Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews today addressed the 4^th meeting of the Commerce Data Advisory Council at Google Headquarters in New York City. He commended the group on its success and outlined a vision to continue to make data more accessible and usable for the public. 

During his remarks, Deputy Secretary Andrews discussed the Department’s role as “America’s Data Agency,” and updated the council on several key Departmental data projects, including the Trade Data Project and the Data Usability Project.

The 19- member council of leading technologists and data leaders was created to provide the Department with advice and recommendations to revolutionize Commerce data, enabling the public and private sectors to gain new insights, innovate and create jobs.

“We’ve come so far on this,” Deputy Secretary Andrews said to the group of technology and data leaders. “Two years ago, this council did not exist. Commerce collects massive amounts of data, enough to fill two libraries each day. Now data has moved to something that was a small part of the department to something that is part of our strategic plan.” 

“Although we may never be able to run the government like a startup, we are so glad a startup is up and running in the government,” Andrews said. 

Andrews also highlighted successes in making Commerce data more accessible, including the NOAA big data project and the Opportunity Project that combines Census Data to provide a view of Open Data at the neighborhood level. He then called on the CDAC to solidify the Department of Commerce’s role as “America’s Data Agency”. 

At the end of the meeting, Andrews thanked CDAC for their leadership, insight and success, including co-chairs Kimberly Stevenson, CIO of Intel, and Daniel Castro, Director of the Center for Data Innovation. He also commended Commerce’s first Chief Data Officer, Ian Kalin, his deputy Ty Grandison, and Commerce’s first ever Chief Data Scientist Jeff Chen for their work, leadership and vision.  

“Big data can’t lead to the results we all want it to if it’s indecipherable or inaccessible,” he said. “That is one of the primary reasons we started CDAC. We need the private sector’s insight to help us release our data, for the good of society and for American competitiveness.”