Jason Sparks is our new Sr. Director, Engineering and Operations Program Management. Jason has worked in the information technology and operations management domain for more than twenty years, including most recently nearly four years of experience as Chief Information Officer for the District of Columbia’s state-based marketplace, DC Health Link. He is an experienced technology leader, with a proven track record of successfully leading complex technology implementation and Maintenance and Operations projects to completion. His experience includes serving as the technical project lead for the implementation of the SHOP technology platform for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ SBM; leading all platform enhancements for the DC Health Link’s individual and SHOP marketplaces; and directing daily M&O activities to ensure customer service expectations were met and exceeded. Needless to say, we are pretty stoked that he’s a part of the GetInsured team. So, let’s learn a little more about Jason.
What drives your success?
I’m motivated by knowing that the work we do directly translates to hundreds of thousands of residents in the states we serve gaining access to health insurance that previously was unavailable to them. As technologists, we can never lose sight of the impact our daily work has on folks’ lives.
Where do you see the greatest opportunities to make an impact at GetInsured?
With more than four years of experience helping to run Affordable Care Act (ACA) outreach and education efforts at the nation’s largest ACA nonprofit, followed by four more years running the technology side of one of the most successful state-based exchanges in the country, I hope to help GetInsured build on its market-leading position in the state-based exchange domain through my close understanding of consumer and state expectations and requirements.
What do you love about the technology industry?
I love that we have the ability to make real, positive, lasting change in people’s lives. There’s hardly any service that we depend on, as residents or citizens, that technology doesn’t touch. As governments continue to ramp up their efforts to provide services to residents online, we have tremendous opportunities to improve the quality of life and help all residents gain access to the services they need —and that they are entitled to.
What career accomplishments you are most proud of?
I really enjoy building the foundation on which organizations and teams can grow and perform their best work. Throughout my career I’ve been very fortunate to have multiple opportunities to serve in these types of roles: from ramping an ACA nonprofit organization from 15 to nearly 300 employees in a matter of months; to transitioning a private company from inefficient legacy systems to modern platforms; and to developing an in-house team of technologists at a state government agency, all of these accomplishments helped serve the end goal of removing barriers for employees to serve their customers effectively and efficiently.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
My wife and I absolutely love to travel. Over the past year we’ve had ample time to plan out our travel – I think we’ve got trips planned through 2024 at this point! I’m also an avid reader and a recent Peloton convert.
What is one interesting thing about you that many people don’t know?
I’m allergic to cats, but when my parents-in-law rescued a cat who had just delivered a litter of nine kittens, I knew at first sight that the mother – Alexandra – would find her forever home with us. Almost seven years later, the three of us are a very happy family.
