Alumni in State and Local Government: Francesca Ioffreda MBA/MPP 2017

Francesca Ioffreda MBA/MPP 2017 is the first Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) for the State of Maryland. She completed her joint MBA/MPP at Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School. Prior to her role as CIO for the State of Maryland, her career spanned the private, public, and non-profit sectors, including working with the Bloomberg Center for Cities where she developed a new teaching case on  economic development in Cleveland, Ohio. Francesca recently took the time to share more about her HKS experience and how it has shaped her work in state and local government. 

What made you pursue your Master of Public Policy at the Kennedy School? What did you hope to do after graduating?

My career has been inspired by this goal of creating economic opportunity for others. I think that stems from growing up in a multicultural household and attending public schools. I was always acutely aware of how place and policy could shape individual lives. Before HKS, I spent some time working across sectors doing international development work and consulting. In government and the public sector, I always saw the huge opportunity to have an impact at a scale that's nearly unparalleled. I also fundamentally believe in the power of government to help solve challenging societal issues.

So why the Kennedy School? I wanted to deepen my public policy skill set and knowledge, and to develop my own governing philosophy. It was also important for me to build relationships with peers and other leaders in the field. My experience at HKS was fantastic. I think I achieved all those goals and so much more. Another thing that was especially impactful and special to me was being a Center for Public Leadership (CPL) fellow. I was both a Zuckerman and a George Fellow, which gave me additional communities even beyond the HKS cohort.

You worked in consulting and the private sector after HKS and have now returned to government. Was returning to public service always your plan?

Absolutely. My career thesis has focused on the concept of a tri-sector leader, an idea coined by Professor Joseph Nye. The premise is that the big issues in our society—whether it's climate change, poverty, or education challenges—are too big to be solved by any one sector alone. I think a lot of our sectors and leaders are too siloed. Because of that, we need leaders who can work across sectors, serving as translators and bringing their diverse strengths to bear. This idea really shaped my career and inspired me to pursue the MBA/MPP joint degree. 

When I got to the Kennedy School, I became fascinated by state and local governments as petri dishes for experimentation and innovation. My first summer, I worked for Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the City of Chicago and absolutely fell in love with that experience. I was working on everything from housing and healthcare access to business permitting; I felt so close to the problems and even closer to the solutions. I think that experience whetted my appetite for government, and I knew I wanted to get back to it when the right opportunity came up. When the Chief Innovation Officer opportunity presented itself, it felt like the culmination of so many of those diverse experiences I've had. It’s been the opportunity of a lifetime to build Maryland’s first innovation team and to do so under the leadership of Governor Wes Moore, who is such an inspirational leader.

What does your day-to-day look like in your role as Chief Innovation Office for the State of Maryland?

I joined the state a year and a half ago to stand up this new innovation team within Governor Moore's office. It was formed through a partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, which has supported these innovation teams in cities around the world, but not previously at the state level. We’re an exciting first test case. Our innovation team was formed around the thematic areas of reducing childhood poverty and improving economic mobility, which are two of the governor's top priorities. You can think of the innovation team as a solution incubator or startup within government, helping design, implement, and scale new solutions to these longstanding problems. To do this, we also work across agencies and partner with nonprofits and businesses.

In my role, there's no standard day. A day could include meetings with internal and external stakeholders, speaking with community members, and the governor. One of my team’s guiding philosophies is that the people closest to the problem are closest to the solutions and you’ve got to involve them in the process. You can't just design solutions from on high. There is a lot of creativity inherent in the problem-solving focus of this role each day.

What has it been like working at the state level under a changing federal landscape?

It's been challenging for many states, but particularly for Maryland, as we’re so proximate to Washington, DC. We've been hit particularly hard by federal layoffs and that has all sorts of flow-through impacts on our economy and in our communities. The workforce side of things has been hard. 

But it’s also created an opportunity for our team to help create a new vision for Maryland—one that moves beyond our traditional economic anchors to build a broader landscape of opportunity. We’re using this moment to redefine economic and community development as a strategy rooted in our state’s competitive advantages, our exceptional talent, and a commitment to building a more resilient future for all Marylanders.

Policy-wise, it’s also been a challenge. Public servants who are already time and resource-constrained are now being asked to manage so much more. This exacerbates capacity challenges, and I think that's why you're now seeing many third-party organizations step up to support states in this time. I would say that one silver lining of this is that innovation is needed now more than ever before. There's an acknowledgement that we must do more with less, and that we cannot just rest on the way things have always been done. I’m seeing a big appetite for new solutions and a lot of support around that.

Are there any specific courses or lessons from your time at HKS that you look back to in your career?

There are three things that I go back to time and time and again. One is Professor Marshall Ganz’s philosophy on communication. Communication is so central to working in government because we often deal with complex ideas and policy packages, but your average person just wants to know, “What does this mean for me?” and “Why are you a credible ambassador?” Being able to distill complex ideas into simple resonant messaging is a key skill.  

Another thing I refer to often is the [Senior Lecturer] Ronald Heifetz leadership class. He has this concept of “being on the balcony.” What that means to me is the ability to unpack and understand leadership dynamics but also see the bigger picture in a specific situation. In high-emotion situations, stepping back to see the broader constellation of circumstances is exactly what allows you to remain clearheaded.

The last thing is actually an experience. Through my time at the Center for Public Leadership, one of the key activities that we did was a collective brain trust. We would present a problem to our cohort, and they would ask us questions, and then reflect back advice. I found that to be such a powerful experience, and it's one that's stayed with me in the sense that we're all going to face challenges, be they professional or personal, but we don't have to go it alone. You also don't have to be the expert in everything, but you must know where to find the expert and how to ask for help. 

What advice do you have for students and alumni considering a career in state and local government?

Working in state government is an incredible career opportunity. I feel like I'm living my dream job every day. You can have such a tremendous impact, and you can have that impact relatively early in your career. It’s rewarding and meaningful work, but it’s also hard work. 

My advice is that there are all kinds of positions in state or local government. Look for an opportunity aligned with your passion and experience. That could be at the executive level in a governor’s or mayor’s office or at an agency level. There are so many places to land, each with its own unique attributes. Identify what type of role you want to play at the state and local level. Is that around a particular topic area, like labor, commerce, or health? Or is it more functional, like finance or human resources? Let that guide you. 

The final piece of advice I have is to work for an administration that you believe in. I feel very fortunate to work for Governor Moore. That’s important because many of these jobs are intense and high-pressure, so you have to be motivated by the right things. Look for a leader who aligns with your vision, especially when you’re in these moments of change or challenge.