Chief Data Officer Mark Headd to step down

Philadelphia's Chief Data Officer Mark Headd is stepping down from his post.

Headd will leave the position in early April, according to a post on his personal blog.

"I'll be talking more in the weeks ahead about exactly what I'll be doing, but I'll still be working with governments and open data," Headd wrote. He said he will remain in Philadelphia with his wife and children.

Headd didn't give a reason for his departure or elaborate on his next job, saying only that he'll "return to being a professional technologist." He declined further comment Friday in an email, but said he expects to speak more about his new gig next week.

Headd was tapped in the fall of 2012 to oversee and enforce the city's open data policy, which Mayor Michael Nutter established by executive order several months prior.

Under his tenure, the program received national acclaim and was used as a model for municipalities seeking to make government data publicly accessible.

Headd formerly worked as director of government relations at Code for America. Even after being appointed to his most recent post, he remained an active participant in the city's tech scene, promoting open data and attending civic hacking events.

"Philly's open data effort has always been bigger than any one person – it's always been about the community," Headd wrote. "It's now time for me to rejoin that community."