Nava PBC gets a new advisor straight from the US Digital Service

Nava PBC, the civic tech startup that emerged from the initially-disastrous launch of HealthCare.gov, announced on Thursday that it has expanded its advisory council. The new member? Former head of the U.S. Digital Service, Mikey Dickerson.

Dickerson, who ABC News described as “the disheveled White House staffer who’s cleaning up government IT” when he was appointed to the USDS in 2014, was part of the team that worked to revive HealthCare.gov in 2013. After that he led the USDS until the close of the Obama Administration transition period — the Nava position is described as “one of the first” he’s taken on since leaving that post. (His LinkedIn currently describes his professional title as “free radical.”)

“I’m proud to be associated with Nava, which is bringing state of the art technical tools and methods into service for the American citizen,” Dickerson said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to helping them continue to succeed.”

For its part, 14th and U Street-baed Nava seeks to benefit from Dickerson’s expertise. Since HealthCare.gov, Nava has expanded to work with various federal agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to a press release. It’s unclear what the new administration means for this work. Still, a statement from the startup’s CEO seems hopeful.

“Mikey brings an incredible depth of experience from his time co-founding and leading USDS,” Nava CEO Rohan Bhobe said in a statement. “We’re excited to have his unique expertise as we partner with agencies to bring their services in line with evolving consumer expectations and modern technology practices.”