For immediate release:
Contact: Nathan Miller
nathan.miller1@maryland.gov
443-346-3972
Crownsville, MD: Today, the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) is proud to announce the Maryland Digital Service senior leadership team. The leadership team includes Senior Directors of Engineering, Design, Product, Web Experience, and Strategic Investments. This marks the first time in the State’s history that this full range of digital skills is represented by full-time State employees.
On January 8, 2024, Governor Wes Moore established the Maryland Digital Service (MDDS) within DoIT. MDDS’s mission is to increase trust in Maryland's government through improved access to digital services and benefits, support state agencies in delivering on their missions by building well-designed and user-centered digital experiences, and decrease the cost of serving Maryland residents. Critically, MDDS positions are full-time State employees who will drive continual improvement across Maryland’s websites and digital services.
“We created MDDS to improve the digital experience of Marylanders,” said Katie Savage, DoIT Secretary. “By bringing talent in-house across the core disciplines of engineering, design, and product, the State can develop solutions more quickly and cost-effectively. We can also set the expectation with our vendor partners that we want cleaner, simpler solutions that prioritize user-centered design for both State agencies we serve and the public.”
Marcy Jacobs, Deputy Secretary and DoIT’s Chief Digital Experience Officer, leads MDDS and is building a team of experts who are well-equipped to address the State’s challenges. She is driving the State’s digital transformation by hiring experts in engineering, product management, user research, web experience, and investment management.
Jacobs first hired
David Holmes as
Senior Director of Engineering. Holmes brings expertise in evaluating commercial solutions and leading in-house development operations. Before joining the State, Holmes was an engineering manager at Rebellion Defense and was later promoted to Director of Engineering, where he played a pivotal role in the company’s growth phase and its rise to a billion-dollar national defense startup. He also served at the United States Digital Service at the White House from 2016 to 2020.
Lilly Madigan joined DoIT as
Senior Director of UX and Service Design. Madigan will lead the creation of the Maryland Web Design System, set digital policy, and conduct user research to improve the user experience and accessibility of the State’s applications and platforms. Before joining MDDS, Madigan spent five years leading design teams in the defense and federal consulting industries. Prior to her new role, she also served in the United States Digital Service at the White House and the Department of Defense.
Jenny Smith joined DoIT as
Senior Director of Strategic Investments. Smith will manage the State’s recently restructured Information Technology Investment Fund, ensuring that funded projects efficiently use taxpayer dollars and drive positive outcomes for Maryland residents. Smith will proactively focus on projects that have a widespread, positive impact on state government and Maryland residents in alignment with the Moore-Miller administration’s priorities. Before joining DoIT, Smith served in multiple public interest tech organizations, including the United States Digital Service, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and several political and civic startups.
Jeffrey Pass joined DoIT as
Senior Director of Web Experience. Pass will help lead the strategy and vision for Maryland’s web experience, bringing a resident-centric, research-based, and data-driven approach to transforming and streamlining the state’s websites. This approach will help reduce the burden on constituents and State staff, promote self-service channels for addressing resident needs, and create a more consistent and positive user experience at a lower cost to serve. Before joining DoIT, Pass spent 25 years as a federal digital experience consultant, working on USPS.com, HealthCare.gov, COVID.gov, and dozens of other websites and applications for various federal agencies.
Henry Hall joined DoIT as
Senior Director of Product and Platforms. Hall will oversee DoIT’s statewide platforms and form product teams to support State agencies with critical software development implementations. Before DoIT, Hall spent over 15 years in various product management leadership roles at Stride Inc., Meta, Amazon, and Premera Blue Cross, developing strategy, launching new products, and leading digital transformation efforts.
Jacobs and MDDS leaders will work with DoIT’s sister agencies to improve the state’s digital services, providing guidance, user research support, and remediation when necessary.
“MDDS is excited to partner with State agencies to create consistent and intuitive digital experiences that are user-centered, accessible to all Marylanders, and secure,” said Jacobs. “Marylanders deserve a digital experience with their government that leaves no one behind.”