David Zvenyach

"I've been a government lawyer who has written code," says Dave. "I'm a coder who has written legal briefs."

Now at 18F (and, as he's quick to remind everyone, not working in a legal capacity), Dave most recently served as the general counsel to the Council of the District of Columbia. Before that, he served as chief of staff to D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh and clerked for a federal district judge. He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin ­ Madison and a law degree from the George Washington University Law School.

"Over the course of my career in public service, I have developed a well of empathy for government employees trying to get things done," he says. "But I also have a sense of urgency honed through work in local government and experience in software development, where I have witnessed huge changes/progress in short amounts of time."

Dave is currently focused on ways to improve the ways the government purchases digital services.

"Historically, the government has not been a particularly good purchaser or provider of digital services," he says. "It has led to bad websites, needless expense for taxpayers, unhappy government employees, and vendors who bear high risks while working with the government. My goal is to help the government buy better, through time­ tested techniques, best practices, and a little innovation."