About me

It all began with punk rock. Never did I imagine that when I made my first website to promote my band in the mid nineties, it would form the basis of a career spanning almost 30 years. Today, I serve as Senior Director of Creative Technology at Coforma. Over the course of my career, I’ve worn many hats—metaphorically as a hybrid designer/engineer, and literally as both the cause of and solution to my hairline.

My commitment runs deep when it comes to using my skills for building things that help others, improving accessibility, and centering inclusivity from conception to completion. And there’s nothing better than leading or working with teams to join me in this endeavor.

I am one of 700,000 people without congressional representation as a resident of Washington, DC.

Pronouns: He/Him

Me shaking hands with President Obama on the Navy Steps of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, outside the West Wing of the White House.
Portrait of me with a beard, wearing a black shirt and glasses, smiling at the camera.

A couple things I’ve done

Nothing here would have been possible to without the talent and dedication of so many of my incredible teammates. I’m forever grateful to have had the opportunity to be associated with any of these projects, so you if you come across this page and we worked together on any of this, thank you.

2019-Now: Coforma

  • Led the creation of Coforma’s Accessibility Playbook.

  • Founding member of IRS Direct File, the government’s first tool allowing people to file taxes directly to the IRS for free. I helped build the pilot and continued supporting the 2024 tax filing season. My role included everything from front-end development, accessibility, and even some design work.

  • Front-end developer on Together.gov, a website that helped reunite families separated at the border by the U.S. Government’s zero-tolerance policy from January 20, 2017 and January 20, 2021.

  • Design and coded multiple components for the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS), including modal windows, icons, and various form controls.

  • Helped Veteransdownload their VA decision letters. It was one of the most requested features from Veterans, and now tens of millions of millions of letters have been downloaded since its launch.

  • Built the engineering department from a team of two to over 50. I think I’ll need to reflect on this more in the future, but I’m proud of the work we did to create a culture of collaboration and support, where engineers can thrive and do their best work.

2016-2019: United States Digital Service (USDS).

I was a member of the design community of practice, but I’d say nearly 50% of my work was engineering. Highlights include:

  • VA.gov design system - Creator and product owner. I had built the documentation site working closely with other designers and engineers to ensure the guidance and principles were well-understood and helpful to achieving the goal of designing the best possible digital services to veterans.

  • Data at the point of care - Front-end developer, UX design. This pilot program is a game-changer for healthcare providers and patients who often struggle to maintain a complete picture of their medical history.

  • Certify - Designer, front-end developer. After 40 years and multiple failed attempts, we managed to get the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program off paper forms and into an online platform used by both small business and the business opportunity specialists receiving their applications. In conjunction with this work, I also put together a design system for the platform.

  • USDS.gov - Front-end developer.

  • Multi-benefit enrollment application A template for benefits administrators to customize their enrollment programs, simplifying a complex application process and allowing users to apply to multiple benefits, such as Supplement Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid in a single application.

  • I regularly participated in hiring designers, which involved reviewing resumes and phone interviews. It is impossible to overstate how critical this is to success of the organization, and by extension, the outcomes we deliver to the public.

2012-2016: LivingSocial

Senior product designer (2012-2015) and front-end engineer (2015-2016) for LivingSocial.

2007-2012: POLITICO

First designer at POLITICO. Designed and built the main website along with applications for mobile and tablets. Designed live election results for 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, as well as the 2010 midterm elections.

Various speaking, interviews, and things in the press