Staff Bios
Susan K. Urahn, Managing Director, Pew Center on the States
215.575.4755
Sue Urahn is managing director of the Pew Center on the States at The Pew Charitable Trusts. Sue oversees Pew's work in early education and other state-based initiatives, such as government performance, corrections and election reform.
Sue began her tenure at The Pew Charitable Trusts in 1994 as a program officer in the Planning and Evaluation department. She became director in April 1997. During her tenure, Sue and her staff developed and introduced new methodologies to measure and strengthen the effectiveness of Pew's approach to results-focused strategic philanthropy. She became director of the education program in 2000. Over the next five years the program evolved to include other state policy work and in 2005, it was renamed State Policy Initiatives to reflect its broadened focus. Currently, Sue manages a portfolio that advances policy solutions at the state level.
Sue joined Pew with more than a decade of experience in educational evaluation and policy research. She arrived from the Research Department of the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she staffed the House Education Committee and Education Finance Division and conducted policy analyses of many education programs, including open enrollment, postsecondary enrollment, and charter schools. In addition to her legislative experience, Sue conducted higher education policy research at the University of Minnesota. She has authored several reports on educational programs and issues. Sue holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a doctorate of education policy and administration from the University of Minnesota.
Michael G. Caudell-Feagan, Deputy Director, Pew Center on the States
202.552.2142
Michael Caudell-Feagan manages the Pew Center on the States Government Performance unit, overseeing the work of the Government Performance Project, Elections Initiatives and the Public Safety Performance Project. Prior to joining Pew, he provided management and consulting services to private and family foundations such as the Ford Foundation, Frances Fund, JEHT Foundation, Knight Foundation, Open Society Institute, Proteus Fund and Stern Family Fund. He was the founder and executive director of Equal Justice Works and holds a law degree from George Washington University’s National Law Center and a bachelor of arts from Hamilton College.
Elizabeth “Libby” Doggett, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Pew Center on the States
202.862.9865
Dr. Libby Doggett oversees four PCS projects which support state campaigns to advance smart state policies and practices that help young children thrive and become healthy, productive adults. These efforts seek to expand high quality pre-k, improve access to dental care for disadvantaged children, expand proven home visiting services for at-risk families and educate business leaders about the economic returns to investments in children prenatal to age five. Prior to joining the Trusts, she directed Pre-K Now, funded by the Trusts and other foundations, to secure high quality pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds across the country. In 1995, she served in the U.S. Department of Education as executive director of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council. She then worked for the National Head Start Association, directing their HeadsUp! Reading program, which provided early-childhood professionals the skills needed to help young children learn to read and write. In her home state of Texas, she served as the executive director of the Arc of Texas. She also helped found, and ultimately chaired, the Disability Policy Consortium, a coalition of 20 Texas disability advocacy organizations. She holds a doctorate from the University of Texas in early-childhood special education.
Lori Grange, Deputy Director, Pew Center on the States
215.575.4801
Lori Grange designs and leads strategic initiatives for the Pew Center on the States, which she was instrumental in creating in 2006. She has also directed the center’s Research and Information unit, which identifies emerging issues, produces research reports that compare and analyze those issues across all 50 states and helps build the evidence base for the center’s initiatives in early education, corrections, election reform and other state policy areas. Since joining Pew in 2000, Lori has conceptualized and developed three national strategies: a project to increase access to dental care for low-income children; a sentencing and corrections initiative that helps states protect public safety while controlling prison spending; and a project to ensure that states with the death penalty administer it fairly and protect innocent individuals from being wrongly executed. Previously, Lori was a senior program director at Equal Justice Works, a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. She was also a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and journalism from the University of Southern California and a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
David Becker, Project Director, Elections Initiatives
202.552.2136
David Becker has joined the Elections team to develop and execute strategic and operational plans for the project. He served for seven years as a senior trial attorney with the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, enforcing federal voting laws and working closely with county and state election officials. For the past two years, he worked at People For the American Way, where he served as director of the Democracy Campaign. He holds a law degree and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Doug Chapin, Director, Elections Initiatives
202.552.2027
Doug Chapin is the founding director of Electionline.org, which has been a nationally-recognized voice in election administration policy since 2001. He was most recently in private legal practice in Washington, D.C., after three years as elections counsel to the minority of the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. He holds a law degree from Georgetown University and a master of public administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Diane Fancher, Project Director and Deputy Managing Editor, Stateline
202.419.4482
Diane Fancher has extensive editing, writing and newsroom management experience at major newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Baltimore Sun and the Hartford Courant. She has also run an award-winning city magazine as editor and a professional science journal, The Scientist, as managing editor. She was most recently editorial director at the Center for Public Integrity in Washington. Before that, she was Maryland editor of the Sun, where she oversaw state government and politics coverage, polling and other statewide beats. Diane is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and did graduate studies at Connecticut’s Fairfield University and the University of Michigan.
