Sean Clovechok

Why did you join city government? What keeps you going on tough days?

I wanted to make a place where I wanted to live. I think it’s so neat that I live in Edmonton and can affect the city around me, helping to make it a better place. On tough days, what keeps me going is remembering that even though my job is more behind the scenes, working on strategy and writing policy, the work I do enables others across the city to be more effective. I always try to look at the bigger picture and the impact my team and I have on the city.

How did data help you solve a specific problem in your city?

During COVID-19, when there was a need for more integrated services, I helped with the data governance on a project called Unison. We pooled data from 12 different sources, including Edmonton’s police, fire rescue services, transit services, a vulnerable population support group, peace officers and so on. At first it increased visibility across agencies, but then our data scientists developed algorithms based on historical data to predict where calls for service are most likely to happen. Because we can predict future demand for calls, we can deploy resources accordingly. It’s resulted in more effective deployment for everybody involved.

What lessons have you learned that other city leaders might find helpful?

The one big thing I always stress is collaboration. It’s so vital to get all of the key players involved, especially when you’re doing data governance, which is multifaceted. I think this is especially important in government because a lot of the pieces are in different areas. There are so many perspectives you’ve got to consider with any kind of data governance or just when you use data in general. It’s about trying to see things from other people’s perspectives. We always want to be thinking about colleagues’ goals ahead of time so that it’s not just a take, it’s a give-and-take relationship and we want to keep an open mind. Recently, we were revamping our Generative AI Standard, and it was humbling because some of the points others brought up I never would have thought of.

What’s next for your work — and how do you hope to keep using data?

AI is the big thing right now. That’s what we talked about on our national call today. We got a message from leadership that we need to be safe and responsible, respect people’s privacy, and ensure all of that. On the other hand, they don’t want us to stifle innovation—they want us to enable people to use AI. The big picture, and the main thing we’re working on right now, is making sure we’re doing everything properly to let staff be creative and innovative while also protecting citizens, their data and their privacy. Especially with generative AI.

What did achieving What Works Cities Certification mean to you and your city?

It was an honor to be among the first Canadian cities to receive Certification and be recognized as a data-informed city. It was a feather in our cap and something to highlight to leadership but what I actually liked more was seeing where we’re not doing well. Now we have evidence to show leadership the areas we need to work on. We’ve done our own data management maturity assessment, but the one from you folks is really great. The thing I’m most excited about is being able to collaborate with other participating cities through the What Works Cities Community and see how other cities have developed their data practices. I have a monthly call with Canadian cities but the What Works Cities network is all of North and South America. We can see what other cities have done and then adapt it to our situation. We’re always happy to stand on the shoulders of others and then help out where we can.

Where should people visit in Edmonton?

When the What Works Cities team came up I tried to get them to go to an Oilers game. We’re very proud of our hockey team, which was in the Stanley Cup finals in 2024 and 2025. The arena is fairly new and part of a revitalized downtown area and public ice rink called the Ice District.