Daniel Culotta

About Daniel Culotta

I specialize in strategic frameworks that let groups pursue their goals effectively, and ensure their actions add up to the outcomes they want to see. Over the past few years I\'ve focused on social innovation, sustainability science, networks (on- and offline), decision making, planning, and intervention strategy. I also have program design and management experience in consulting, academic, start-up, and government settings, as well as team leadership and development for non-profits. I believe communities have the power to change the world, and I love helping build tools and networks to do just that.

Experience

1. Assistant Director - Organizational Excellence

   City of Austin

   Feb 2025 — Present · Austin, TX, US

   Lead the City\'s Organizational Excellence unit - our Strategic Planning and Performance & Innovation teams define, understand, advance, and expand the strategies and practices that improve the organization and deliver results for our community.​• Evolved citywide strategic planning and performance management processes to integrate with budgeting and planning cycles. This helps us understand and scale what works, spot challenges early, and align resources accordingly.• Created a system to align innovation projects with opportunities with the greatest potential impact, ensuring we focus resources in ways that drive outcomes strategically.• Grew the Research Partnership Program from one to six universities, expanding the breadth of expertise, resources, and partnerships available to our organization.• Collaborating with leadership and staff to transition to a data-driven performance-based budgeting system that produces exceptional services and positive community outcomes.• Establishing a “bench” of pre-qualified vendors across the strategy, evaluation, design, research, and technology spectrum to provide the resources we need to create the outcomes we want to see.• Created and chair the Emerging Technology Board to investigate the potential of emerging tech for the organization. Recently completed a one-year citywide generative AI pilot to explore value, policies, training, accountability, security, and privacy.• Lead large initiatives that span organizational optimization, design, evaluation, research, and data science that improve outcomes for Austinites, drive excellence in our organization, and advance civic innovation across the globe.• Support and expand trainings, resources, and communities of practice on topics including data science, AI, performance management, and innovation to grow capacity across our organization.• Provide support, advance projects, build relationships, clear lanes, and set priorities so our talented teams can do their best work.

Education

• Arizona State University

  MA, Sustainability Science

  2010 — 2012

• The University of Texas at Austin

  BA, Anthropology, Business

  2004 — 2007

Skills

• Program Management
• Local Government
• Research
• Community Outreach
• Copy Editing
• Nonprofits
• Microsoft Office
• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Management
• Editing
• Energy
• Policy
• Sustainability Reporting
• Strategy
• Event Planning
• Project Management
• Environmental Consulting
• Data Analysis
• Content Development
• Product Development
• Sustainable Development
• Social Media
• Non-Profits
• Project Planning
• Sustainability Consulting
• Content Management
• Leadership
• Grant Writing
• Strategic Planning
• Data Entry
• Teaching
• Communication
• Copywriting
• Stormwater
• Start-Ups
• Anthropology
• Microsoft Word
• Energy Efficiency
• Climate Change
• Sustainability