Both Kansas Cities will be introduced to their new Code for America fellows at a reception Monday evening at 5 p.m. The event will be held at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 4801 Rockhill Road, in Kansas City, Missouri. It will be the first time the fellows will have a public availability after arriving in Kansas City.
Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas are Code for America’s first joint application ever to be approved for the fellowship program. The 2013 Code for America class includes: New York; San Francisco; Oakland, Calif.; Louisville, Ken.; Las Vegas; San Mateo County, Calif.; South Bend, Ind.; and Summit County, Ohio.
The Kansas Cities will have three fellows who will spend the next few weeks working to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the communities, as well as learning about the needs of the two communities. Code for America works with governments seeking to become more connected, lean, and participatory. The intensive year-long fellowship assists governments in better utilizing technology to deliver services to residents.
“It’s an honor to be working in the Kansas Cities, which have invested in great technology infrastructure and ideas to become the most entrepreneurial city in America,” said Ariel Kennan, a 2013 Code for America Fellow. “This is an exciting time to be in Kansas City and I look forward to spending the next month getting to know the community.”
“Today marks the beginning of a collective effort between Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri to improve the quality of services we provide to residents on both sides of the state line. The Code for America project, in partnership with the two Kansas Cities, will further elevate this region into a major driver and competitor in the field of entrepreneurialism, innovation and technology; making the region even more attractive to businesses,” says Mayor of Kansas City, Kansas Joe Reardon.
“I enjoyed an opportunity to meet with the fellows and welcome them this morning. Both Kansas Cities are looking forward to what their talents will bring to our community. In many ways, Code for America’s selection of our two cities is further validation that the rest of the nation is looking for us to lead. I cannot wait to see the innovations they bring to the table to help our residents,” said Mayor James.
The three fellows to be introduced at tonight’s reception are:
Alison Jones
Alison has 10 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector, primarily coordinating volunteer projects. She hopes to leverage technology to make a positive difference in communities. Alison attended the DaVinci Coders training program in Louisville, Colorado.
Andrew Hyder
Andrew is an urban designer and software engineer dedicated to creating safe, fun, and healthy communities. He enjoys hacking on cities, making maps, and telling stories with data. His broad experience includes online mapping and data API projects, in addition to building several school yards, bicycle paths, and neighborhood parks around the Bay Area.
Ariel Kennan
Ariel is an interaction and experience designer, most recently with ESI Design in New York. Her passion is where experience design meets scale – from the palm of the hand to entire cities. She has created mobile applications, websites, kiosks, media walls, institutions, and master planning for new communities. Ariel holds a BFA in Integrated Design from Parsons the New School for Design.
http://codeforamerica.org/2012/06/22/municipal-collaboration-innovation-in-kansas-city/
