About Nick Kittle Photography

I AM...

a government performance and innovation speaker and coach, and an ex-Chief Innovation Officer for government. But that is just a title. Really, I am a Renaissance man who dabbles in the arts and the world around me. I make it my job to help great people do great things.  I am a partner and resource for a brighter future and I empower people with "Sustainovation"--creating a culture of sustainable innovation in government. My motto is live the life you love and love the life you live.

In my professional career, I am an innovator, leader, facilitator, public speaker and trainer, experienced in working with large groups in a variety of settings to maximize the fun, effectiveness, capacity and abilities of a team of diverse professionals. I use performance measures to drive organizational behavior and am gifted in change management to speed organizational adoption of innovation. I use a balance of humor and strategy to create effective solutions. I am skilled in leading teams to create effective unique solutions for "unsolvable problems."

I believe in using our strengths to minimize our weaknesses and build effective teams at any level in an organization.  I have leveraged these strengths to create forward-leaning programs and first-of-their-kind ideas that have been adopted nationally by Fortune 100 companies and governments across the nation.

But that's just what I do to pay the bills. Who am I? I believe the world should be a beautiful place. I'm an artist. I play disc golf. In 2014 I watched 300 sunrises and sunsets. I believe saying the phrase "looking at this from 30,000 feet" makes you sound too stupid to listen to-and I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I make insanely good barbecue. I am full of useless knowledge and worthwhile facts.  I had the entire first-generation of Garbage Pail Kids. I "snigletize" my life by make up words regularly, speak with cadence, and (occasionally) write in poetic nonsense. I am a tree planter, not a tree hugger. I have worked as a government cog.  I have been a corporate ladder climber.  I am a serial entrepreneur. I have been an insolent fool.  And I believe in the power of Team US.  What do you believe in?  

Stopping Bureaucracide

After selling EasySubmittals, I began working for the City of Colorado Springs, and moved quickly to become a well-respected executive in the organization. I succeeded by stopping "bureaucracide", finding a way to get to yes, and building coalitions of great leaders to serve the larger community.  I served as a senior manager in the Fleet organization, as a special project manager for the City Manager during the start of the Great Recession, and successfully directed and managed the reformation of Public Works Department during the transition from a council-manager form of government, to a strong mayor form of government. I was asked to found the City's first Office of Innovation, and created the concept of "innovation value" as a way to measure program successes. In 12 months, the office was the first self-funded innovation office in the country.

I worked with other nationally-recognized innovation leaders to raise the profile of this burgeoning field of civic innovation, including Boston, Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco, Lexington, Louisville and New Jersey. I have assisted Austin, San Jose, Lakewood and Kansas City start their innovation programs. Most recently I was the Chief Innovation Officer for Adams County and oversaw the innovation, sustainability, performance, continuous improvement, training and development, and business solutions services for the county.

I am now a keynote speaker, trainer and facilitator on Sustainovation, building high-performance government, life, civic innovation and strategic plan development. I have worked with TEDx, the US Olympics, Cartegraph, ELGL.org, City of Austin, City of Lakewood, Kansas City, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Center for Non-Profit Excellence, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, International Hispanic Network, Certified Professional Public Buyer network, Veteran’s Affairs Symposium, Front Range Airport, Catamount Institute, El Pomar Foundation. and many more.