Chief Innovation Officer

As Chief Innovation Officer and Director of Performance and Analytics, Kirby  is responsible for the department’s day-to-day data and analysis efforts. Her team is responsible for organizing City data and making it universally accessible and helpful to all users, both internal and external. Using municipal analytics, her team leverages data to drive decision-making efforts to better align services with needs and optimize taxpayer resources.

Prior to joining the City of San Diego, Kirby spent four year working for the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation where she oversaw the research efforts of the organization. Her team’s work  focused on analyzing local economic trends, including quantifying the economic activity of regional industries and evaluating policy impacts. Kirby spent seven years working for the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) where she managed the long-range population and housing forecast program for the region. 

With a background in urban and transportation planning, demography, and infrastructure policy, Kirby is well versed in economic and demographic analysis and the application of local data sources. Kirby’s work and commentary has been featured in various media outlets including San Diego Union Tribune, Voice of San Diego, San Diego Business Journal, and KPBS.

A native San Diegan, Kirby holds a bachelor’s in regional development from the University of Arizona and a master’s in urban planning from the University of Southern California. She spends her free time exploring San Diego by bike with her husband and is always in search of the region’s best burrito.

Contact Kirby