Stephen Fehr, Project Director and Senior Staff Writer, Stateline
202.419.4464
Stephen Fehr joined Stateline.org in June 2008 from the Washington Post, where he edited Virginia government and politics coverage. As a reporter at the Post, he covered transportation, development and District of Columbia finances. Before joining the Post, he was a Washington correspondent and Kansas statehouse correspondent for the Kansas City Star. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Adam Gelb, Project Director, Public Safety Performance Project
404.848.0186
Adam Gelb directs the Public Safety Performance Project, which helps states advance fiscally sound, data-driven sentencing and corrections policies that protect public safety, hold offenders accountable and control corrections costs. A former reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he was recently executive director of the Georgia Sentencing Commission and vice president of the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse. He holds a master of public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Shelly Gehshan, Project Director, Pew Children’s Dental Campaign
202.552.2075
Shelly Gehshan directs the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign. This initiative works with states to expand access to prevention and treatment for children through policy changes in Medicaid, sealant programs, community water fluoridation and workforce. Prior to joining Pew, she spent nearly 20 years working for state policymakers on a range of issues affecting low-income women and children, such as oral health, behavioral health, reproductive health, service delivery and health care financing through Medicaid and SCHIP. She has a master’s degree in public policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.
Kil Huh, Director, Research, Pew Center on the States
202.552.2067
Kil Huh manages the PCS Research and Information staff and agenda. He oversees project teams of researchers, policy analysts and consultants to conceptualize, design, and implement research and analysis across 50 states that inform state policy-focused efforts on a wide range of issues including: state tax systems; retirement benefits; mortgage lending and state elections administration. Prior to Pew, he was most recently the director of policy and consulting at the Fannie Mae Foundation and previously manager of the foundation’s state and local initiatives. He holds a bachelor of science in urban regional studies from Cornell University, a master’s degree in urban planning from New York University and both a master’s degree in philosophy and a doctorate of philosophy in urban planning from Columbia University.
Neal Johnson, Director, Government Performance Project
202.552.2024
Neal Johnson directs the Government Performance Project, which seeks to improve public service by strengthening government performance. He also advises on a variety of Pew Center on the States initiatives, ranging from election reform to boosting access to early childhood education. Before joining Pew, Neal was deputy executive director of the Center for Public Trusteeship and Governance at the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. At the center, he helped organize and facilitate leadership summits and other policy dialogues on higher education, and also created information tools for governing boards, policymakers and business leaders. Previously, he was a senior research partner with the Educational Testing Service Office of Public Leadership, where he worked with a staff of labor economists to address assessment and diversity in higher education and the new economy. Neal also spent 10 years as a state and federal government policy and budget analyst, including service in the office of Colorado Governor Roy Romer and in the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency. Neal received a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington’s Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Reed College.
