Martin O’Malley’s new job is all about innovation in city government

Months after ending his campaign for the White House, Martin O’Malley has a new gig. The former governor (ICYMI, the 2016 election’s “startup candidate”) has joined D.C.-based MetroLab Network as a senior fellow.
MetroLab Network, for those unfamiliar, is a partnership between cities (and counties) and the universities therein that aims to bring “data, analytics, and innovation to city government.” The Network was launched in 2015 as part of the White House’s Smart Cities Initiative.
According to a press release, O’Malley will support MetroLab by convening an Advisory Committee of “leaders in government, industry, academia, and philanthropy.”

@MartinOMalley is joining MetroLab Network as Senior Fellow and will convene and Chair its Advisory Committee! https://t.co/TFk7JuJWBD

— MetroLab Network (@MetroLabNetwork) May 5, 2016

“Cities have always been one of my passions, and I am excited for the opportunity to work with cities and universities across the country,” O’Malley said in the statement. “Advances in technology, data science, and computing provide new opportunities to deal with our cities’ greatest challenges … By pairing cities with universities, MetroLab Network creates a collaborative platform that is a critical to deploying solutions.”
All in all, the MetroLab Network includes 34 cities, three counties and 44 universities.
Leaders of the MetroLab Network cite O’Malley’s experience with CitiStat and StateStat among his qualifications. CitiStat and StateStat are, respectively, city- and state-level data management systems in Maryland that O’Malley implemented when he was Mayor of Baltimore and then governor.
“Governor O’Malley brings the experience and the moral authority to lead the charge toward smarter and more sustainable cities,” Ben Levine, interim director of MetroLab Network, said in a statement.