City of Glendale, CA
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Chief Innovation OfficerElena has dedicated over 30 years to the City of Glendale, starting as a youth worker in 1993 through the Glendale Youth Alliance and holding progressively responsible roles, including Community Outreach Assistant, Analyst, Project Manager, Deputy Director, and Director. In 2017, she led the creation of a new City department to enhance customer service and drive efficiencies following a 20% staffing reduction. As Director of the Innovation, Performance, and Audit (IPA) Department, Elena oversaw three key areas: the Innovation function, where entrepreneurial thinking helped the City work smarter; the Performance function, which used data to inform decisions and measure success; and the Audit function, which reviewed operations for improvement opportunities. Due to her leadership and the success of the IPA Department, Elena was appointed Chief Innovation Officer in June 2021. In this role, she continues to amplify the City’s innovation efforts. Now in the City Manager’s Office, her focus has broadened to incorporate innovation into communications, operations, policies, and special projects. Elena leads with a commitment to translating strategic goals into tangible actions and driving change through cross-departmental collaboration. Elena earned a BA in Political Science from UCLA and a MPA from CSU Northridge. She is passionate about public sector innovation and inspires others through writing, lecturing, and panel participation. Elena is also dedicated to mentoring the next generation of city staff and serves as a Role Model Mentor through Inspiring Girls, where she supports and encourages young girls to pursue their aspirations. |
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Greg Kajszo Innovation Project ManagerGreg leads the City’s innovation and performance efforts by acting as a one-stop-shop for project assessment and implementation. He joined the City of Glendale in 2016 with over six years of experience in the private consulting industry, where he worked as a deputized project manager for multiple high-profile energy and transportation infrastructure clients. Greg received his BS in Marine Biology from CSU Long Beach and Master’s degrees in both Public Administration and Master of Planning from USC. In his free time, Greg likes to bake desserts and make unique flavors of homemade ice cream. Social Media |
Glendale Lean Six Sigma TeamIn partnership with the Glendale Community College, this team of LSS trained staff use data to improve processes at City Hall.
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Bloomberg Innovation TeamThe City of Glendale was selected by Bloomberg Philanthropies to receive innovation training to develop solutions for organics recycling and food recovery programs at City Hall.
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Innovation Network
Some of the organizations in our innovation network:
West Coast Innovation Convening
The West Coast Innovation Convening is a meeting of cities who gather regularly to share lessons learned in the civic innovation space. Participating cities include:
- Glendale, CA
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Los Angeles County, CA
- Ontario, CA
- Pasadena, CA
- Redlands, CA
- Riverside, CA
- City and County of San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Seattle, WA
- West Hollywood, CA
Office of Innovation & Performance AlumniThose who have contributed greatly to our legacy: MICHELLE PRIEST Michelle served as an Innovation Advisor to the Office of Innovation & Performance while completing a PhD in Policy Analysis. She employed her skills in design research, technology, and public sector communications experience to help address civic challenges up until March 2022. ALINA ASMARIAN Alina was a Master of Arts in Humanities student who served as an Innovation Intern with the Office of Innovation & Performance until September 2021. She contributed to the development of several new programs to serve Glendale City residents. SAM ANGLES Sam was an Innovation & Performance Analyst with the Office of Innovation & Performance from its start in 2017 until 2019. He helped examine departmental performance data to monitor the success of innovation projects and the overall City. NICOLE BARBARINO Nicole was a Storyteller Intern with the Office of Innovation & Performance in 2019. She worked to translate data and internal processes into meaningful narratives. SHUYI TAO Shuyi was a Data Forecaster intern with the Office of Innovation & Performance in 2019. She worked to analyze and visualize data to help the City make better decisions. YIJING LIU Yijing was a Master of Public Policy student who joined the Office of Innovation & Performance as part of the USC Price School of Public Policy’s annual Spring Externship Program, followed by a formal internship with the City. She helped execute several critical projects during her tenure. GIOVANNI ZAAROUR Giovanni was a Clark Magnet High School and Glendale Community College student who join the Office of Innovation and Performance after being on the winning team of Glendale Tech Week's 2018 Hackathon. He helped improve digital services as part of the Library Information Technology Services (LITS) team at the City's Department of Library, Arts, and Culture. TALIN AIVAZIAN Talin's expertise in user-centered design was invaluable to the Office of Innovation & Performance. Her knowledge of user interface and experience design played a key role in revamping several city websites, significantly improving their usability. In addition to her design skills, her passion for civic innovation, combined with her research and data analysis abilities, made her a vital contributor to the team’s success. |
Innovation & Performance Reports
Check out some of our weekly reports highlighting our recent work and project updates in City Hall.