“The future is what we make of it. We are all in this together, and the only thing that can stop us is the limits we place on our own imagination.

—Martin O’Malley


For over a quarter century, Martin O’Malley has been a devoted public servant and respected chief executive within local, state, and federal government.  Recognized at home and abroad for devising and implementing innovations to make government work better for the people it’s intended to serve, he has pursued approaches that reflect openness and transparency, while introducing data-based decision-making to support measurable outcomes for individuals, communities and broader populations. 

As a mayor, governor and federal agency leader, Martin O’Malley has earned an unequaled reputation for transforming large, far-reaching, but under-performing organizations through a combination of collaborative leadership, change communications, and by driving cultures of accountability and continuous  performance improvement.

Data-Informed Leadership

Then-Mayor O’Malley was the first of a new generation of Smart City mayors that began to emerge in the United States in the late 1990s.  Just two years after his upset election as Mayor of Baltimore in 1999, Time named Martin him one of the top five big city mayors in America. His new data-driven system of performance management, “Citistat,” earned his City the Innovations in Government Award from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in 2002 and has been copied by mayors across the country and around the world. When he ran for his Party’s nomination for President in 2016 — after two successful terms as Governor of Maryland — Washingtonian Magazine called him “probably the best manager in elected office today.”

As Mayor, O’Malley set Baltimore on course for the largest ten year reduction of crime of any major city in America. As Maryland’s 61st Governor from 2007 to 2015, O’Malley made Maryland’s public schools #1 in America for an unprecedented five years in a row. And with a new performance management regimen called, “Baystat”, O’Malley turned around a 300 year decline in the health of the Chesapeake Bay — the largest estuary in North America.

O’Malley’s performance management system, Citistat — and its Maryland progeny, Statestat — also inspired key amendments to the Government Performance and Results Act; foundational requirements intended to drive data-driven management practices across federal agencies today. 

In his 2019 book, “Smarter Government”, O’Malley lays out in his own words how to govern for better results in the Information Age.

It is a formula that every elected leader has the ability to call into service. But it requires a radical commitment to openness and transparency. The courage to follow the data wherever it might lead. A relentless commitment to measuring the outputs of government on a real-time basis. It is all about producing better results — real-time — for real people.

Safeguarding the Promise

Martin O'Malley was nominated by President Biden to be Commissioner of the Social Security Administration and, following confirmation by the U.S. Senate, was sworn into office by Senator Ben Cardin on December 20, 2023. He led the 90-year agency until November 2024, following the election of Donald Trump as president. 

As Commissioner, O'Malley was responsible for administering the Social Security retirement, disability, and survivors insurance programs that pay over 1.4 trillion dollars annually in benefits to more than 66 million beneficiaries, as well as the Supplemental Security Income program that provides cash assistance to approximately 7.5 million people with limited income and resources. At the time of his confirmation, the agency had a workforce of about 61,000 employees and 1,500 facilities across the country and around the world.

O'Malley's tenure is noted for revitalizing the SSA through data-driven management, improved customer service, and modernization efforts, all achieved despite operating under staffing constraints and budgetary limitations.

Agency Transformation

During his tenure as Social Security Commissioner, Martin O’Malley implemented transformative changes to make the 90-year old agency customer-centric and responsive to beneficiaries. Transfering knowledge and best-practices from his experiences as a chief executive of a city and a state, then-Commissioner O’Malley significantly improved response and processing times for hundreds of thousands of Americans who rely on this essential government agency — and the promises it has made.

Enhanced Customer Service

O'Malley introduced "SecurityStat," a performance management system that facilitated biweekly reviews of key agency metrics. This initiative led to a reduction in average wait times on the SSA's 1-800 number from over 40 minutes to approximately 12.8 minutes by late 2024 .

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Disability Claims Processing

Under his leadership, the backlog of pending disability hearings decreased significantly, with the number of pending hearings dropping below 300,000 for the first time in decades. Additionally, the average processing time for disability determinations improved.

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Overpayment Reforms

O'Malley implemented policies to make overpayment recovery less punitive. The default withholding rate for overpaid beneficiaries was reduced from 100% to 10% of monthly benefits, and the process for requesting waivers and repayment plans was streamlined.

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Workforce Investment

Recognizing staffing shortages, he lifted a hiring freeze and authorized over 3,700 new hires across teleservice centers, field offices, and disability determination services. He also promoted employee engagement through initiatives like the EngageSSA portal, which collected over 16,000 staff suggestions for improvements.

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Technological Advancements

The SSA expanded online services, including eSignature capabilities and digital document uploads, reducing the need for in-person visits. Automation efforts, such as the Automated Medicare Process, significantly decreased processing times for certain applications.

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Policy Simplification

O'Malley oversaw regulatory changes to simplify Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility criteria, including no longer counting food assistance as income and standardizing rental subsidy calculations nationwide.

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In the news

In Their Words

“Instead of passing the buck on accountability and efficiency, governors like Martin O’Malley … have revolutionized performance management systems, showing the American people precisely how their governments are working for them.”

—President Barack Obama

“He should be reelected by acclamation for steering the ship of state so well."

—Hillary Rodham Clinton

“Governor O’Malley is a lifelong public servant who has spent his career making government more accessible and transparent, while keeping the American people at the heart of his work. As Mayor of Baltimore and Governor of Maryland, he adopted data and performance-driven technologies to tackle complex challenges facing the communities he served – and I saw the results firsthand when we worked together during my time as Vice President. As Governor, he made government work more effectively across his administration and enhanced the way millions of people accessed critical services.”

—President Joe Biden

“Over his career in public service, Governor O'Malley built a world-class reputation for harnessing technology to deliver transformative change to government services on behalf of Marylanders.”

—Senator Ron Wyden