City hires new chief service officer

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austin City Manager Marc A. Ott announced Friday he has hired Andy Mormon to fill a new grant-funded position of chief service officer for the City of Austin.

In June, Austin was awarded a Cities of Service Leadership Grant. One of 10 winning cities, Austin received a $200,000 two-year grant for the position, which is funded jointly by the Rockefeller Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The funds cover all costs associated with the position, including salary and benefits.

This new position is dedicated to engaging more residents in service and channeling volunteers toward the city’s most pressing challenges.

Mormon, a 10-year resident of Austin, is a long-time corporate human resources executive and former aide to Mayor Lee Leffingwell. He has been an active community volunteer in Austin.

“I’m very pleased that Andy Mormon will be serving as Austin’s new chief service officer,” said Ott. “We found a unique combination of skills in Andy’s background. As a former corporate executive, Andy comes to us with over 28 years of experience and proven skills in project management, including direct responsibility for initiatives related to community development, civic service and volunteerism.”

“Add to this his successful management of city stakeholder initiatives and his direct personal involvement in both volunteering and managing volunteers in Austin, and it is clear that Andy is the right choice for this job," Ott concluded.

Ott said Mormon will be assigned to work under the direction of Leffingwell, a member of the Cities of Service coalition since last year.

About Cities of Service

Founded in New York City on Sept. 10, 2009 by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and 16 other member cities, Cities of Service is a bipartisan coalition of mayors who have answered the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act’s call to action. All coalition members have signed a “Declaration of Service,” committing to work together to lead a multi-year effort to expand community service and volunteerism by:

• Developing a comprehensive service plan and a coordinated strategy focused on matching volunteers and established community partners to the areas of greatest local need;
• Working with other mayors and elected officials to advance strategies and best practices that accelerate the service movement and produce measurable results;
• Encouraging other mayors to join this national effort to engage our citizens; and
• Ensuring that the voice of cities is heard in federal legislative, policy, and program discussions related to service, which will help the country achieve the ambitious goals of the Serve America Act.

The coalition has rapidly grown since its inception in September and now includes more than 100 mayors representing more than 47 million Americans across the nation.