Olivia Padilla-Jackson, CABQ’s Deputy Director of Finance, brings a wealth of experience and data-creativity to the Integration Initiative
“Increasing the total number of jobs across Albuquerque is a five to ten year endeavor. We won’t see the needle move on that data for a while, so we need intermediary data to begin gaging whether the Integration Initiative’s programs are meeting the desired outcomes.” Olivia Padilla-Jackson, Deputy Director of Finance, City of Albuquerque
Olivia Padilla-Jackson, the City’s Deputy Director of Finance, makes data about the coolest thing since sliced bread. Her passion for collecting and tracking data is palpable and informed by a broad background in federal, state, and city government. Her work experience spans from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to the New Mexico State Board of Finance, to the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee. When it comes to best collecting and tracking data around the Integration Initiative’s shared outcomes, the Data Action Team has an exciting new member.
Data is a tricky business though; accuracy is paramount but data gaps are inevitable. Reconciling those tensions to build useful data stories takes some beautiful minds. Albuquerque’s Integration Initiative is fortunate in that regard, and paired with Olivia’s ties to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, there are some concrete and creative data collection instruments in the works.
In addition to the active work going on around integrating data at the city and state level, in late April some Albuquerque Integration Initiative members met with the Federal Reserve of Kansas City to discuss a data monitoring mechanism established in 2010 by the New York Fed called The Small Business Credit Survey (SBCS). The SBCS collects information on three types of small businesses—growing businesses, microbusinesses (<$100K), and startups (0-2 years)—in 26 states across the country, and reports on business performance, financing needs and choices, and borrowing experiences. New Mexico has not yet participated in the survey, but the hope is that we will implement the Fed’s survey (or one much like it) later this year. “The Small Business Credit Survey is powerful because it provides on-the-ground, leading indicators of what is happening at the local economy level,” said Olivia. “It would be timely data for us to access for the Integration Initiative.” With this strategy, those pesky data gaps in Albuquerque may have met their match.
CONNECT THE DOTS
COMMONALITIES with the Albuquerque Living Cities Integration Initiative:
The SBCS survey would collect data from small business in Albuquerque on topics such as credit availability and gaps, and financing needs, but also could open avenues for feedback on programs, business success metrics, and demographic data that will assist in ensuring that the Initiative advances equity and inclusion.
OPPORTUNITY:
The Albuquerque Living Cities Integration Initiative is in direct conversation with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City to explore implementing the Fed’s small business survey or one much like it.
