Stephen Goldsmith*
FAX: 202.496.7756
Experience
Mayor Stephen Goldsmith is the Daniel Paul Professor of Government and the Director of the Innovations in American Government Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He also serves as a Senior Strategic Advisor and Independent Consultant to McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP for its Municipal Recovery & Restructuring and Global Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnerships practices.
He previously served two terms as Mayor of Indianapolis, America's 12th largest city, where he earned a reputation as one of the country's leaders in public-private partnerships, competition and privatization. As mayor, he reduced government spending, cut the city's bureaucracy, held the line on taxes, eliminated counterproductive regulations, and invested over $1 billion in infrastructure. His transformation of downtown Indianapolis has been held up as a national model.
As mayor he conducted more than 80 public-private competitions, which resulted in savings of more than $400 million. The Wall Street Journal has called Mayor Goldsmith a "pioneering privatizer of city services."
Areas where Mayor Goldsmith led the country in creative public-private transactions included the first major U.S. effort in each of the following:
- Airport - Cost savings of $105 million in first 10 years
- Wastewater treatment plant - Cost savings of $65 million in first five years
- Municipal IT services - Cost savings of $26 million in first 7 years
- Naval air warfare center - Over 98% of local employees kept their jobs after base was scheduled for closure and purchased by private military contractor.
Mayor Goldsmith has previously served as the Deputy Mayor for Operations of New York City, Chairman of the Corporation for National and Community Service and Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to President Bush in his 2000 presidential campaign. He is the author of many books on cities and is frequently published in such papers as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
Education
- University of Michigan, J.D. with honors, 1971
- Wabash College, A.B. 1968, Honorary Doctor of Laws, 1993
* Non-attorney professional
Seminars and Presentations:
- “Better, Faster, Cheaper: A Framework for Operational Efficiency,” National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT) Annual Conference, Seattle, WA (August 14, 2012).
- "Bankruptcy, Restructuring and the Road Back," Bloomberg State & Municipal Finance 2012, Chicago, IL (June 7, 2012).
- "Better, Faster, Cheaper: A Framework for Operational Efficiencies," MDGFOA Winter Conference, Baltimore, MD (January 27, 2012).
- "Growing Blue - Moving Water Up the Agenda," American Water Summit 2011, Atlanta, GA (November 10, 2011).
- "Finding Money Now: Public Private Partnerships and New Revenue Sources," Bloomberg State & Municipal Finance 2011, New York, NY (November 2, 2011).