John Schlitt, Director, Pew Home Visiting Campaign
202.552.2111
John Schlitt is a maternal, child and adolescent health policy expert and advocate who has dedicated his career to reducing health inequities experienced by our nation’s disadvantaged children and families. As the first executive director of the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, John led the national movement to improve medical and mental health access through our nation’s schools. Additionally, he has been the deputy director of Making the Grade: State and Local Partnerships to Establish School-Based Health Centers, a national grant program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He also served as policy analyst with the Southern Governors’ Association’s Infant Mortality Prevention Initiative. John has worked as a clinical social worker with children in psychiatric and community mental health settings and has authored several articles on school-based health care and teen pregnancy prevention. A native Floridian, John received his bachelor of science in psychology from the University of Florida and his master’s degree in social work from Florida State University.
Marci Young, Project Director, Pre-K Now
202.540.6331
Marci Young directs the Pre-K Now project, a campaign that advances high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds. Prior to joining Pre-K Now, she was the director of the Center for the Child Care Workforce (CCW), a project of the American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation and a deputy director in the AFT’s educational issues department where she oversaw all of the organization’s early childhood projects and activities to promote high-quality early childhood education. She was the executive director of CCW when it was an independent nonprofit agency, where she co-authored several studies about early childhood education with specific emphasis on improving the status and condition of the workforce. Before that, she was a kindergarten teacher at an elementary school in Montgomery County, Maryland. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University and a master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kathy Patterson, Senior Officer, Government Relations
202.862.9866
Kathy Patterson joined Pre-K Now after serving 12 years as a member of the District of Columbia Council where she chaired committees on education, public safety and government operations. In January 2009, she became a senior officer with the Pew Center on the States, managing federal policy advocacy across the PCS children’s campaigns including home visiting, oral health for children and pre-k. She helps to advance our agenda on Capitol Hill and works closely with other national organizations to pursue shared early education goals. Before becoming elected to the council, she was communications director for the American Public Welfare Association, and before that spent 10 years working for the Kansas City Star, including six years in the Washington, D.C., bureau. She holds a master's degree in English literature from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.
Stephanie Rubin, Senior Officer, Campaigns, Pew Center on the States
202.577.6790
Stephanie Rubin is senior officer of campaigns for the Pew Center on the States. Previously, she served as state program director at Pre-K Now. As senior officer of campaigns for Pew Center on the States, she coordinates state policy and advocacy strategies across the multiple children’s policy initiatives within Pew Center on the States. Prior to joining Pre-K Now, she led advocacy efforts to increase public investment in early education, after-school, mental health and child abuse prevention services at Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California. Previously, she served as legislative director to California State Senator Tom Hayden and counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Higher Education in Sacramento, California. Stephanie received her bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University and her law degree from UCLA.
Sara D. Watson, Senior Officer, Partnership for America’s Economic Success
202.552.2134
Sara Watson directs the Partnership for America’s Economic Success and is a senior advisor to three other children’s advocacy campaigns. She directed Pew’s Pre-K initiative from 2001-2008 and designed and launched the project to advance home visiting. She has worked at The Finance Project in Washington, D.C., the Family Policy Council in Olympia, Washington, and the Center for the Study of Social Policy in Washington, D.C. She is on the board of Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families and Maryland’s Advocates for Children and Youth. She has a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and master of public policy and doctorate degrees from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
William Maas, Senior Officer, Pew Children's Dental Campaign
202.552.2134
Bill Maas serves in the role of advisor to the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign. Many aspects of the campaign build upon evidence-based recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Bill previously worked for the Centers for Disease Control, where he was director of the Division of Oral Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Before coming to CDC, Bill served in a variety of clinical, managerial, research, and policy assignments in the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). He is a graduate of The University of Michigan School of Dentistry, and earned master of public health and master of science in health policy and management degrees from Harvard University.
Barbara Rosewicz, Deputy Director and Managing Editor, Stateline
202.419.4474
Barbara Rosewicz is a former Wall Street Journal reporter with wide-ranging experience covering government at the federal and state levels. As a member of the Journal's Washington bureau, she covered energy and environmental policy, and later White House science and technology policy and NASA. Before that, she spent three years as a Middle East correspondent based in Cairo, traveling and writing on the geopolitics of a region encompassing 15 countries.
