Joined the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ “Community at the Core” podcast for their second episode, “Data for Action,” to discuss how data is changing the way the department makes decisions and serves residents.
Episode Overview
Hosted by DCA Chief of Staff Kia King, the conversation brought together three of DCA’s leads in the data space: Dr. Christopher Wheeler, Chief Data Officer, who’s setting the direction for data governance and analytics across the department; John Harrison, Director of Information Technology, who handles the infrastructure and system modernization that makes data work possible; and me, covering the platforms we’ve built for data collection, analysis, and real-time sharing across New Jersey’s 564 municipalities.
What We Talked About
The episode gets into how DCA has been shifting from intuition-based decisions to evidence-based ones — identifying service gaps, targeting resources where they’re needed, and measuring whether programs actually work. We discussed the tools behind that shift: modern web applications built with React and TypeScript, cloud-based infrastructure, real-time dashboards for leadership, and APIs that let us share data with partner agencies.
A good portion of the conversation focused on data collection itself. Municipal reporting is a persistent challenge, and we talked about what we’re doing to reduce that burden — standardizing formats across programs, automating validation and quality checks, and building mobile-friendly entry for field operations.
We also covered how we’re making data more accessible once it’s collected: self-service analytics for program managers, interactive visualizations for stakeholders, and open data efforts that support transparency and cross-agency collaboration.
Security and Privacy
One thread running through the episode was the tension between openness and protecting sensitive information. DCA handles data on housing, homelessness, and community development — areas where privacy matters. We discussed how the department balances transparency with that responsibility.
Listen to the Episode
“Community at the Core” is the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ podcast on how the department supports communities across the state.
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