Federal 100: Joseph R. Castle
Name: Joseph R. Castle
Title: Director, Code.gov
Agency: General Services Administration
From artillery to open data. When jurisdiction over Code.gov moved from the White House to GSA, leaders wanted to make sure whoever took it over would keep the project a priority. Castle proved worthy. The Army veteran has been instrumental in urging agencies to adopt a culture of data openness. At its start, Code.gov hosted around 400 projects with the goal of reducing duplicative software development. Today, it hosts nearly 5,000. Along the way, Castle has boosted the searchability of the site, improved data quality and encouraged agencies to update their procurement practices.