Rosewicz started her career with United Press International, first in Dallas and then at the statehouse in Topeka, Kansas, where she was bureau chief. In 1981, she transferred with UPI to Washington, D.C., to cover the Supreme Court and Congress. She is co-editor of a book of essays on parenting—Up All Night: Practical Wisdom from Mothers and Fathers—that was published in May 2004.
Nancy Augustine, Project Manager, Research
202.552.2117
Nancy Augustine works with the Research and Information team and has more than 20 years of experience in contract, grant-funded, and staff research in state and local policy. Previous positions with George Washington University and the National Conference of State Legislatures entailed research in the areas of state and local economic conditions and development, housing finance, education and employment. She has also served in local government, working on intergovernmental relations, policy assessment, population forecasting and protection of resources as well as planning for investments in transportation, parks, schools, public safety, information technology and overall government operations expenditures. Nancy has a master’s degree in urban and environmental planning from the University of Virginia, a master of arts in economics from Georgetown University and a doctorate in public policy from George Washington University.
Jill Antonishak, Project Manager, Research
202.552.2009
Jill Antonishak manages the research portfolio for PCS’ home visiting initiative. She is a developmental psychologist who has authored publications on the influence of communities on children’s development, child abuse and neglect, evaluation of social policies and programs and juvenile justice. Prior to joining Pew, she worked on child and family policy issues on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in the U.S. Senate. She received her undergraduate degree from Goucher College and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Virginia.
Nicole Dueffert, Project Manager, Communications, Children’s Dental Initiative
202.552.2274
Nicole Dueffert assists in managing communications efforts, with a particular focus on the children’s dental health campaign, for the Pew Center on the States. Prior to joining Pew, Nicole was the associate director of communications for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids where she worked in federal and international communications. She served as press secretary to U.S. Representative Marion Berry and assistant press secretary to former U.S. Senator Richard Bryan. She received a bachelor of arts in journalism from Drake University.
Jake Horowitz, Project Manager, Public Safety Performance Project
202.552.2044
Jake Horowitz works on the center’s sentencing and corrections initiative, the Public Safety Performance Project. He was most recently a social science analyst at the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice. He holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Beth Jacob, Manager, Pew Home Visiting Campaign
202.552.2161
Beth Jacob manages state policy and advocacy for the Pew Home Visiting Campaign. Since joining Pew, she has coordinated a variety of initiatives in Pew’s work on early childhood, including pre-kindergarten and the Partnership for America’s Economic Success project. She most recently worked for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and held elected office as a county board supervisor in Madison, Wisconsin, where she chaired the county’s Health and Human Needs Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a master's degree in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Richard Jerome, Project Manager, Public Safety Performance Project
202.552.2063
Prior to joining Pew, Richard Jerome was a civil rights lawyer and expert in police accountability. He served for six years as deputy monitor and court appointed special master for two police reform settlements in Cincinnati, Ohio. From 1997 to 2001, he was deputy associate attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice, overseeing the work of the Civil Rights Division and the Community Relations Service, as well as coordinating the Justice Department’s efforts to promote police integrity. He was a senior trial lawyer in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division and also worked on Capitol Hill and in private practice. He graduated from Brown University and Harvard Law School.
Rob Krupicka, Project Manager, Partnership for America’s Economic Success
202.540.6373
Rob Krupicka, a former technology and media company executive, is a project manager with the Partnership for America's Economic Success at the Pew Center on the States. Rob is also serving in his third term as an elected member of the Alexandria, VA City Council and serves on the Virginia State Board of Education. He chaired Governor Timothy Kaine's School Readiness Task Force and led the effort to create Virginia's formal definition of school readiness. Rob is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he majored in economics and minored in history. He was also a fellow of the Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute.
