Board of Directors
Dan Correa
Chair of the Board
CEO, Federation of American Scientists
In 2019, Dan founded the Day One Project at FAS. Prior to joining FAS, he led the Technology and Public Policy Project at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute, an initiative to enlist leading technical and policy experts to develop actionable policy proposals across a range of cutting-edge international and domestic science and technology issues. He previously helped shape science and technology policy for the Obama Administration for nearly four years, serving as Assistant Director for Innovation Policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. At the White House, Correa developed the Administration’s innovation strategy and led government-wide science and technology initiatives that invested hundreds of millions of dollars in government innovation, R&D commercialization, smart cities, entrepreneurship, and more. Prior to joining the White House, Correa led development of technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation policy proposals at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington, D.C. think tank. He has also held the position of Kauffman Fellow in Law, Economics and Entrepreneurship at Yale Law School. He received a law degree from Yale Law School, a masters degree in economics from Yale University, and a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College.
Tom Schenk
Vice Chair of the Board Managing Director, KPMG
Tom Schenk Jr. is a researcher and author on applying technology, data, and analytics to make better decisions. He’s currently the director of analytics at KPMG where he leads the smart city and government analytics practice. He’s authored several publications, including a book on data visualization, book chapters on education research, and academic articles on a variety of subjects. Tom has previously served as Chief Data Officer for the City of Chicago, led education research for the State of Iowa, and has held a variety of positions within academia. Tom is the co-founder of the Civic Analytics Network at Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. He is also the current co-organizer of the Chicago Data Visualization Group. His work has been featured in The Economist and Wall Street Journal while he’s been featured in television programs on PBS NewsHour and National Geographic Channel.
Karen Lightman
Board Treasurer
Executive Director, Metro21
Karen’s experience spans from economic development to leading worldwide coalitions based on emerging technologies. Recognized as a leader in the MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) industry, Karen helped start and led the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), the largest industry consortium solely focused on MEMS and sensors. Under her leadership, MSIG covered every sector of the MEMS value chain and successfully orchestrated several international conferences, workshops and tradeshows. Karen led the successful acquisition of MSIG by SEMI, the world’s largest semiconductor association. Karen has expertise with commercializing academic research, building industry-based consortiums and strategically leading teams to explore market-based opportunities. Her diverse background spans the consumer, military, healthcare, manufacturing, and automotive sectors. Karen is ranked by EETimes as one of the top 25 “Women in Tech.” She is a passionate advocate and spokesperson for her field, an internationally recognized keynote speaker and overall authority on the MEMS industry. Karen has a BA from the University of Vermont (UVM) and a MS in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. She and her family reside in Pittsburgh, PA.
Santiago Garces
Chief Information Officer, City of Boston
Santiago is Chief Information Officer at the City of Boston. He oversees the city’s Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) to provide and maintain mission-critical technologies for the city’s workforce and the constituents they serve. Prior to taking this role he was the Executive Director of the Department of Community Investment at the City of South Bend, Indiana. In that role, he managed the City of South Bend’s economic development and community planning efforts, including building and permitting code enforcement, housing programs and redevelopment efforts for the Rust Belt community.
He was previously the City of Pittsburgh’s Director of Innovation and Performance. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Innovation Officer for the City of South Bend. During his time there, he worked through the Office of Innovation to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of municipal services by developing talent, optimizing processes, and designing technology solutions. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Mr. Garces holds degrees in Electrical Engineering, Political Science, and Technology Entrepreneurship from the University of Notre Dame.
Katharine Lusk
Executive Director, Planning Advisory Council
Katharine Lusk serves as the Executive Director of Boston’s newly formed Planning Advisory Council. The Council is an internal coordinating body composed of the members of Mayor Wu’s Cabinet focused on Boston’s built environment. It guides a shared vision for a green, growing, family-friendly Boston and coordinates investments to realize that vision.
Lusk brings more than 20 years of experience in the public, private and higher education fields, where she has a track record of breaking down silos and connecting people. She previously served as Co-Director and Founding Executive Director of the Boston University Initiative on Cities, an interdisciplinary urban research and policy center founded by the late Boston Mayor Tom Menino. During her tenure at BU, the Initiative grew to become a nationally recognized center. While there, Lusk worked with leading environmental, social and data scientists, public health experts, urban designers and community stakeholders to advance more sustainable, just and inclusive urban transformation locally, nationally and globally. She also spearheaded development of a decade-long survey of American mayors, the Menino Survey. Katharine and her family live in Roslindale, home to one of the first urban Main Streets districts in the country, one of the highest circulation library branches in Boston, a popular farmer’s market, and glorious green spaces.
Emily Yates
Chief Innovation Officer, SEPTA
Emily is a highly skilled urban policy professional with over fifteen years of project management, economic development, sustainable planning, and design experience. She has advanced knowledge in the transatlantic urban agenda with a focus on resiliency and revitalization policy, facilitating cross-sector collaboration and partnerships, and implementing civic engagement strategies which have brought vibrancy to local communities.
Advisory Board
Betsy Hodges
Former Mayor of Minneapolis
Des McNulty
Vice Chair, Glasgow Commission for Economic Growth University of Glasgow
Marcia Hale
Chair, Building America’s Future Former White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
Stephen Goldsmith
Director, Innovations in Government Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University 46th Mayor of Indianapolis
