Katie Savage

Prior to being named the Moore administration’s choice to be the next Secretary of the Maryland Department of Information Technology, Katie Savage was the leader of the Defense Digital Service of the Department of Defense, leading dozens of programmers, designers, engineers, and data scientists.

Savage helped lead the DOD’s COVID-19 response, including the development of a mobile tracking application used by 200K+ personnel, cybersecurity measures to ensure safe vaccine manufacturing and delivery as part of Operation Warp speed, and the development of emergency communication software toolkit for critical officials in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. She also developed a digital employment verification tool on behalf of the State Department and the Department of Defense to expedite visa applications for 100K+ Afghan refugees and families applying for U.S. asylum. Furthermore, she launched the digitization of the world’s most extensive collection of 50M+ human tissue samples at the Joint Pathology Center, leading to advanced AI/ML research treating cancer and other diseases.

Before working at the DOD, Savage was Director of Operations and Services at the City Tech Collaborative for the city of Chicago, remaking essential city services with tech and digital solutions. She developed Smart Green Infrastructure monitoring software in Chicago, combining Microsoft and University of Illinois technology to decrease urban flooding by measuring water levels. She also led the City of Chicago’s Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs, developing initiatives ranging from small business support to major transit corridor revitalization. From 2008-2010, Savage served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi.

In her roles at the Department of Defense and at City Tech, Savage has spoken about government and civic tech at forums around the world, including UN-Habitat in Brussels, the Business of Design Week in Hong Kong, Chicago Ideas Week in Chicago, and the Institute for Competitive Inner Cities in Cleveland. She was recognized in 2021 as Tech Champion of the Year and in 2022 as Best Boss in Federal IT by FedScoop, and in 2022 for Government Leadership by CyberScoop.

Savage has a Master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA from American University.