Jennifer Laudano, Manager, Communications, Public Safety Performance Project
202.540.6321
Jennifer Laudano assists in managing communications efforts, with a particular focus on the Public Safety Performance Project, for the Pew Center on the States. She was most recently the director of national communications for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids/Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund where she was in charge of planning and managing the campaign’s national communications efforts in support of the organization’s federal legislative agenda. Previously, she has served as a communications professional for national and grassroots organizations including Congressman Russ Carnahan, Families USA Foundation and NARAL Pro-Choice America. Jennifer holds a bachelor of arts in sociology from the University of Missouri, Columbia and has completed graduate work in political science and public policy at the University of Missouri, St. Louis.
Michele Mariani Vaughn, Project Manager, Research
202.552.2173
Michele Mariani Vaughn provides strategic support across PCS’ activities. She was most recently a senior editor at Builder magazine and previously covered state and local government issues for Governing magazine. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and is a master’s in public policy candidate at George Mason University.
Matt Mulkey, Project Manager, Communications, Children’s Policy Group
202.862.9864
Matt Mulkey oversees communications activities across the projects in PCS' Children's Portfolio. He was previously the director of communications for Pre-K Now, where he supervised the organization's publications, media outreach, marketing and messaging to advance the issue of high-quality pre-kindergarten for all children. He first came to Pre-K Now in May 2005 and served as Internet communications manager. As senior organizer and writer in People For the American Way's Field Department, Matt led grassroots and online campaigns to improve public schools, strengthen civil rights and protect constitutional liberties. He received his bachelor of arts in international relations from Kent State University.
Margie Maddux Newman, Project Manager, Communications, Home Visiting Campaign
202.552.2230
Margie Newman oversees communications forthe Pew Home Visiting Campaign. Prior to joining Pew, Margie was a principal at the Tennessee-based public relations firm Hall Strategies, where she managed grassroots media efforts for the Smoke-Free Tennessee campaign, the Urban Child Institute in Memphis and the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. Before her work at Hall, she served as press aide to Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen after his 2002 election, and later, as communications director for the Governor's Books from Birth Foundation. She received her bachelor of arts in radio, television and film from Auburn University.
Frederick Schecker, Project Manager, Web, Stateline
202.419.4455
Fred Schecker oversees day-to-day operations of the Stateline.org Web site and is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that increase awareness of Stateline and other PCS Web sites. Before arriving at Pew, he was a senior producer at PilotOnline.com | HamptonRoads.com, Web sites affiliated with the Virginian-Pilot. Fred was also the first managing editor for electronic media at the Kansas City Star and was the executive producer & creative director for Tribune Media Services. In addition to his newspaper experience, Fred has led teams that built the Web sites for the Chicago Cubs and various syndicated TV shows such as Earth: Final Conflict, Nightman, Andromeda, Geraldo and Flipper. Fred earned his undergraduate degree in journalism from Boston University. He holds two graduate degrees, a master in education from Harvard University and an M.B.A from the University of Chicago.
Stacie L. Temple, Project Manager, Communications, Election Initiatives
202-552-2114
Stacie Temple assists in managing communications efforts, with a particular focus on election initiatives, for the Pew Center on the States. She was most recently the director of strategy and communications for a nonprofit organization, Five Stones/Wal-Mart Watch. Before moving to the D.C. area, Stacie served as the director of communications for Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan. Prior to joining Carnahan’s staff, she owned and managed a communications consulting firm and served in a variety of communications, project management and operations roles with organizations including: State Farm Insurance Companies; the Missouri Democratic Party and NARAL Pro-Choice America. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and communication from Drury University.
Carla Uriona, Project Manager, Publications
202.552.2013
Carla Uriona serves as the project manager for publications and the Pew Center on the States Web site. Most recently, she was a senior manager at Teaching Strategies, an early childhood education publishing company. As creative director, she managed the art and design department and provided branding, marketing and design leadership to the company. She studied English and journalism at St. John Fisher College.
