OAKLAND, CA - U.S. Digital Response (USDR), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works alongside governments at all levels to ensure they have the capacity to meet the public's needs, today announced the return of co-founder and founding CEO Raylene Yung to its Board of Directors.
"Returning to USDR as a board member is a profound honor," said Raylene Yung. "Having witnessed USDR's evolution from its inception during the COVID-19 crisis to its current position as a trusted government partner, I'm energized to help shape its future. The need for effective digital government services has never been greater, and USDR's model of bringing technical expertise to public service continues to prove its value every day."
"We are delighted to welcome Raylene back to USDR in this new capacity," said Avni Shah, chair of the Board. "As our founding CEO, Raylene was instrumental in establishing USDR's foundation of service. Now, after her impactful tenure in federal government, she brings an even deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in government service delivery. Her unique perspective – from co-founding USDR during a crisis, to leading key technology initiatives within federal agencies – will be invaluable in shaping how we continue to meet the evolving needs of our government partners."
Yung recently completed three years of public service across multiple roles in the Biden-Harris Administration, including Chief of Staff for the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations at the U.S. Department of Energy and Executive Director of the Technology Modernization Fund at the U.S. General Services Administration. Prior to her government service, she co-founded and led USDR during its critical first year, establishing the organization's model for providing rapid technical support to government partners. In the private sector, Yung has held executive leadership roles in Engineering and Product Development at Facebook and Stripe.
"Having Raylene join our board as we approach our fifth anniversary is incredibly meaningful," said Hillary Hartley, CEO of U.S. Digital Response. "Her unique perspective spanning USDR's earliest days, private sector leadership, and federal service brings exactly the kind of multifaceted expertise that will help guide us into our next chapter. As we continue to expand our work helping governments deliver effective digital services, Raylene's insights will be crucial to advancing our mission."
Yung joins USDR after a year of significant milestones for the organization, having completed over 550 projects across 50 U.S. states and territories, and welcoming its 10,000th volunteer. USDR continues to expand its services and deepen its work with more than 500 government partners nationwide. As the organization looks ahead to 2025, including supporting governments through the presidential transition period, Yung's recent federal experience and deep understanding of USDR's mission positions her to help guide the organization's next phase of impact. Over the last four and a half years, USDR has notably:
- Recently worked with the state of New Jersey to launch a set of Large Language Model training materials to help build AI translation assistants for public services
- Helped governments attract and retain digital talent, including working with Pennsylvania to build CODE PA.
- Built simple, effective tools for election officials such as working with Grand Rapids, Michigan deploy an easy-to-use digital tool to manage poll workers.
Yung joins Avni Shah, former VP/GM at Google; Janette Fong, USDR co-founder and chief digital officer for WorkMoney; John Bailey, a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; Tammy Mank Wincup, CEO of Securly; Ja'Ron Smith, partner at CGCN Group; and Hillary Hartley, USDR's CEO.
About U.S. Digital Response
U.S. Digital Response is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works alongside governments at all levels to ensure they have the capacity to support the critical needs of the public. Founded in 2020, USDR connects governments with technology, resources, and support, leaving them better equipped to deliver services and support to millions of people nationwide. To date, USDR has built a dedicated community of over 10,000 volunteers driven to serve in a time of need and has partnered with more than 500 government and nonprofit partners on nearly 600 projects. See more at usdigitalresponse.org.
