The Smart Cities Council recently appointed Jennifer James as the new global director of its Readiness Program, which helps communities build the capacity for successful smart city development. As a smart cities leader with expertise in bringing transformational technology solutions to municipal and utility markets, Jennifer is responsible for working with global thought leaders to help cities become smarter and more sustainable.
The Council's Readiness Program works with cities, counties, states, provinces, territories and land developers to teach them global best practices and accelerate their smart transformations. It offers free resources through its website and newsletter; it produces on-site workshops that culminate in an action plan; and it hosts conferences where cities can share their success stories.
The process — developed over the past five years working directly with cities around the world — starts by assembling internal and external stakeholders for a day-long workshop. The Council takes the insights developed at the workshop and produces a Smart Cities Readiness Roadmap suitable for sharing with staff and citizens. Once the city has this action plan in place, the Council continues to provide mentorship and advice.
“I’ve focused the majority of my career and education on advancing solutions at the intersection of physical infrastructure, digital technologies and sustainability,” said James. “I’m looking forward to applying my experience and passion for smart sustainable city development to further the Council’s Readiness Program and improve quality of life in cities around the world.”
James has over 20 years of experience helping communities and businesses thrive through technological transformation. Before joining the Council, Jennifer served as the Director of Smart City Solutions for Black & Veatch, helped launch and grow the Black & Veatch Smart Integrated Infrastructure innovation business, and was a senior leader for a power sector data analytics company. Jennifer holds a Master’s degree in Sustainability and Environmental Management from the Harvard University Extension School. She also helped create Status Novi, a think tank that uses systems thinking to drive social progress, and is a City of Boston Advisory Board Member with the Leading Cities organization.
“Jennifer’s deep knowledge of the smart cities industry and experience working directly with municipalities make her the ideal candidate to join our team,” said Smart Cities Council Chairman Jesse Berst. “I look forward to seeing Jennifer expand the Readiness Program to help advance even more communities worldwide.”
