About

Rebecca Woodbury worked in local government for over a decade and was the City of San Rafael’s first director of Digital Service & Open Government. She also served as the City's public information officer. Rebecca developed the City’s digital strategic framework and led an organization-wide human-centered design training program.

In 2017, Government Technology named her one of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers and in 2014 she received the Rising Star award at the Municipal Management Association of Northern California’s Women’s Leadership Summit. She has a BA in Public Policy and an MPP, both from Mills College in Oakland, California.

• City and Town managers
• Communication managers
• Public information officers
• IT managers
• City clerks
• Analysts

• Increased satisfaction with government services
• Helpful, timely information provided to the community
• Modernized tech tools and support
• Empowered employees
• Increased trust and confidence in local government

Small, local government budgets and employees are stretched thin. They are often forced to be reactive rather than strategic in their service delivery.

The Great Recession, coronavirus pandemic, and rising pension costs have made balancing a budget hard. The cuts typically result in decreased resident satisfaction and employee morale.

Asked to “do more with less,” public servants are wearing more hats than ever. They provide critical public services but often lack the tools and methods to provide good digital services.

This can lead to inefficient or inequitable services, frustration, and decreased public trust. Without trust, tax measures fail. Elected officials rotate through like a revolving door and satisfaction levels continue to drop.

Local government services are easy to use, both by the public and public servants. People easily find them. They understand the information without a high level of education or training. They complete forms and transactions without friction.

Employees are empowered to improve services and information over time. They don't need a lot of training to use the tools. They have the space, permission, and support to make improvements.

People have helpful and timely information so they can stay safe during emergencies. They know how to get the services they need. They don’t dread dealing with their local government. Instead, their experience of government services is good. They feel good that their tax dollars are well-spent. Budgets get easier to balance due to efficiency gains.

This results in increased levels of satisfaction with and trust in local government.