Cordell Schachter

Cordell Schachter, 2012

Cordell Schachter (born August 30, 1960) is an American technology manager who has held positions in both public service and commercial firms. He has been the Chief Technology Officer of the New York City Department of Transportation since 2008.^[1]

Schachter began his career at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation in the 1980s, rising to the position of Assistant Chief of Technical Services for that agency.^[1] He then worked in several private sector posts managing network and media technology and, in 2006, rejoined the city government as Associate Commissioner and Chief Project Officer for the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.^[1]

Early life and career

Schachter was born in Dobbs Ferry, New York, the oldest of three children of Maurice and Arlene Schachter; the family moved to Middletown, New York, in 1967. Schachter's father was a principal of Lafayette Avenue Securities, a bond brokerage firm, and his mother was a school library clerk.^[2] Schachter graduated from Middletown High School in 1978.^[3] He received a BA degree in Economics from the State University of New York at Buffalo (1983), where he served in student government, becoming president of the Student Association in 1982–83, and an MS in Management from the New York University Wagner School of Public Service (1995).^[4] He is certified as a Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute.^[1]

Schachter began his career at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation in the late 1980s, rising to the position of Assistant Chief of Technical Services for that agency, where he oversaw technical support services to all New York City parks.^[4] In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he worked in several private sector posts managing network and media technology projects for leading technology firms including IBM, AT&T and Siemens, involving web platforms, national voice-over IP conversions, and international wide area networks, including network support for two Olympics.^[1] In 2006, he rejoined the city government as Associate Commissioner and Chief Project Officer for the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, where he managed the implementation of a project and portfolio management system and the city's Emergency Communications Transformation Program, among other projects.^[1] Schachter is also an Adjunct Lecturer at St. Peter's University in New Jersey.^[5]

Department of Transportation

On June 16, 2008, Schachter became the Chief Technology Officer of the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT).^[1] One project of the DOT, overseen by Schachter in 2012, was the development of a web-based mobile application that allows inspectors at street construction sites to use lightweight touch-screen tablets and the city's private wireless cellular network to retrieve assignments, issue violation notices on the spot, and transmit reports in real time. Using the application, inspections are now processed in one day instead of three, improving safety as well as saving the city money.^[6] The application won a "Best of New York" mobile app award.^[7] In 2013, Schacter's team was praised by InformationWeek for developing a GIS web-based map application that allowed the DOT to rapidly and accurately assess and document damage to city infrastructure caused by Hurricane Sandy, so that rebuilding could begin, and that also helped the department apply for Federal relief funds.^[8] The application won a 2013 Digital Government Achievement Award in the "Government-to-government category".^[9]

Shachter has pursued a strategy of "mobile first development", because most users are (and are increasingly) accessing DOT information on mobile devices.^[10] Writing about the DOT in Internet Evolution, Kim Davis commented: "I was impressed by [Schachter's] refreshingly simple approach to mobile devices, the creative approach to apps (I was amazed that so much of the DoT's app development takes place in-house), and struck by the constraints on IT procurement."^[11] During his tenure, among other things, the DOT introduced the Citi Bike program; a map-based app called iRideNYC that lets travellers know when the next bus or subway will arrive and where the nearest stops are;^[12] the Walk NYC wayfinding project^[13] and Vision Zero View, "an interactive tool that details traffic injuries and fatalities, and highlights the city’s response to make the streets safer".^[14] His department won one of four Best Practices Awards granted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to local government agencies around the world, in its 2014 City on a Cloud challenge, recognizing "innovative and impactful local government projects running on the AWS Cloud".^[15]

In 2014, Schachter's department rolled out a permit management system that, among other capabilities, "streamlines virtually every aspect of obtaining a [construction or repair] permit. ... The new system gives utility workers and construction contractors the ability to apply for permits 24/7/365 [from anywhere] using any device – desktop, tablet or smartphone – and ... to print out permit signs to post on their work sites", while reviewers at the DOT can more quickly process the permits and make sure that there are no conflicting applications or permits issued.^[16] The team won the Igniting Innovation 2015 Award from The American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) for this system.^[17] In 2015, Schachter was featured in Government Technology magazine's article "Best Practices for 24/7 Government".^[18]

Personal

In the early 2000s, Schachter was President of Bronx Community School Board 10,^[19] where he helped foster the creation of two schools: the IN-Tech Academy^[20] and the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy.^[21] An avid skier, Schachter volunteers as the treasurer of the Coalition to Save Belleayre.^[22] He serves on the Board of Trustees of Riverdale Temple.^[23] Schachter is married to Jackie Kuhls, Chief Budget Officer, Department of Subways, MTA New York City Transit,^[24] who was previously executive director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence,^[25] and the couple have two children.^[7]

References