Former mayor Michael Nutter joined the board of Code for America

Just four months ago, Philly.com recapped the lengthy list of part-time gigs former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter had raked up after leaving office.
To that list of eleven fellowships and professorships and chairmanships we can now add a new one: Nutter was elected a member of Code for America’s Board of Directors.

Thrilled to announce that @Michael_Nutter, former Mayor of Philadelphia, is joining our board of directors https://t.co/dUkwxImIlW

— Code for America (@codeforamerica) December 22, 2016

“I am looking forward to working with Code for America to help millions of people get the help they need, while showing that government can work so much better,” Nutter said in a press release made available last week. “When we make government work for all Americans, we build the trust and faith in government that is so desperately needed right now.”
Nutter joins civic hacker Chris Alfano —  who was elected to the organization’s National Advisory Council back in October — to expand the Philly footprint in the national organization. But how did Nutter end up getting that board seat? Surely this goes back to 2011, when Nutter played a key role in bringing the Code for America fellowship to Philly back in 2011. That move started a series of events that led to a rise of civic technologists in city government: Code for America fellows Aaron Ogle and Mjumbe Poe both joined city government after their fellowship and helped recruit a team that became nationally renowned.
“We are thrilled that Mayor Nutter is joining us,” said in a press release Jennifer Pahlka, Code for America’s founder and director. “He was one of the first mayors to recognize how transformative a user-centered, iterative, data-driven approach to solving problems with technology can be, and partnered with us in 2011 and 2012. He’ll help us bring these practices to more governments and the people they serve.”
Code for Philly, the civic hacking group inspired by Code for America, was certainly pleased with the news:

How cool is it that @Michael_Nutter is joining the @codeforamerica Board of Directors‽ #PhillyRepresent https://t.co/ZKrK0k8WaQ

— Code for Philly (@CodeForPhilly) December 22, 2016