Governor Abigail Spanberger announced the creation of the Virginia Digital Service and appointed Andrea Fletcher as its director. The new team will focus on modernizing state technology systems, improving government websites, and reviewing state contracts to prevent failed investments.
The digital service was created after the Commonwealth lost $52 million in taxpayer funds on a failed IT project under the previous administration. Governor Spanberger proposed the service in an amendment to Virginia's bipartisan budget.
"State government should work for the people it serves — and that means making sure Virginians can access the services they need quickly, easily, and reliably," Spanberger said.
Fletcher previously served in the federal government as the first Chief Digital Strategy Officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where she led the CMS Digital Service team. She entered government through the U.S. Digital Service in 2021. She holds a bachelor's degree from Washington & Jefferson College and a master's in public health from Emory University.
Other states have deployed similar digital service teams with measurable results. Colorado's team used research to help negotiate a new grant management system for 17 programs covering more than $60 million in annual grants. Pennsylvania rebuilt the insurance claims appeal process. Maryland created a single application for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, WIC, and energy assistance programs, processing more than 220,000 applications in six months.