Meet the Team 🍉🎆🇺🇸 Summer 2021
Deployed with teams across the federal government, they’re delivering better government services to all Americans through design and technology.
When you join USDS, you become part of a community that extends to life after your tour of duty. Since we were founded by the President in 2014, over 600 people have served, modernizing government, shifting culture, and showing what’s possible.
Technologists from across the country, representing diverse communities, skillsets, and backgrounds are joining USDS because of our mission. And this year we’ve been able to bring on more new team members than ever before. This summer, folks are joining to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, expand accessibility to social safety nets, improve service delivery for Veterans, and so much more.
Meet the newest members of the U.S. Digital Service family — recruited from tech communities across the country, from Huntsville, Alabama to Seattle, Washington.
Andrea Fletcher (she/her) Product Manager @ USDS HQ. Previously at Cooper/Smith and Dimagi. From Indiana (town), Pennsylvania (state).
Prior to USDS, I spent most of the last 10 years traveling around the world building digital health systems. I’ve worked in 20+ countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, on mobile apps, integration of biometric IDs, national level interoperability layers, and most recently disease surveillance systems. In 2019 I started a part time PhD at the London School of Tropical Medicine in Epidemiology and Population Health, my research has mostly been focused on HIV data systems in Malawi.
At USDS, I’ll be jumping onboard the team at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to work on U.S. healthcare, bringing lessons learned from abroad to implementing health technology to government. My greatest lesson learned so far is that the technology is the easy part, it’s the people and processes there are hard part to get right.
What words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Thrive.” Working from home over the past year I’m a little bit obsessed with whether or not the plants are “thriving.” Are they getting enough light? Nutrients? Water? Too much? They can’t just survive, they must thrive.
Example use: “This plant is THRIVING!!! Look at that new growth! Grow tall little friend.”
Who are your heroes in real life?
My parents started a physical therapy clinic in rural Pennsylvania 40 years ago, and it is a pillar of the community where I grew up in the Appalachian mountains. My mom is incredibly hard working, and their practice serves some key rural populations in America such as coal miners, farmers, and the Amish. Through their work I learned the value of delivering high quality healthcare to people and communities. Compassion and kindness goes a long way in healthcare, and the patients getting better is the number one priority. I got my “role up your sleeves and get it done” attitude from them, and how to fix complex problems with simple solutions.
They are the reason I wanted to serve in public health, and ultimately USDS. They’re the reason I am so passionate about helping underserved communities get high quality healthcare, whether it be across an ocean, or here in the US.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I’ve been told I’m very energetic. I like meeting new people and exploring new places and am almost always down for a wild adventure.
Travis Newby (he/him), Engineer @ USDS HQ. Previously at SAIC. Currently in Rocket City USA (Huntsville, Alabama).
Prior to joining USDS I worked as a federal contractor. I was fortunate to contribute on a number of great projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Missile Defense Agency, Navy, Air Force, and Army. When the original iPhone was released I thought it had a chance to revolutionize computing, so I took a job as a mobile engineer at the Army Game Studio. I helped — first as an iOS engineer, then as a mobile team lead and principal engineer — the Army build mobile apps for 10 years.
I’m excited to bring what I’ve learned back to the Department of Veterans Affairs as a member of USDS. In the Office of the CTO, I’ll have an opportunity to help the VA build their mobile app strategy and make sure our veterans have access to the exceptionally great apps they deserve.
What is your greatest extravagance?
There is no more important extravagance than a great pair of shoes. I make sure my piggies are always wrapped in some of human kind’s finest sneakers. After all, you only have two feet and they have to last you a lifetime.
Who is your favorite writer?
I’m from the south and I love a good ghost story. There was no better teller of southern ghost stories than Kathryn Tucker Windham. She told her stories with flourish and charm, and maintained an encyclopedic knowledge of southern folklore. To this day, when I read her books I hear her voice.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I’d love to be able to play a guitar like Jimi Hendrix, but at this point I’d settle for being able to play like Jimmy Buffett.
Cody Reinold (he / him), Engineer @ HQ. Previously at Get Us PPE. From Boston, Massachusetts.
Prior to joining USDS, I worked in a variety of hands-on engineering and leadership roles at entrepreneurial ventures, startups, non-profits, and mid-sized organizations. Most recently, I spent a year dedicated to COVID-19 response — building the technology team at Get Us PPE, a non-profit focused on getting personal protective equipment (PPE) to those who needed it most during the COVID-19 PPE crisis. At USDS, I am currently working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to modernize identity and authentication systems for our Veterans. As nearly every online interaction begins with signing in, authentication has a significant impact on how our Veterans access online services. We are working to make authentication faster, easier, and more secure.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A bison in Yellowstone Nation Park. Early in the pandemic, I had the opportunity to visit quite a few national parks. While in Yellowstone, I saw some of the thousands of bison living there. They roam free, in a fully protected environment, living their best, carefree lives…seems ideal to me!
What is your favorite occupation?
As a technologist and lover of theme parks, one of my favorite occupations is a Walt Disney Imagineer. It’s a role that seamlessly blends engineering, design, and storytelling to create immersive guest experiences. I am continually impressed by their investment in technological development, attention to detail, and unwavering focus on putting the guest at the center of everything they do.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
A love of coffee. Green tea is clearly superior.
Suzi Soroczak (she/her), Designer @ USDS HQ. From Seattle, Washington.
I’m a UX Researcher by trade who came from Google (GCS), UserTesting.com, and Tencent, and am currently working to increase access to the Child Tax Credit at the Internal Revenue Service. I like conducting both qualitative and quantitative research and building up research programs at organizations. Go where the customer is!
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Happiness is being able to wake up and got to a job that you adore with amazing coworkers.
What is your current state of mind?
I’m excited about the possibility of moving to Washington, DC because I’m a huge American history buff and I expect there is so much to see and learn. :)
The best of technology.
The best of government.
And we want you.
We’re looking for the most tenacious designers, software engineers, product managers, and more, who are committed to untangling, rewiring and redesigning critical government services. You’ll join a team of the most talented technologists from across the private sector and government.
If you have questions regarding employment with the U.S. Digital Service, please contact us at usds@omb.eop.gov or visit our Hiring FAQ.
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