Wednesday October 15, 2025
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SubscribeTwo top leaders in Mayor Greg Fischer’s administration who helped build a data-driven culture of innovation have accepted new roles in the community that will allow them to continue their focus on making the Louisville region more entrepreneurial.
Chief of Civic Innovation Ted Smith, who is passionate about healthcare and technology, will become a full-time entrepreneur again as CEO of Revon Systems, a young health technology company in Crestwood that is revolutionizing clinical trials while empowering patients to seek appropriate care through artificial intelligence technologies. Revon was founded by Dr Cedric Francois and the co-founders of Potentia and Apellis Pharmaceuticals.
Theresa Reno-Weber, Chief of Performance & Technology, has leveraged her private sector experience to bring Louisville to the cutting edge of government performance improvement. She has accepted the position as President and CEO of Metro United Way beginning in January, where she will continue her work driving data-driven policies and collective impact across our community.
Fischer today also named their replacements.
Grace Simrall, founder of iGlass Analytics and most recently executive director of innovation for Intel Care Innovations, will be the city’s new Chief of Civic Innovation. And Daro Mott, currently Chief Innovation Officer for Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, Ohio), will be Chief of Performance Improvement.
Simrall starts this week, and Mott, who previously was director of quality and performance for Louisville Metro Government and integral to the success of the LouieStat program, will return this fall/winter.
Simrall has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a master’s from the University of Louisville. Mott earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and has two master’s degrees from the University of Louisville.
“Daro and Grace will make a powerful team and will continue to create a culture of innovation and continuous improvement in Metro Government,” Fischer said.
“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to serve the community,” Simrall said. “I look forward to continuing the work of my predecessor, Ted Smith, and welcome new collaborations across all channels.”
“Louisville leads the nation in local governments which have fostered a culture of data-driven innovation,” Mott said. “It is an honor to return to Louisville to lead its continuous improvement journey and help Louisville win a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.”
Fischer today thanked Smith and Reno-Weber for their exemplary service to the citizens of Louisville, calling them pioneers, both locally and nationally. “Ted and Theresa have helped make Metro Government more innovative and have taught others nationwide and globally how to transform their city governments,” the Mayor said. Continue reading
Councilman Kevin Kramer of District 11 and Councilman Stuart Benson of District 20 will be holding a town hall meeting tonight at the Jeffersontown Fire Department (10540 Watterson Trail). The meeting will start at 6:30 PM.
The councilmen will be present as well as officials for other local government agencies to answer any questions. The meeting will include an update on the Urton Lane Project.
For more information, contact the office of Councilman Stuart Benson at 574-1120.
Since the current Governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, is running as Vice-President on the Republican ticket with Donald Trump, he is unable to run for re-election as Governor. A replacement candidate needed to be found.
22 members of the Indiana Republican State Committee held a meeting earlier this week to determine who would be the Republican candidate for Governor this year.The choice included big names, such as Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb, US Representative Susan Brooks, US Representative Todd Rokita and State Senator Jim Tomes.
The meeting lasted a few hours and the committee announced that Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb will be the candidate this election cycle. The announcement did not surprise many since Governor Pence endorsed Holcomb last week. Holcomb has not named a running mate for Lieutenant Governor yet, but he will be running against:
- John Gregg (Democrat) with Christina Hale
- Rex Bell (Libertarian) with Karl Tatgenhorst
- Adam Adkins (Write-in) – no running mate named at this time
- Christopher Stried (Write-in) – no running mate named at this time
Gregg also ran in 2012 against Pence. Pence narrowly won that election with 49.5% of the vote (Gregg had 46.6% and Libertarian candidate Rupert Boneham had 4%). Polls from earlier this year show that Pence and Gregg were nearly tied, but Pence did have a slightly lead in May. It is unclear how close Holcomb and Gregg are at this time.
Brooks and Rokita both had to remove their names from the ballots for the US House of Representatives, but both intend to seek re-election in their districts. Both are still eligible to be placed on the ballot in November.
Donald Trump’s campaign appears to be signaling that Indiana’s Governor Mike Pence is dropping his re-election bid in order to fill the position of the Republican front-runner’s VP.
