Melissa Scott serves as Chief Information Officer for the City of Philadelphia, leading the Office of Innovation and Technology and helping shape how one of the nation’s largest cities uses technology to serve its residents, strengthen government operations, and prepare for the future.
Her appointment as CIO is the result of more than 11 years of service to the City of Philadelphia and a career defined by taking on complex challenges and delivering results. Before becoming CIO, Scott helped lead some of the City’s most consequential technology initiatives, including implementation of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax, Philadelphia’s transition to new voting machines, and the rapid deployment of virtual inspections for the Department of Licenses and Inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each required more than technical execution—they demanded collaboration, trust, urgency, and the ability to turn major policy and operational priorities into solutions that worked for the people of Philadelphia.
Those experiences prepared Scott to lead at an even greater scale.
Over the past two and a half years as CIO, she has worked to transform OIT from a traditional technology organization into a strategic partner capable of helping Philadelphia rethink how government operates and how residents experience City services. Under her leadership, the City has accelerated modernization across digital services, cybersecurity, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, accessibility, digital equity, and workforce development.
Scott helped position Philadelphia at the forefront of responsible public-sector artificial intelligence through the development of the City’s AI Policy and the establishment of its AI Council, creating a foundation for innovation that keeps accountability, human oversight, and responsible governance at its center.
Her leadership has also driven a new generation of resident-facing technology. OIT has advanced the redevelopment of the Philly311 mobile application, modernization of phila.gov, expansion of digital identity and single sign-on capabilities, development of the HOME application to connect residents with housing and financial assistance resources, and the creation of Access Philly, designed to transform how residents and visitors engage with Philadelphia during major events and beyond.
At the same time, Scott has ensured that modernization is not limited to what residents see on a screen. Under her leadership, OIT has strengthened the City’s core technology foundation through investments in network modernization, connectivity, cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience, and the protection of critical systems. These efforts have improved the reliability and security of the technology supporting City facilities, public safety operations, and essential government services, while strengthening Philadelphia’s ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from evolving cyber threats and major technology disruptions.
She has made digital equity a core part of Philadelphia’s technology agenda, expanding broadband access, digital literacy, device distribution, Digital Navigator services, and community technology initiatives designed to ensure that progress reaches every neighborhood.
Scott has also invested heavily in the people behind the technology. She has expanded workforce development, professional training, mentorship, cross-training, leadership development, and opportunities for employees to build the skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing technology environment.
At the heart of Scott’s leadership is a simple belief: technology is not the outcome—people are. The value of innovation is measured by whether government works better, employees are better equipped to serve, and residents can more easily access the services and opportunities they need.
Scott earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Howard University and a master’s degree from Eastern University. As a first-generation college graduate, her journey from finance and project management to leading technology for the City of Philadelphia reflects a career built on persistence, service, and an unwavering commitment to creating opportunities for others.
Today, Melissa Scott brings together more than a decade of institutional knowledge, a proven record of delivering complex initiatives, and a bold vision for what government technology can become—not simply modernizing systems, but using technology to build a more connected, accessible, resilient, and responsive Philadelphia.