Albert Wat, Project Manager, Pre-K Now
202.862.9875
Albert Wat is the project manager of Pre-K Now. Before becoming project manager, Albert was the senior research associate for Pre-K Now, providing the team with the latest information on states' pre-kindergarten programs and on developments in early education research. He came to Pre-K Now from Georgetown University's Center for Social Justice where he directed the D.C. Schools Project. He previously directed the America Reads program at the University of Michigan. Albert began his career in education as a high school English teacher in California. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in education from Stanford University and a master’s degree in education policy from the George Washington University.
Elaine Weiss, Project Manager, Partnership for America’s Economic Success
202.552.2052
Elaine Weiss coordinates research for the Partnership for America’s Economic Success project. She came to Pew as a doctoral candidate in urban public policy at George Washington University, where she is working on a dissertation on state motivation for pre-k investment. Before beginning her graduate studies, Elaine worked as an attorney vetting the records of nominees to the federal appellate courts at the Alliance for Justice, and briefly as an attorney in international trade law at Steptoe & Johnson, LLP. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science and biology from the University of Maryland at College Park, and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Sean Greene, Manager, Research, Electionline.org
202.552.2041
Sean Greene manages research projects for Electionline.org. Most recently, he examined voter turnout issues as the research associate for American University’s Committee for the Study of the American Electorate. He holds a master's degree in international affairs from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Colby College.
Pamela Prah, Manager and Senior Staff Writer, Stateline
202.419.4462
Pamela Prah is a veteran Washington reporter with some 20 years reporting experience, including stints at Kiplinger, The Bureau of National Affairs, McGraw-Hill and Congressional Quarterly. She has covered legislative, regulatory and political developments affecting states, business, organized labor and education. Her reporting has been cited in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and C-SPAN. She has a master’s degree in government from Johns Hopkins University and a journalism degree from Ohio University. She also is an adjunct journalism professor at American University.
Carolynn Race, Manager, Operations, Pew Center on the States
202.552.2058
Carolynn Race manages the program administrative team that coordinates all PCS operations, identifies and addresses crosscutting programmatic and operations issues within PCS, and plans and directs special projects within the unit. Previously, she served as senior associate for the center’s Improving Elections portfolio, including campaign finance reform work and Pew’s election initiatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Smith College and master’s degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Christine Vestal, Manager and Senior Staff Writer, Stateline
202.419.4468
Christine Vestal started her career at McGraw-Hill as managing editor of energy and environmental newsletters. She then started her own company, publishing newsletters and research reports on telecommunications. After selling her business to Capitol Publications, Christine became publisher of their energy, finance and telecom group. She then joined Post-Newsweek Business Information where she was publisher of a technology wire service and director of Web strategy for The Washington Post Company’s technology magazines. She then became editor-in-chief and vice president of content for Speakout.com, a Web site launched to cover the 2000 presidential campaign and elections.
Nancy S. Clark, Senior Specialist, Operations, Pew Center on the States
215.575.4804
Nancy Clark helps PCS program staff develop and implement Pew-operated projects. She was most recently an attorney recruitment coordinator at Shea & Gardner, a Washington, D.C., law firm.
Kathleen McMullen, Specialist, Operations, Pew Center on the States
202.552.2034
Kathleen McMullen provides support to the PCS’ managing director and other staff. She was most recently an administrative associate for the center. Prior to joining Pew, she worked as an administrative assistant at Dickinson College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies and French from Dickinson.
Nicole Barcliff, Senior Associate, Government Relations
202.552.2201
Nicole Elizabeth Barcliff joined the PCS Government Relations team as a senior associate in June 2009. In this capacity, she helps advance the federal agenda in support of state-funded quality, evidence-based home visitation programs. Prior to joining the Pew Center on the States, Nicole served as legislative director in the Washington, D.C., office of Congressman Robert A. Brady, and worked at the Motion Picture Association of America as vice president for education affairs, where she helped develop public policy, crafted educational programming and disseminated information regarding copyright protection, digital piracy awareness and intellectual property rights to the K-12 and higher education communities.