Two other top choices for the vice-presidential candidacy, Sen. Joni Ernst and Sen. Bob Corker have both withdrawn from the list of potential picks. This comes after rumors have been swirling that Pence would be the choice, fueled by talk that other potential running mates were scheduled for speaking engagements at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Cleveland while Pence was not scheduled.
Pence represents a social conservative position on the GOP White House ticket. Republican strategists believe that he will draw more rank-and-file Republicans as well as providing fundraising power and conservative credibility on a range of issues on which some may have felt that Trump wavered.
Pence was facing tomorrow’s deadline to decide whether or not he would seek reelection as governor of Indiana. This means that the Indiana Republican State Committee will determine the GOP candidate for governor for the first time in the state’s history. The 22-member committee has 30 days to chose a replacement once Pence officially withdraws from a reelection bid.
A formal announcement of the VP pick is expected in Manhattan tomorrow ahead of the convention, which begins next week. Following yesterday’s tragic events in Nice, France, the Trump campaign decided to postpone the announcement conference. Trump, instead, opted to tweet out the announcement:
I am pleased to announce that I have chosen Governor Mike Pence as my Vice Presidential running mate. News conference tomorrow at 11:00 A.M.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2016
Last night, Louisville mayor Greg Fischer proposed the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The overall budget is $822 million, which reflects an increase from last year due to an improving local economy. The city says they are anticipating a 4%, $20 million, increase in revenue this year.
58% of the budget is dedicated to public safety and related agencies. This approximately $475 million will be used to hire new firefighters and new metro police officers. Some will go to replacing city vehicles, such as police cars, ambulances and snow plows. $300,000 will be used to add more public cameras to the city and $640,000 will used to pay metro police officers working in areas where crime is higher overtime.
$20 million will be used to repave streets and roads in the city with no word at this time on which roads will be improved. There is also $500,000 set aside to increase the number of bike lanes throughout the city. $100,000 will be used to redesign parts of Broadway and $1 million will be used to purchase vacant and abandoned properties.
Other points of interest are $4 million which will be used for repairs at Slugger Field, $1 million for repairs at the Louisville Zoo, a 2% raise for non-union city employees and $6.1 million to upgrade computers and software for the city government.
The entire budget proposal can be viewed on the City of Louisville website. Anyone wishing to comment on the budget will have the opportunity on Wednesday, June 1st at 5:00 PM. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers, which are located at 601 West Jefferson Street. Sign-ups will begin at 4:00 PM on the third floor of City Hall. Speakers will be given 3 minutes to make comments and may submit a written statement as well. For more information on the meeting, you can contact Tony Hyatt at 502-574-4137 or Stephen Haag at 502-574-1204.
Mayor Greg Fisher will deliver his proposed 2016-2017 Capital and Operational Budget Address on Thursday, May 26th at 4:00pm during a special meeting of the Louisville Metro Council. As a result of this special meeting, the Democratic Caucus will not meet on Thursday.
The Committee of the Whole will meet prior to the Mayor’s address at 3:00pm in the First Floor Conference Room to review the Council’s agendas for the evening.
The Louisville Metro Council will hold its last regular meeting of the month of May at 6:00pm in Council Chambers. The meetings are open to the public, who may enter City Hall using the Sixth Street entrance. Anyone needing assistance may enter City Hall from the Jefferson Street entrance.
Today, in light of areas of serious concern dealing with potentially illegal and unethical contracting processes during the previous administration, Governor Matt Bevin announced a special investigation.
Governor Bevin has asked the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet, Col. Bill Landrum, using the extensive investigative powers given to him in KRS Chapter 45, to prepare and issue an RFP for a thorough, in-depth investigation and report by an attorney or law firm with experience in investigating activities and contracts.
Once selected, this firm will work closely with Secretary Landrum and his staff, including the Cabinet’s new Inspector General, whose appointment will be announced in the coming days, to make findings and issue a report.
Under KRS Chapter 45, such investigation will include the ability to subpoena witnesses and records as may be necessary to accomplish the investigative goals.
“A thorough, independent investigation like this can expose and cast light upon prior unsavory — and perhaps illegal — practices, but can also provide the public a degree of confidence in a fair and transparent governance that was so glaringly absent in the past administration,” said Governor Bevin.
Please find attached the Governor’s full remarks as prepared for delivery.
