10 summer reads for city innovators

Title: Chief Procurement Officer
City: Miami

In many city halls, the purchasing shop is not the first place you'd look to find innovation. But that's exactly what Annie Perez wants her department to be in Miami. Perez is relentless about finding tweaks that can speed up the procurement process, and is turning her department into a key partner to help city leaders solve problems in new ways.

RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT: The 25 cities participating in Bloomberg Philanthropies' Innovation Training are finding creative ways to engage residents and solve problems. (Centre for Public Impact)

RECOVERY: As cities emerge from the pandemic, a new report outlines seven kinds of interventions cities are testing to ensure an equitable recovery. (Nowak Metro Finance Lab)

CLIMATE: With temperatures on the rise across the U.S., Phoenix and Chelsea, Mass., are innovating new solutions to mitigate heat and keep residents safe. (Axios)

EQUITY: A new report explores how cities are using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to promote equity. (Kresge Foundation and United States Conference of Mayors)

INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING: The Federal Assistance e311 Program, a partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies and the United States Conference of Mayors, will be hosting a webinar on Resilience and Mitigation Planning for Municipalities on June 9 from 2-3:30 pm EDT. Join the webinar here with the meeting ID number 850 1934 8422. 

STORYTELLER AWARDS: Results for America is now accepting nominations for this year's Sharman Stein Memorial Award for Storytelling Changemakers. The award recognizes an individual city or county government employee or team who draws on the power of public communication to cultivate trust and collaboration between residents and their local governments. Nominate your city or county leaders and/or teams here. Nominations close on Wednesday, July 6.

ASPHALT ART: There will be an informational session about Bloomberg Philanthropies' Asphalt Art Initiative grant program, which supports visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in cities. The session will be held at 9 a.m. EDT (1 p.m. GMT) Thursday, June 16, and live translation will be available in select languages. RSVP here to join. In this round of the initiative, European cities with populations greater than 100,000 are eligible for grants for projects to be installed in 2023. The application deadline is July 11. Learn more and apply here.

CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION: The Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) invites local government leaders to attend the National Convening on Local Consumer Financial Protection July 7-8 in Philadelphia. The event will feature national experts, federal regulators, and local government leaders who will share their expertise on key consumer financial protection issues, tools, and strategies as well as opportunities to learn and network with peers. Travel and hotel scholarships are available for eligible attendees on a case-by-case basis. Register here.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: The city of Madison, Wis., is seeking an Independent Police Monitor. 

JOB OPPORTUNITY: The city of Beaverton, Ore., is looking for a Finance Director to lead its finance department. 

JOB OPPORTUNITY: The city of Carlsbad, Calif., is seeking a Senior Program Manager for its Performance Management & Special Projects in the Innovation & Economic Development department.   

JOB OPPORTUNITIES: The Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University is searching for a Communications Coordinator, a Digital Communications Specialist, and a Project Manager for Operations and Technology to join the team.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES: The Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University is hiring a Senior Advisor for Public Innovation, a Program Coordinator, a Network Experience Manager, and a Service Designer.