) and Gov 2.0 Radio covering things from the West Coast and Digiphile (now with O'Reilly) right here in DC.

I happily recommend the book Millennial Makeover to almost everyone I meet because it places the American political system into a historical (and cyclical) context that begins with the Revolution and continues to hold true today. It fundamentally changed the way I consider politics and also enhanced my appreciation for, and understanding of, the Millennial Generation and their abilities.

While it's slightly dated at this point, I'd also throw in Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody for anyone that hasn't read it and wants an informed and optimistic perspective on how technology is remaking our society.

I briefly mentioned Twitter above, but it bears elaboration that a well-curated group of Twitter followers will tell you everything you need to know about anything you're interested in.

GovLoop – especially if you're inside government, you need to be part of the social network for govies.

Also, while it can't be recommended to everyone: I love WordPress. It's blogging software at its core, but dreamy as a CMS. I know Drupal 7 is supposed to have made great strides for back-end user interaction, but WordPress has had that licked for 5 years. It's great. In addition, I recently discovered their social networking plugin BuddyPress, which you should definitely consider if you're going to put up a community site.

Finally: Mission, Tools, Metrics, Teach. Jeffery Levy's early Gov 2.0 mantra still holds true. If you haven't read it, do so. There will be new adopters of what we're doing for years to come and Jeffery has covered the basics, including the importance of sharing what we learn with those that come after.

What's your 3-word Gov 2.0 motto?

Envision. Do. Repeat.

I struggled with this, but I think the most important thing about Gov 2.0 is Envisioning the future, Doing something that takes a step towards that vision, and then Repeating the process based on what was learned.

Related posts:

1. Gov 2.0 Hero: Scott Horvath
2. Tweeters Twitter should consider for its new government gig
3. Gov 2.0 Hero: Dominic Campbell

Manor, Texas has received lots of recognition for the innovative technologies that have come out of it, but many people don’t know all the individuals that are responsible. My role as Assistant City Manager and CIO is to steer the development of emerging technologies in Manor, but the real hero is our City Manager, Phil Tate.

Phil is a Gov 2.0 Hero because he chooses to say “yes” to new emerging technologies that allow us to be more efficient and transparent. It would be so easy for a city manager to say “no” to new ideas and concepts, but Manor has been fortunate to have such a progressive leader with the drive to serve citizens and instill government accountability.

Related posts:

1. What’s missing from Gov 2.0?
2. Manor 2.0 documents ‘Live Government Innovation From Small-Town Texas’
3. Gov 2.0 guide to Gov 2.0 Hero Day

With this said, this individual has had a profound impact on government through his immense drive and passion to make the government a better place. Luke Fretwell is the creator of GovFresh, which has become a very important resource for agencies and citizens interested in how technology is reshaping government of all levels. Luke recognizes individuals making their mark in government as Gov 2.0 Heroes, but I think it’s time that his efforts get recognized. Luke, thank you for being a real Gov 2.0 Hero, and inspiring me to press forward no matter how difficult the challenge may be.

Related posts:

1. GovLoop Member of the Week: Luke Fretwell
2. Luke Fretwell: ‘What does Gov 2.0 mean to you?’
3. Celebrate Gov 2.0 Hero Day June 15!

Lucas Cioffi is the CEO of Online Townhalls, Inc., and founder of the Open Government Directive Workshop Series. The OGD Workshop Series is an inter-agency collaborative event hosted by a different federal agency each month. These self-organizing workshops help the public sector’s OpenGov community coordinate from the bottom up and make the critical transition from good to great.

This series of monthly workshops is designed to steadily build momentum for successful implementation of the Open Government Directive.

The Open Gov Playbook wiki is self-managed: anyone can contribute. Notes from all of the OGD Workshops can be found at opengovdirective.pbworks.com.

Lucas is one of the few who has a deep understanding of the core messages of the OGI, and as such has designed these events to be as inclusive and effective as possible. His workshops bring the message of the OGI down into federal agencies to effect change in a way that no externally hosted event or workshop can ever hope to do. He is a visionary leader and a great facilitator to boot. The OGD workshops are addressing issues that are at the forefront of the OpenGov and Gov 2.0 communities, and are not to be missed.

Lucas Cioffi is a Gov 2.0 hero for braving the challenge of effecting cultural change from the inside-out of government, where resistance to change and antiquated process are still very much the norm.

Here’s Lucas doing his thing at the Feb 17, 2010 OGD Workshop.

Related posts:

1. Gov 2.0 Hero: John Lisle
2. Gov 2.0 Hero: Mike Rupert
3. Gov 2.0 Hero: Scott Horvath

It’s easy for one to say “Hey, on this website, wouldn’t it be cool if X?” where X is any given outcome of random neuronal firing in the brain of someone that might call themselves a New Media Strategist.

It’s a whole other thing altogether to make X a reality, to turn that idea into a tangible product. At HHS, that’s where Ted Hsieh (sounds like Shay) comes in. You won’t find him on Twitter nor GovLoop nor many meet-ups, but Ted has been called a ninja and a Jedi Knight. That’s right: He’s a Ninjedi Knight. As the lead developer for the US Department of Health & Human services, he takes all the crazy ideas that push and challenge our technological infrastructure, talks them out, adds a little magic and pumps out technical solutions to meet the needs of HHS web communicators. And he does it quickly. Like really quickly. (That’s where the magic comes in.)

The front line of the Gov 2.0 movement is where citizens’ desires meet technological capabilities. Ted’s a fed with a devotion to serving the American people by pushing technological capabilities and in turn pushing the front line of the Gov 2.0 movement. And he does it without any spotlight. This last point more than any other is the reason he’s my Gov 2.0 Hero.

