THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2013
White House Highlights Gerrie Schipske as an Open Government and Civic Hacking “Champion of Change”
WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, July 23rd, the White House will honor Gerrie Schipske as an open government and civic hacking “Champion of Change.” The Champions being honoredtomorrow have made a tremendous positive impact by building high-tech tools to help health workers and disaster-response crews better serve communities; piloting innovative programs to involve traditionally disengaged communities in local governance; using new technologies to enhance government transparency and collaboration; and more.
When presenting his new management agenda earlier this month, President Obama said, “… We the people recognize that this government belongs to us, and it’s up to each of us and every one of us to make it work better…We all have a stake in government success -- because the government is us.”
The White House Champions of Change program was created as part of President Obama’s Winning the Future Initiative. Through this program, the White House highlights individuals, businesses, and organizations whose extraordinary stories and accomplishments positively impact our communities.
To watch this event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 10:00 am ET on July 23rd. To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program and nominate a Champion, visitwww.whitehouse.gov/champions.
Gerrie Schipske, Councilwoman on the Long Beach City Council
Long Beach City, CA
Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske is currently serving her second term on the Long Beach City Council. She has championed open, transparent and accountable local government since she took office in 2006 by being the first elected official in Long Beach to disclose their calendar and to communicate daily via blog, email, Facebook and Twitter. In January 2012, she took public education and transparency efforts one step further with her “Open Up Long Beach” initiative and website which provide residents increased access to the city’s every day affairs and documents, and includes opportunities for residents to “ go behind the scenes” of city operations. These efforts were lauded in California Forward’s report: The State of Transparency in California: 2013. Gerrie also brought transparency to the Medical Board of California on which she serves by initiating the requirement that members disclose each meeting any contacts they have had with interested parties. Gerrie earned her JD from Pacific Coast University School of Law, her MA from George Washington University, her BA from University ofCalifornia, Irvine and her RNP from Harbor UCLA Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner Program. She is the author of three books on the history of Long Beach, California.
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