Almis Udrys is San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer’s Chief of Innovation & Policy, in charge of advancing the Mayor’s agenda, which includes solutions on addressing homelessness, housing affordability, and an ambitious Climate Action Plan that focuses largely on mobility and ‘smart city’ solutions. In his role, he oversees a team of policy and government affairs professionals that drive policy reforms and maintain relationships with the City Council, as well as officials in Sacramento, Washington D.C., and Mexico. Prior to his current role, Almis built San Diego's first Performance & Analytics Department that delivered on multiple programs and projects over 4 years, including the award-winning Get It Done application, transforming internal workforce culture and turning San Diego into a nationally recognized leader in municipal innovation.
In addition to serving two Mayors, and drafting a comprehensive data-driven infrastructure workplan for San Diego, Almis has also served as a senior budget and policy advisor in the California Legislature where he negotiated a $125 billion state budget and as a performance auditor with the California State Auditor.
Almis currently serves as an appointed trustee to the San Diego City Employees' Retirement System as well as an appointed member of the San Diego County Water Authority.
With nearly two decades of public service, Almis often speaks about his experiences and the necessary tools for advancing innovation in government, including a TEDx talk on smart cities and a dialogue about how to attract technologists to work in government.
Almis holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and a B.A. in International Business from Hillsdale College.