Debra Lam
Debra Lam is chief innovation & performance officer for the City of Pittsburgh and oversees all technology, sustainability, performance, and innovation functions of city government. Prior to joining Mayor Bill Peduto’s executive team, Debra worked as a project manager and policy consultant at Arup, a global consulting and design firm. With over a decade of experience, her projects have included strategy work with the World Bank, APEC, and the C40 cities. She has spoken and published numerous articles on sustainable development, climate change, and urban resilience and was among the 35 high achievers awarded a place on Management Today’s “35 Women Under 35″ list and a finalist for Women of the Future, Science and Technology.
Debra is a Pittsburgh native and recently returned to her hometown after living and working in New York, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. She is a graduate of North Hills Senior High School, graduated cum laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and earned a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.
After successful stints across the globe, Debra is excited to help transform Pittsburgh into an innovative, world-class city. Her work in the Office of Innovation & Performance seeks to make city government not only more efficient, but more open, transparent, and responsive to the needs of its residents. Her perspective will help frame our conversation, demonstrating more engaged city planning: a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.