Meet the Champions: May 2017
By Natalie Moore
Every couple of months the U.S. Digital Service releases a blog post spotlighting some of its new members, sharing who they are and where they came from. (Here’s February’s post if you missed it.) Most of our team joins for a brief stint in government, a 3-month to 2-year tour of duty to work on some of government’s biggest technical challenges. While our mission is clear — to deliver better government services to the American people through technology and design — our work would not be possible without the civil servants we partner with. In honor of Public Service Recognition Week, we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some of the champions who support our USDS teams across the federal government.
John Evangelist
Director, Applications Management Group at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Hampstead, MD)
How long have you been in government? 31 years.
In what roles? I started my career as a junior IT Specialist. I steadily progressed through various positions as an applications developer, Database Administrator, Technical Advisor, Manager, & now I lead teams that build and manage the systems that pay for Medicare.
How have you been working with the U.S. Digital Service? I see working with the USDS as an opportunity to infuse new ideas into my own thinking as well as the agency. You can’t buy this kind of training. Working with the team on implementing the Quality Payment Program and on updates to our identity management strategy has been wonderful. It’s shown me how powerful the partnership between CMS’s knowledge of existing programs and USDS’s experience with modern software development can be.
What is your favorite thing about being a civil servant? A little context first, my group maintains a suite of software products that supports the Medicare Fee for Service (FFS) program. The Medicare program pays out over $500 billion a year to over 1.2 million hospitals, physicians, and medical equipment suppliers. Collectively, these Medicare providers deliver health care services to over 50 million Medicare beneficiaries. That alone is inspiring, plus the Medicare FFS program has an intersection point with almost every initiative the agency is charged with. The constant need to adapt and learn is my favorite part.
What is your favorite motto? Not sure if it’s a motto, but my work philosophy is to keep learning.
What is the coolest thing you’ve done in the last 6 weeks? I got to watch my 22-year-old son graduate from Nursing School and get his first job at John’s Hopkins!
Nicole Camarillo
Executive Director, Talent Acquisition and Management Strategy for Army Cyber Command Deputy Director, Army Digital Service at Department of Defense (Alexandria, VA)
How long have you been in government? Since July of 2016.
In what roles? I started as a senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs tasked with developing civilian talent management strategies. I now work with the General Commander of U.S. Army Cyber Command developing strategies to increase the Army’s ability to bring in and retain both civilian and military technical talent. Prior to serving in government, I spent five years at a nonprofit advising federal agencies on best practices and solving institutional challenges.
How have you been working with the U.S. Digital Service? I have been working with the Defense Digital Service (DDS) team since last November and helped establish the Army Digital Service. I originally met with the DDS team for background on how the US Digital Service talent pipeline works. I was invited to attend a recruiting roundtable event at Etsy to see the process firsthand. Now, I’m working with the team on multiple levels to bring best practices in talent management from the private sector to Army Cyber Command. I’ve also been able to serve as a liaison for Army Digital Service, assisting the team in understanding the Army organizationally.
What is your favorite thing about being a civil servant? I love the challenge of bringing change to a space where much of the way we do things has been institutionalized over a long period of time. Navigating the relationships and issues necessary to impart change provides endless opportunities for creativity and ingenuity. Partnering with the Defense Digital Service provided an entirely new way to bring private sector best practices inside government and has been such a fantastic learning experience.
What is your favorite motto? “Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid to not try.”
What is the coolest thing you’ve done in the last 6 weeks? The coolest by far has been working with members of the Army Digital Service to develop strategies for increasing Army Cyber Command’s capabilities. I love how curious and eager everyone is to figure out complex problems and work towards viable solutions. Working in the same space as the DDS team has also taught me a great deal about what it takes for technical talent to thrive. I often share these lessons when I discuss changes that are needed to recruit and retain talent with Army leadership.
Nicholas Holtz
Counsel for Technology Integration; Board of Veterans’ Appeals, at Department of Veterans Affairs (Baltimore, MD)
How long have you been in government? 6 years.
