The City of Erie has launched its first Innovation + Impact (I+I) Team, a cross-departmental initiative designed to improve how City government operates and how residents experience City services.
The new team brings together employees from across City government with a shared mission. To identify practical solutions to challenges and creating better outcomes for residents.
Built on the belief that employees closest to daily operations are often best positioned to improve them, team members will receive training and apply tools in human-centered design, systems thinking, process improvement, and collaborative problem-solving.
The launch comes with additional momentum as Erie has been selected to participate in the Fall 2026 Implementation Accelerator, a 16-week program offered through the Centre for Public Impact and the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University. The program provides participating municipalities with specialized training, coaching, peer learning opportunities, and funding to support innovation-focused projects.
The City’s first Accelerator project will focus on improving the City Hall Welcome Experience, with the goal of making it easier for residents to find information, navigate City Hall, access services, and connect with the right resources.
As part of the initiative, the Innovation + Impact Team will engage with residents, City employees, community organizations, and other stakeholders to better understand what works well, where challenges exist, and what improvements could make interactions with City government more efficient and welcoming. Community members will also have opportunities to provide feedback and help test proposed solutions throughout the process.
The inaugural Innovation + Impact Team includes Lori Radder Spicer, Tori Williams, Cooper Moore, Mari Lucas-Holben, Cindy Zembrowski, Pam Waite, Jeanne Ardillo, Dan Higdon, Tony Maggio, Antonio Stapp, Meg Miller, Mike Lavery, and Kat Blair.
For the Accelerator project, Cooper Moore will serve as Project Manager, Tori Williams as Project Lead, and Lori Radder Spicer as Sponsor.
Mayor Daria Devlin said the effort reflects the City’s commitment to building a culture of innovation and continuous improvement throughout municipal government.
“We want innovation and continuous improvement to become part of how we work every day, not something separate from our day-to-day operations,” Devlin said. “This team is about empowering our employees to challenge how we’ve always done things, work across departments, and build better ways to serve Erie. The City Hall Welcome Experience is just the beginning.”
City officials emphasize that the Innovation + Impact Team is not a short-term initiative. Following the Accelerator program, the team will continue as an ongoing part of the City’s efforts to strengthen operations, foster collaboration among departments, and improve service delivery for residents.
Residents interested in learning more about the Innovation + Impact Team can visit the City of Erie’s website.