Former Federal Tech Leaders Push for Government Delivery Reform

Before departing government in 2025, April Harding, former director of digital services at the IRS, and Maureen Klovers, former deputy chief operating officer and acting chief enterprise officer at the Agriculture Department’s Rural Development office, brought private-sector expertise to federal technology and financial systems.

Harding joined the IRS in 2023 as its first director of user experience after two decades in industry, saying she was surprised the agency had “never had an in-house team delivering user experience before.” She led a high-impact tenure that culminated in a five-year digital transformation plan drafted on her final day. Klovers’ government career, on and off since 2001, focused on program delivery, grants management and IT oversight.

After leaving government, the two co-founded We The Doers to bring frontline delivery expertise into national conversations on reform, modernization and implementation. Both Klovers and Harding offered advice to federal employees navigating forced or unexpected transitions. Klovers emphasized independent consulting as a bridge and encouraged exploring state and local roles to gain new perspectives. Harding spoke candidly about the emotional toll of leaving public service.

“Grieving that loss is an important part of the process,” she said. “Broken things can always be fixed.”