Governor Spanberger Appoints Virginia Digital Service Director
This week, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced the appointment of Andrea Fletcher to serve as the Director of Virginia Digital Service— a new state team focused on modernizing state government, improving websites and systems, and saving taxpayers money by preventing bad state contracts. This service follows the model of the Department Of Government Efficiency by bringing together an advanced team of experts to ensure that technology is used effectively across the Commonwealth’s government.
“Virginians should have an expectation that government services be intuitive and easy to use,” said Director of the Virginia Digital Service Andrea Fletcher. “I’m excited to help deliver on that goal for the people of the Commonwealth and demonstrate that government can build great technology.”
Similar digital service teams have already delivered proven results in other states, saving residents time and money.
Smarter state contracts: Colorado’s team used hands-on product and user research to help negotiate a new grant management system covering 17 programs and more than $60 million in annual grants — before a dollar was spent.
Fixing everyday friction points: Pennsylvania’s team rebuilt the process for residents appealing a denied insurance claim, turning a confusing form into a workable process at a moment when people are already under stress.
Streamlining applications: Maryland’s team built a single, streamlined application covering Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, WIC, and energy assistance, with more than 220,000 applications completed in under six months.
Simpler processes: Maryland’s unemployment insurance site now walks claimants through five clear steps instead of a confusing multi-page process — a redesign that reduced costs, cut page count by 40 percent, and drove a 15 percent jump in completion rate.
