Amanda is the inaugural director of the new Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and is focused on advancing public sector innovation in cities across the globe to transform the culture of government, deliver exceptional results for residents, and inspire trust in public service.
Previously, Amanda served as the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) for the City of Los Angeles and a member of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s executive team. She was appointed in early 2019 and was the first person to serve in this role. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amanda served as the mayor’s key COVID-19 response advisor, driving the City’s data, research, innovation, and planning efforts while serving as the liaison to Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health, state, and national partners. She supported the creation of the City’s testing program and vaccine program – one of the largest testing and vaccine programs in the world.
Prior to her appointment as CIO, Amanda served as the Director of the Los Angeles Innovation Team from 2015 to 2019, an office she established for the City in 2015. Named one of the most important innovation labs in the world, her team received numerous awards including Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Award and GovTech’s IT Project of the Year as well as several housing awards for work opening the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) market and transforming perspectives on their possibility. In 2018, Amanda was named the #1 top local government influencer by Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) an organization that recognizes the top 100 government influencers in the United States annually. Amanda also led Los Angeles’ work on Gender Equity and has helped Los Angeles move toward gender parity in City operations and service delivery.
Prior to her appointment by Mayor Garcetti, Amanda worked at Deloitte Consulting for ten years where she was a Senior Manager in the public sector practice and led federal, state, and local government projects in the US and abroad. She has been a longtime advocate and activist for issues facing the country and people of Nepal. Daflos holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado Graduate School of Public Affairs and a BA from Hamilton College.