Related posts:

1. Gov 2.0 Hero: Christopher Dorobek
2. Gov 2.0 Hero: Dominic Campbell
3. Gov 2.0 Hero: Steve Lunceford

I’d like to nominate Dr. Nicholas Gruen (@nicholasgruen) for the stunning work he carried out on our Gov 2.0 Taskforce Report (see also Government response).

Nicholas has set a brilliant leadership example to us all not just with the report, but by the manner in which the Taskforce went about its work (gov2.net.au).

Under Nicholas’ leadership, the Taskforce not only did a brilliant job, they set an example to many of us who work in the Australian Public Service and, I believe, around the world.

The report also has a marked influence on the work of the APS Reform group of our Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (Blueprint for the Reform of Australian Government Administration).

Apart from the great work and setting an example, Nicholas’ work, along with that of the rest of the Taskforce, has left a lasting legacy. And, of course, inspiration.

Related posts:

1. Gov 2.0 Hero: Dominic Campbell
2. Gov 2.0 Hero: Nick Charney
3. Gov 2.0 Hero: John Lisle

How did you get to Gov 2.0?

A very broad question indeed. I guess the real answer is that I’ve been about Gov 2.0 since before the term (which I’m not a *huge* fan of) was coined and long before I entered the public sector. As long as I can remember I’ve been involved with technology, and many of the ideas I’ve had and some that I’ve messed around with have involved leveraging technology to make the world a better place. The greatest thing about this job is that it gives me the opportunity to actually effect change on a broad yet tangible scale, both with respect to internal process innovation and external service delivery. And I get to ride around on firetrucks!

What are the challenges of your role as DC CTO and how do you deal with them?

I’ve only been in the role for a little more than six months so I’m sure I haven’t come across the full set of challenges, but I can give you a couple of tidbits. I think the biggest challenge with any large, well-established organization is the cultural resistance to change. If an organization has grown up for many years with a certain mindset, it’s going to take a long time for that mindset to shift and the larger the organization, the harder that is to accomplish. This is probably true for pretty much any Government around the world but one thing that’s fantastic about the Fenty administration (albeit based on my limited experience) is the willingness and freedom to try new things and take some chances. I’ve had some radical ideas (for Government) since I’ve been here and I actually have the opportunity to put them in motion to see if I can help build a better mousetrap.

Having said that, ask me the question in another six months and I might have a totally different answer for you.

What’s most interesting to you about the open government movement?

Let’s start with what’s least interesting to me: smartphone applications that leverage data to help someone do something. Second least interesting (and probably most blasphemous): transparency and accountability. Before everyone at Sunlight declares an intifada on me, however, let me explain what I mean by that. Transparency and accountability are the watchwords of the open government movement. It’s a given that as the movement increases and picks up steam, with every new data set that is released and every federal agency and state and local jurisdiction that adopts an open government policy, these things will continue. And they are important. But they are not the motivating cry that is going to kick government employees into action. Culture change has to come first.

And that brings me to the point I find most interesting: that there’s a huge community of non-government workers out there who are all motivated to take time out of their busy schedules to leverage their skills for the greater good. Leveraging this community to build iPhone apps is dramatically underutilizing this resource. I’m interested in seeing the big brains turn to solving the internal problems of government which will have a very wide reaching effect. Stay tuned for some intriguing developments on this…

What resources, books, blogs, apps or Websites do you recommend to others?

This is neither new nor interesting but I have to admit that I’m getting a huge amount of value out of Twitter (and our internal Yammer implementation) lately. I don’t follow too many people but the ones I have decided to follow all act as a phenomenal filter for interesting news and new developments, and some really interesting thoughts have been sparked for me from a random tweet (and “yam”) here or there. For the first time in my life, I don’t have time to read the news or blogs, and lately my book consumption has been declining rapidly, so Twitter has been keeping me up-to-date when I have a moment to check the feed.

In terms of blogs, I’ll just give you one — I actually really like Andrea DeMaio’s writing. I respect the contrarian opinion, even if I don’t always agree. Okay, two — I’m a closet (okay, not so closeted) gadget geek so I do admit to sneaking a peek at Engadget and it’s cousins from time to time.

Just because I’ve recently read it, I highly recommend Dan Pink’s book Drive to everyone. It’s a tough concept for many people to swallow but I’m completely bought in. For something which is on the surface completely unrelated to open government, everyone on the planet should read Jorge Luis Borges’ short stories. His works are applicable in some way to nearly everything in life (yes, including open government), and are completely mind blowing.

What’s your 3-word open government motto?

How about a range of mottos, of different lengths:

Two words: Question everything!
Three words: Take some chances!
Four words: Start small, fail cheap.
Five words: Don’t be motivated by fear.

I feel like I should make that into a Haiku of some sort.

Related posts:

1. Gov 2.0 Hero: Andrea Di Maio
2. Gov 2.0 Hero: Wayne Moses Burke
3. My Gov 2.0 Hero: Ted Hsieh

Discussing Gov 2.0 Hero Day on Federal News Radio with Chris Dorobek:

Follow

• Gov 2.0 Hero Day on Facebook
• @gov20heroday on Twitter

Celebrate

• Share your Gov 2.0 Hero stories, videos, photos, links on the Gov 2.0 Hero Day Facebook Page.
• Write a blog post (‘My Gov 2.0 Heroes’) or feature your heroes, why they inspire you, what others should know about their work and how you can help them.
• Tweet your Gov 2.0 Heroes on Twitter with the hashtag #gov20heroday.
• Get creative!

Related posts:

1. Gov 2.0 Hero Day: Feature your heroes on GovFresh
2. Celebrate Gov 2.0 Hero Day June 15!
3. Group hug and Gov 2.0 Hero Day