Ballmer's Government Data Initiative Hires First MD

USAFacts, the non-profit, non-partisan civic initiative started by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and aimed at making government numbers more accessible and understandable to Americans, has appointed POLITICO leader Poppy MacDonald as its first MD.

Ballmer launched the initiative after discovering that the government did not provide 'the kind of comprehensive reporting for citizens that publicly-traded companies are required to do for shareholders'. The organisation produces an 'Annual Report and 10-K' document modeled on the form public companies are compelled to file each year with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but providing 'a comprehensive view of US federal, state, and local governments' combined revenues and expenditures, as well as key metrics that measure progress towards objectives established in the Constitution'.

MacDonald is currently President and COO of news organization POLITICO, where she led the launch of the flagship POLITICO Pro offer, and helped lead geographic expansion and significant enhancements to subscriber tools and services including Legislative Compass, and custom-brand programs like Women Rule and What Works. Before this she was publisher of the National Journal, and was part of the team that launched Gallup's World Poll. She began her career working for members of Congress from the Pacific Northwest.

Ballmer says that in three years USAFacts 'has gone from an idea about informing the public debate with non-partisan, understandable data to a real, useable platform... Poppy will help lead USAFacts to greater relevancy to the lives and work of government leaders, media, academics, students, and engaged citizens, giving them more of the tools they need for rational debate'.

MacDonald herself says the goal for USAFacts is now 'to go beyond simply serving up and visualizing government data, to serving key constituencies with data packaged in ways that can be easily leveraged to inform the most effective use of public dollars and the best policy outcomes' - including tailoring the service 'for better use in upcoming election cycles, to equip voters and candidates to engage'.

Web site: www.usafacts.org .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.