David Beard, Senior Associate, Pre-K Now
202.540.6409
David Scott Beard is the senior associate for state policy with Pre-K Now. Prior to joining Pew, David served as the director of Policy and Practice at the Council for Children and Families, an agency tasked with supporting families and preventing child abuse and neglect, in his home state of Washington. David also worked on advocacy efforts with the Washington State Early Learning Action Alliance. David was also very involved in his community, serving as co-chair for the Seattle LGBT Commission, board member of the Out in Front Leadership program and co-chair of the Endorsements Committee of the Children's Campaign Fund. David received his master of science in social work from the University of Texas at Austin and holds a bachelor of arts in sociology from the University of Washington.
Brian Elderbroom, Senior Associate, Public Safety Performance Project
202.540.6363
Brian Elderbroom works on the Pew Center on the States sentencing and corrections initiative, the Public Safety Performance Project. Prior to joining the project, Brian was a researcher in the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center, where his research focused on justice mapping, prisoner reentry and community supervision. He has also worked on a wide range of criminal justice issues as associate director of the Common Sense Foundation and in positions with the Center for Death Penalty Litigation and North Carolina Coalition for a Moratorium. Brian holds a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in public administration from the George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.
Sara Lepore Dube, Senior Associate, Pew Center on the States
202.540.6410
Sara Lepore Dube is a senior associate with the government performance unit, conducting research and providing crosscutting strategic support to multiple initiatives. Prior to joining Pew, she designed and implemented evaluation and planning projects for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations at the California-based BTW Consultants, Inc. Previously, she coordinated a variety of service and service-learning programs and served as an AmeriCorps member with Jumpstart, a national early childhood education organization. Sara holds a master's degree in public policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in history and child development from Tufts University.
Brendan Hill, Senior Associate, Research
202.552.2021
Brendan Hill conducts both background and primary state-level research on a number of policy issues including economic and workforce development, debt and environmental issues. He also works on data issues by analyzing emerging trends and helping maintain a large internal database. He was recently employed at the Urban Institute and the Center for the Study of Services where he researched workforce, health and social policy. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Texas and a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Michigan.
Sarah McLaughlin Emmans, Senior Associate, Research and Information
202.552.2076
Sarah Emmans conducts research and state outreach with the PCS research and information team. She previously was a senior associate for PCS’ Government Performance Project. Prior to joining Pew, Emmans worked as a research consultant to the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program. Previously she worked in the Illinois Governor’s Office of Policy Development and as the deputy director of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Southeast Regional Office. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Dartmouth College and a master’s in public policy from the University of Chicago.
Zachary Markovits, Senior Associate, Election Initiatives
202.552.2157
Zachary S. Markovits conducts research and provides support to Pew Center on the States’ Election Initiatives, where he helps to manage the center’s improving elections portfolio. Prior to joining Pew, he worked out of the University of California’s Survey Research Center conducting research on polling place efficiency in Bay Area elections. Previously, he served as a community organizer for the Elmwood Collaborative, a community development corporation in Providence, Rhode Island. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Brown University and a master’s degree in public policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.
Kristen Moorhead, Senior Web Associate, Pre-K Now
202.862.9862
Kristen Moorhead maintains Pre-K Now’s presence on the web, leading the e-advocacy campaign and advising our partners on their e-communication strategies. Before joining Pre-K Now, Kristen worked as the National Organization for Women’s Internet Communications Coordinator. She holds a bachelor degree in sociology/anthropology from Spelman College.
Mindy Moretti, Senior Associate, Election Initiatives
202.552.2038
Mindy Moretti writes for and produces ElectionlineWeekly, an online publication of the Pew Center on the States’ Election Initiatives. She also writes for and edits other publications, including case studies, briefings and the initiative’s annual report. Mindy was most recently a senior writer for the National Association of Counties. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from West Virginia University.
