When we launched U.S. Digital Response (USDR) in March 2020, we were responding to an unprecedented crisis that caught the world off guard. As founding CEO, I watched in awe as technologists from across the country raised their hands to help governments navigate those challenging early days of the pandemic. We weren’t tech industry giants or strategic government insiders. We were people, who wanted to help, armed with the skills from both sectors, and ready to serve.
Five years later, not a day goes by that I’m not amazed by the movement USDR helped spark. Over 10,000 people have answered the call to help, and we’ve evolved into something even more profound: a trusted partner helping governments build lasting capacity to serve their communities better.
Now, as I return to USDR as a board member and lead the search for our next CEO, I'm energized by where we're headed.
I’ve always been inspired by USDR’s approach to work with humility and meet governments where they are. In just five years, we've completed over 550 projects with nearly 600 partners across 50+ states and territories - maintaining remarkably high partner satisfaction as we've scaled. We've stayed current with emerging technologies, as evidenced by our work in generative AI translation with partners like the New Jersey Department of Labor. And we’ve continued to learn from what exists, rather than try to reinvent the wheel or assume better tech will solve everything. In short: we know how to apply best practices to make things work.
USDR has built deep trust with our government partners, demonstrating time and again that we understand their challenges and can help them deliver better services to their communities.
This foundation of trust and proven impact is leading us to a moment that we won’t let pass us by. The landscape of government and technology looks very different now than it did five years ago. Governments have adapted, invested in new systems, and seen examples of what good service delivery under pressure can look like. This evolution creates an opportunity for USDR to be even more proactive – identifying gaps, connecting solutions across jurisdictions, and helping scale what works.
As we search for USDR's next leader, we're looking for someone who appreciates what makes this organization special, and can leverage our strengths to make new strategic investments. USDR was never designed to be a typical tech nonprofit – we're a unique blend of deep technical expertise, civic purpose, and practical problem-solving. We need an entrepreneurial leader who can envision what the next five years could look like while staying true to our core mission of helping build a government that works for everyone.
The timing of this search is particularly important and exciting. We're approaching our five-year milestone with momentum and strong partnerships across the civic tech ecosystem. We see opportunities to play an even more critical role as a connector across different levels of government, helping share knowledge and best practices while tackling systemic challenges.
The need for our work isn't going away – if anything, our partners need our support more than ever to deliver for their communities.
This is a critical moment to invest in government services that truly work for people. Services built with a deep understanding of community needs and demonstrated values. Services that leverage the best of technology while recognizing the expertise of public servants who work in these systems day in and day out.
If you share this vision and have the experience to help realize it, we want to hear from you. The right leader will help USDR build on its strong foundation while charting an ambitious course for the future – one where we continue to make government work better for everyone.
Yours in service,
Raylene Yung
USDR board member & founding CEO
We are now accepting applications for our next CEO, and encourage those interested to apply as soon as possible.
