Swift-Williams to lead the Office of Performance and Innovation

BALTIMORE, MD (Tuesday, August 20, 2024) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced the appointment of Dartanion Swift-Williams as the Chief Data and Performance Officer for the City of Baltimore. In his role, Swift-Williams will be responsible for leading the Office of Performance and Innovation (OPI) and creating a modern, high-performing, and scalable data and performance management program for the city.

"Dartanion is a top tier data executive that will leverage his experience in big-tech, academia, and local government to transform how the city of Baltimore uses data to modernize government operations and deliver critical city services," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott.

Swift-Williams spent several years in the private sector where he led data and platform innovation at a biosecurity startup, managed nonprofit and fundraising products at Meta, and led data science and engineering at a scientific nonprofit organization. In academia, he was an Adjunct Professor in the data analytics and visualization program at the George Washington University (GWU).

Prior to his time in the private sector, Swift-Williams spent 13 years working in local government. He previously led data operations for the Office of the City Administrator in Washington DC where he led citywide data initiatives, improved major city services such as business license registration and permitting, and collaborated with the agency performance team on CapStat and agency performance plans.

"Public service is my true passion," said Swift-Williams. "I am excited to collaborate with city leaders to infuse an entrepreneurial spirit and bring the rigor of big-tech product and engineering into Baltimore City. I'm also excited to partner with Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance to enhance data literacy across the city and firmly establish Baltimore as a leader in data-driven governance."

Earlier in his local government tenure, Swift-Williams is credited with optimizing computer-aided dispatch, improving EMS response times, and ensuring timely emergency medical services for residents in Washington, DC. He also led the modernization of technical infrastructure and operations for special education transportation, moving the division out of a 17-year court receivership. In Chicago, he led data management and application development for the nation's first large-scale student information replacement project.

Swift-Williams earned his master's in business administration from Howard University. He assumed his role on August 19, 2024.