In what roles? All of my time in government has been at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, first starting in 2008 (though with a brief intervening stint of private practice litigation from 2010 to 2012). My work has ranged from drafting decisions in appeals for individual veterans to briefing the Deputy Secretary on the Board’s technological challenges and achievements. My current role focuses on assisting the Digital Service as they help VA tackle Appeals Modernization.
How have you been working with the U.S. Digital Service? Veterans’ law and process is not an easy subject to parse, but the Digital Service at VA has been more than up to the task. I try to help them in their efforts. My primary responsibilities include providing them with subject matter expertise on the niceties of the VA appeals system, and working to help grease the wheels of bureaucracy as they replace the VA’s three-decade old appeals management system with Caseflow, a modern set of tools for processing appeals.
What is your favorite thing about being a civil servant? I believe that government has more power to make positive substantive change in people’s lives than most other institutions do, despite its flaws. With that as a guide, I get to go home at the end of the day knowing that I have worked my tail off to help make my small corner of government better for those it affects — veterans, co-workers, taxpayers.
What is your favorite motto? “Write makes might” — I believe in the power of words, especially written ones.
What is the coolest thing you’ve done in the last 6 weeks?Against all odds, I managed to take my oldest son’s design for his Cub Scout Pinewood Derby car and, despite a complete lack of know-how and even less in terms of woodworking skills, help him come in first place in his Pack, without losing a single finger in the process.
Angela Gant-Curtis
IT Program Manager at Department of Veterans Affairs (Austin, TX)
How long have you been in government? 31 years.
In what roles? I’ve worked at both the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) in various roles including payroll, logistics and IT at the VA and as a Project/Program Manager and Division Chief at the DOD.
How have you been working with the U.S. Digital Service? I’ve served as the IT Project Manager for Digital Service at VA (DSVA) since 2014. In this role, I’ve assisted with fulfilling budget, acquisition, and development requirements to enable DSVA to accomplish their goals. I help interpret and navigate all of the different policies and procedures so that DSVA can focus on transformational efforts, delivering automated solutions using the latest technology and best practices that improve services to Veterans and internal VA stakeholders
What is your favorite thing about being a civil servant? Having the opportunity to improve the services provided by the Federal government.
What is your favorite motto? Teamwork makes the dream work.
What is the coolest thing you’ve done in the last 6 weeks? It’s a toss-up between checking out a new restaurant that has been on my list for months, and driving my daughter’s car — figuring out how to use the new Bluetooth features all by myself.
Francine Morris
Product Manager at the Small Business Administration (White Plains, MD)
How long have you been in government? 5 Years 4 months.
In what roles? For years I said that if I ever became a public servant, I wanted to be a part of the Small Business Administration (SBA). After 26 years in the private sector, I joined SBA as a Business Opportunity Specialist at a district office doing outreach, assisting small businesses and helping determine the eligibility and compliance of participating businesses on federal contracting programs. I later went on to work as part of Headquarters at SBA’s Office of Government Contracting and Business Development where I’ve served as an 8(a) Business Development Program analyst and now as a program manager for a digital service modernization effort.
How have you been working with the U.S. Digital Service? I am the link between the Government Contracting Business Development Programs (GCBD), USDS, and our small business contracting teams building certify.SBA.gov. I provide on-the-ground knowledge of how SBA’s analysts work, as well as strong relationships up the management team to secure support for the project.
What is your favorite thing about being a civil servant? Working as a small business in the small business community, I found fulfillment in adding value to the firm; not just for profitability, but also crafting sustainable solutions. Now, working for the government, I can make a more meaningful impact on the entire small business community. The gratification that I get in seeing the fruits of my labor on a larger scale is invaluable to me. Working as a civil servant in the small business administration, I help to grow our economy.
What is your favorite motto? Win as a team or lose as an individual star! Your choice…
What is the coolest thing you’ve done in the last 6 weeks? I started planning my daughters’ sweet 16 party! It is AMAZING to see how she has grown up. I am incredibly proud of her. She is an honor student, she has a heart for community service, she’s fun and she’s funny! Like any mother I can go on and on! Together we are creating the party of her teenage dreams!
Natalie Moore is on the Department of Veterans Affairs Digital Service team doing Product & UX Research
