Code for America Names David Newville to Lead Effort to Increase Equitable Access to Tax Benefits

Newville is a tax-policy veteran who has created and advocated for policies that promote economic justice for those on the margins of the U.S. economy.

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Code for America

Dec 02, 2020, 09:13 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Code for America, in a significant expansion of its advocacy efforts, today named David Newville as Senior Program Director for Tax Benefits.

Based in Washington, DC, Mr. Newville will lead Code for America's engagements with officials in the incoming Biden Administration, Congress, and state and local governments to increase equitable access to tax benefits and keep millions of families out of poverty.

In 2020, Code for America helped more than 5 million people across America access government services—from increasing access to the Earned Income Tax Credit and Pandemic-EBT, to providing the first free, simple, trusted mobile app for families with low income to receive their stimulus check and tax refunds, known as GetYourRefund.

"We are so excited that David is joining our team," said Code for America CEO Amanda Renteria. "David will dramatically increase our voice in Washington, engage with policymakers at every level, and share data, insights and the lived experience of people who access tax programs. We've learned in this pandemic that many of our state and federal programs have broken down at a time when people really need to access these vital benefits. David will be a trusted resource for policymakers to understand how to increase access to tax benefits."

"Families in America are suffering in this moment of crisis, especially in communities on the margin and communities of color," said Newville. "With a new Administration and a new Congress, Code for America has a real opportunity to make the tax code work better for the people who use it. Our current system imposes significant burdens on working families. In the short-term, we need to break down these barriers, put cash into people's hands and pause debts. And in the long-term, we need to design a system that provides for equitable access to tax benefits for all people in America."

David comes to Code for America with more than a decade of experience creating and advocating equitable policies informed by robust data, rigorous analysis, and the lived experiences of those on the margins of the U.S. economy.

Most recently, David served as Vice President of Policy & Research at Prosperity Now, a national intermediary organization dedicated to building stability, wealth, and prosperity in the United States. In this role, David designed programs and advocacy campaigns to make meaningful change in the lives of households with low income. Under his leadership, Prosperity Now was instrumental in developing federal legislation around enacting a nationwide Baby Bonds program and helping Earned Income Tax Credit recipients build emergency savings at tax time. Prosperity Now also helped ensure that the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, a federal program that puts $1.8B back into the pockets of low-income Americans at tax time, was made permanent after nearly 50 years.

Previously, David served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Consumer Policy during the Obama administration. There, he created and led an interagency group of federal regulators to ensure a coordinated response to the development of emerging payments products and services in the financial services marketplace.

David has advised members of Congress and state policymakers on ways to build racial wealth equity into their proposals. David earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and a B.A. from Grinnell College.

About Code for America

Code for America, founded in 2009, believes government can work for the people, and by the people, in the digital age, starting with the people who need it most. We build digital services that enhance government capabilities, and we help others do the same across all levels of government. We organize thousands of volunteers across over 85 chapters nationwide who improve government in their local communities. Our goal: a 21st century government that effectively and equitably serves all Americans. Learn more at codeforamerica.org.

Media contact: Scott Gerber, [email protected], 408-202-4255

SOURCE Code for America