Maryland Digital Service names senior leadership team

Officials from Maryland’s technology department on Thursday named the senior leadership members of the newly established Maryland Digital Service, an agency designed to improve the public’s access to digital services.

The Maryland Digital Service, which Gov. Wes Moore established in January as part of a big package of IT initiatives, now includes senior directors of engineering, design, product, web experience and strategic investments. The new directors are led by Marcy Jacobs, chief digital experience officer.

The team is Maryland’s first full-time, in-house digital services team, according to a press release.

“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,” Jacobs said in the release. “Marylanders deserve a digital experience with their government that leaves no one behind.”

Among the hires named in the state’s press materials is Jeffrey Pass, who’ll be serving as Maryland’s senior director of web experience. Pass has spent 25 years as a digital experience consultant, including consulting the federal government on USPS.com, Healthcare.gov and COVID.gov.

Lilly Madigan was named as senior director of UX and service design. Madigan spent five years consulting for the federal government, including work for the United States Digital Service at the White House and the Department of Defense.

The Maryland Digital Service is tasked with increasing trust in state government by improving Maryland’s websites and digital services, and improving residents’ access to digital services and benefits.

According to the press release, the team will support other state agencies by building well-designed and user-centered digital experiences. The state also claims that hiring an in-house team, as opposed to external contractors, will lower costs.

“We created MDDS to improve the digital experience of Marylanders,” state Chief Information Officer Katie Savage said in the release. “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.”

Maryland joins several other states looking to bring digital services expertise in-house. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro last year announced the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience. That agency has launched PA Navigate, a website that connects residents to agencies and community groups for access to resources, and updated agencies’ web presences with new new accessibility features and a common look.