He has been a technology leader in government, spearheading efforts to guide solutions from innovation. In his conversation with Robinett, Garcetti speaks on his belief that serving as mayor can be the right background for the presidency, on what it means to be a public servant, and on what it takes to be a leader.
"I think public service is about listening," said Garcetti, whose father, Gilbert, served two terms as Los Angeles County district attorney. "Public service has stopped — in too many places — listening enough."
In a description of the interview on Stitcher, Garcetti says technology can help if mayors strike the right balance, saying too many are either "future phobic" or "future passive." He views himself as "future guiding," as evidenced by the city's recent recognition for its use of data in planning and operations by Bloomberg Philanthropies and through Equipt to Innovate, a joint initiative of Governing and the nonprofit Living Cities.
Robinett also offers an overview of their conversation and what was gleaned.
Listen here to the first leader who moved a city government's email to the cloud.
The first episode of "In the Arena," with humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson, can be heard here. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher, or bookmark the "In the Arena" page.
*e.Republic is the parent company of Techwire and Governing magazine.
