Officials with the Maryland Department of Technology on Thursday named the senior leaders of the newly formed Maryland Digital Service, an agency designed to improve public access to digital services.
The Maryland Digital Service, which Governor Wes Moore created in January as part of a major package of IT initiatives, now includes senior directors for engineering, design, product, web experience and strategic investments. The new directors will be led by Marcy Jacobs, chief digital experience officer.
According to a press release, the team is Maryland’s first full-time, in-house digital services team.
“MDDS is excited to partner with state agencies to create consistent and intuitive digital experiences that are user-centric, accessible and secure for all Marylanders,” Jacobs said in the release. “Marylanders deserve a digital experience with their government where no one is left behind.”
Among the new hires mentioned in the state’s press materials is Jeffrey Pass, who will serve as Maryland’s senior director of web experience. Pass has been a digital experience consultant for 25 years, advising the federal government on USPS.com, Healthcare.gov and COVID.gov, among others.
Lilly Madigan has been named Senior Director of UX and Service Design. Madigan spent five years as a consultant to the federal government, including serving with the United States Digital Service at the White House and the Department of Defense.
The mission of the Maryland Digital Service is to increase trust in state government by improving Maryland’s websites and digital services and increasing citizen access to digital services and benefits.
According to the press release, the team will support other state agencies by creating well-designed and user-centric digital experiences. The state also claims that hiring an in-house team, as opposed to outside contractors, will reduce costs.
“We developed MDDS to improve the digital experience of Marylanders,” Katie Savage, the state’s chief information officer, said in the release. “By bringing talent from the core disciplines of engineering, design and product in-house, the state can develop solutions faster and more cost-effectively. We can also communicate to our vendor partners that we want cleaner, simpler solutions that emphasize user-centered design for the state agencies we serve and the public.”
Maryland joins several other states looking to bring their digital services expertise in-house. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience last year. That agency launched PA Navigate, a website that connects residents with agencies and community groups to help them access resources. It also updated agency websites with new accessibility features and a consistent look.
