The NewDEAL announced that Salt Lake Mayor Ben McAdams’ work to reduce and prevent homelessness has made him a finalist in the 2017 New Ideas Challenge – a competition among rising and innovative state and local policymakers to propose the best ideas for expanding opportunity and improving government in the new economy.
A full list of finalists is below.
Of fifty proposals evaluated by an esteemed and diverse panel of judges, McAdams’ Collective Impact on Homelessness initiative is a finalist in the “Future of Communities” category, which includes ideas that strengthen communities and recognize that everyone benefits when more people have the best chance to contribute positively. The effort brings together a coalition of state, county and city government representatives with more than 30 providers to reform how services are delivered. Work has involved Pay for Success initiatives, through which the private sector invests in public problems and recoups their funding based on a project’s success. These include Salt Lake County’s ‘Homes not Jail’ effort and the REACH initiative to improve outcomes for individuals with moderate to severe substance use disorders.
“In a world being rapidly transformed by the forces of globalization and technological innovation, and where Americans have lost faith in government to solve pressing issues, the New Ideas Challenges shows how a group of innovative state and local officials are rising to the challenge of finding solutions,” said NewDEAL Executive Director Debbie Cox Bultan. “Mayor McAdams and his fellow finalists have made proposals that, together, set a governing agenda for the country to follow and for making the economy and government work better for the American people.”
In its third edition, this year’s Challenge seeks to identify effective ways to address profound anxieties resulting from a new economy that has left many Americans behind. The Challenge is open to the 155 members of the NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders), an organization chaired by U.S. Senator Mark Warner and former Delaware Governor Jack Markell to support state and local pro-growth progressive elected officials through the exchange of ideas and engagement with other top public, private, and non-profit sector officials.
“Getting things done on behalf of citizens is how mayors across the country serve the public good. I am thrilled to be named a finalist and to be included in this group of talented and innovative leaders across the country and to have the opportunity to share what we’ve learned,” said McAdams.
The competition’s six categories cover ideas that:
- provide better access to the high-quality education and training required for workers to excel in the new economy;
- spur innovation and entrepreneurship;
- strengthen communities and recognize that everyone benefits when more people have the best chance to contribute positively;
- adapt government programs and services to meet the evolving needs of citizens and operate as effectively as possible in the new economy;
- improve access to safety net and other programs that are critical for supporting healthy and secure families in the new economy; and
- address challenges that have become particularly acute in rural communities.
Submissions to the New Ideas Challenge were evaluated by eight judges:
Ami Bera, Congressman (CA-07)
Emily Cain, Executive Director, EMILY’s List
Jim Kessler, Senior VP for Policy, Third Way
Bruce Reed, Co-chair of Aspen Future of Work Initiative & former Chief of Staff to VP Biden
Mark Riddle, President, New Leaders Council
Joe Sandberg, Founder & CEO, Aspiration.com, a Founder of CalEITC4Me
Neera Tanden, President & CEO, Center for American Progress
Leena Wen, Baltimore City Health Commissioner
The six winners of the New Ideas Challenge will be announced on Thursday, November 16 at the seventh annual NewDEAL Leaders Conference in Washington.
2017 New Ideas Challenge Finalists:
The Future of Workforce
Community College Gap Assistance – Senator Kate Bolz, Lincoln, NE
Code Louisville – Mayor Greg Fischer, Louisville, KY
Empowerment School Zones – Senator Eric Lesser, Longmeadow, MA
The Future of Business
Occupational Licensing Reform – Senator Bob Duff, Norwalk, CT
Resource Innovation Campus – Councilmember Kate Gallego, Phoenix, AZ
BankLocal – General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island
The Future of Communities
Rapid Assessment and Support Services Diversion – District Attorney Charles Branson, Douglas County, KS
Kids’ Home Run – Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, West Sacramento, CA
Collective Impact on Homelessness – Mayor Ben McAdams, Salt Lake County, UT
The Future of Government
Denver: An Entrepreneurial City – Mayor Michael Hancock, Denver, DO
Data Science for Water Infrastructure – Mayor Stephanie Miner, Syracuse, NY
OregonSaves 2.0 – State Treasurer Tobias Read, Oregon
The Future of Families
Whole Child Leon: Building Community Support for our Youngest Children – Representative Loranne Ausley, Tallahassee, FL
Make Head Start A Full Day Program – Councilmember Hans Reimer, Montgomery County, MD
Supporting Workers in the Gig Economy – Assemblyman Troy Singleton, Mount Laurel, NJ
The Future of Rural America
Rural Economic Advancement Of Colorado Towns – REACT – Senator Kerry Donovan, Vail, CO
Rural Infrastructure, Transportation and Innovation Act – Senator Jennifer Schilling, La Crosse, WI
Statewide Imagination Library Partnership – Representative Clarke Tucker, Little Rock, AR
