Why We Serve: Ron Heft
In this series you’ll hear stories from USDSers and learn why they decided to join, why they stay, and how their work is making an impact for all Americans.
Ron Heft (He/Him), Engineer @ USDS HQ. Previously at The Social Station. From Allentown, PA.
What inspired you to join USDS?
After seeing both of my parents struggle with signing up for Medicare and Social Security as they reached enrollment age, I took an interest in how government services could be more accessible, friendly, and approachable for everyone. When I learned there was a group within the federal government working to do that with technology, I was interested, but I honestly didn’t know how I could fit within USDS. I knew nothing about how the federal government works; was I really someone who could make a difference?
I followed USDS in the news for years, and, one day, I heard Matt Cutts give a pitch for serving during a This Week in Tech podcast. It all clicked then. The federal government needed outsiders to bring new perspectives. Technology was moving faster than bureaucracy could keep up with, and someone like me, who has experience using modern development practices to build delightful, fun services, could make an impact within government.
What will you miss most about USDS when you leave?
The combined knowledge and helpfulness of my co-workers. USDS is an amazing place. We have a diverse group of people coming together from different backgrounds. Anytime I’ve had a question, whether it’s technical (what services at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services are running Docker on Fargate?), policy (why do we need identity proofing to register an account?), or anything else, I’ve had co-workers jump in to support me and make connections within the government.
What are you working on right now and how does it help people?
I’m working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) building a user-friendly COVID-19 testing tool, SimpleReport, and ensuring COVID-19 test results make it back to state and local public health departments. Outside of making it easier for schools, nursing homes, and other locations to monitor for outbreaks, we are also supporting our federal partners at the CDC build a culture of user-focused design and to embrace cloud hosted services — work that will extend beyond the pandemic and this project.
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.
