Category 6: Improving Government Efficiency
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TEAM
Office of Overseas Citizen Services
Bureau of Consular Affairs
U.S. Department of State
Kelly Juarez
Modernization and Customer Experience Lead
Aaron Smith
Data Scientist, ICF
Andrew Walch
Tableau Developer, ICF
Andrew Wilkins
Data Scientist, ICF
Anuradha Lanka
Product Owner, ICF
Bernadeau Chery
Workstream Lead, GSA
Carl Dickerson
Service Designer, ICF
Christopher Hill
Data Engineer, ICF
Claudia Gomez-Morales
Qualitative Quantitative Researcher, ICF
Conn Schrader
Office Director, American Citizen Services, Department of State
Jaclyn Henderson
Program Engagement Lead, GSA
Darius Bounds
UX Designer, ICF
Doran Steele
Contractor Lead, ICF
Elizabeth Frazier
Consular Information Program Coordinator,
Department of State
Elizabeth Gracon
Managing Director, Overseas Citizen Services, Department of State
Elizabeth Reyes
Service Designer, ICF
Janice Jang
Data Science Analyst, Department of State
Joel Nantais
Consular Affairs CX Lead, Department of State (Former)
Kaylyn Kim
Qualitative Quantitative Researcher, ICF
Lenna Schott
Contractor Lead, ICF
Michael Swartz
Qualitative Quantitative Researcher, ICF
Michelle Sou
Product Manager, MO
Naroung Nay
Country Officer,
Department of State
Nasrin Belbasi
Data Scientist, ICF
Patrick Bernal
Country Officer,
Department of State
Rachel Goodgold
Senior Data Scientist, Department of State
Scott Bell
Country Officer,
Department of State
Sophia Phillips
Contractor Lead, MO
Sweta Maturu
Presidential Innovation Fellow, GSA
The Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Office of Overseas Citizen Services (OCS) Customer Experience team is being honored in Category 6: Improving Government Efficiency for improving how the State Department communicates critical safety information to Americans traveling and living abroad. The team focused on modernizing the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service that provides U.S. citizens with emergency alerts and destination-specific information during international travel.
Through the STEP Alert Improvement Project, conducted from January 2025 through February 2026, the team used customer research to make emergency communications clearer, faster, and more useful. They surveyed STEP subscribers, interviewed overseas personnel, conducted focus groups, tested redesigned alerts, and worked with consular officers to refine templates. The resulting data-driven guidance created standardized communications that Posts could quickly deploy during emergencies.
The improvements demonstrated their value during major international crises. During Operation Epic Fury, when crises were declared in ten countries simultaneously. Posts using the CX-informed templates could issue alerts immediately rather than navigating lengthy approval processes. By March 19, the State Department had provided security guidance and travel assistance to more than 41,000 Americans, arranged more than 60 evacuation flights from the Middle East, and contacted every registered citizen to offer personalized support. By applying customer experience principles to emergency communications, the OCS team is helping Americans receive clearer, more timely information when their safety may depend on it.