Jason Newman, Senior Associate, Public Safety Performance Project
202.552.2082
Jason Newman works with the Public Safety Performance Project. He previously was a senior associate for PCS’ Government Performance Project. Prior to joining Pew, Newman was state and local policy director at the Democratic Leadership Council, where he oversaw and implemented their state and local public policy efforts and managed the extensive network of state and local elected officials from around the country. Previously, Jason also worked with the Kellogg Foundation and the Northeast-Midwest Institute on both federal and state agriculture legislation. Jason earned a JD from Wake Forest University School of Law and his bachelor’s degree in politics from Washington and Lee University.
Evan Potler, Senior Associate, Publications
202.540.6318
Evan Potler serves as the Senior Associate for publications in the Pew Center on the States’ Communications department. In this role, he serves as in-house designer for all publications for the center and its projects. With more than ten years of publication, design and management experience, he most recently spent time as a freelance designer for USA Weekend and VC Graphics, Inc. In a previous position, he served as art director of Builder Magazine, the flagship magazine of Hanley Wood LLC, where he won numerous design awards. He graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, where he studied graphic and interactive communications.
Jennifer Peltak, Senior Associate, Web
202.540.6323
Jennifer Peltak manages the Pew Center on the States Web site. Before joining Pew, Jennifer was a Web site manager and copy editor for the American Staffing Association and the National Communication Association. She previously worked as a journalist for two Northern Virginia newspapers and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Temple University. Jennifer has also authored four books for Chelsea House Publishers aimed at middle and high school audiences.
Rolanda Rascoe, Senior Associate, Communications, Partnership for America's Economic Success
202.540.6413
Rolanda Rascoe oversees communications for the Partnership for America's Economic Success. Before coming to Pew, Rolanda was a senior marketing communications specialist at Microsoft where she developed and implemented strategic outreach plans that advanced product brand recognition and sales revenue. Prior to Microsoft, she was an M.B.A intern at Nike where she contributed to the development of its long-term media outreach strategy, worked to advance corporate responsibility initiatives that focused on youth health and fitness and developed an integrated marketing campaign for the woman’s fitness market. Throughout her career, Rolanda has developed outreach campaigns and social marketing strategies for public health organizations and federal government agencies. She is also an Edelman Public Relations Worldwide Inc. Scholar and an ABC News/Nightline, Lionel Chapman Fellow. She earned both her bachelor of arts and master's of business administration degrees from Howard University.
Andrew Snyder, Senior Associate, Pew Children’s Dental Campaign
202.552.2155
Andrew Snyder is the senior associate for the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign, where he coordinates the initiative’s research activities. Prior to joining Pew, Andy worked as a policy analyst for the National Academy for State Health Policy, where he authored several publications on the financing and delivery of dental care, as well as the health care safety net. He also served for four years as the dental policy analyst for the Wisconsin Medicaid program. He holds a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Elizabeth Snyder, Senior Associate, Communications, Pre-K Now
202.552.2057
Liz Snyder is responsible for coordinating media outreach strategies and strategic communications for Pre-K Now in collaboration with the PCS’ communications team and with Pre-K Now state partners. Prior to joining Pre-K Now, Liz was the deputy press secretary for the bipartisan Strong American Schools’ ED in '08 Campaign, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation. She also served as manager of media and government relations for DynCorp International. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech where she studied communication, political science and business; and a master’s degree in government and political communication from Johns Hopkins University.
Amos Tevelow, Senior Associate, Government Performance Project
202.540.6355
Amos Tevelow provides analytical, methodological, and rhetorical rigor to the PCS Government Performance Project. Prior to joining Pew, Amos was a research fellow at Media Matters for America, where he conducted long-term research and appeared on national radio and other public forums. Before that, Amos was a communication analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), where he helped write congressional reports, briefings, and testimony. Prior to GAO, Amos was an assistant professor at Ithaca College, where he developed courses on the war on terrorism and global civil society. He received his Ph.D. from University of Pittsburgh, M.A. from University of Illinois, and B.A. from University of Vermont.
Daniel Vock, Senior Associate and Staff Writer, Stateline
202.419.4472
Daniel C. Vock has covered health care for Stateline.org since August 2005. For five years, he covered Illinois government–including the legislature, state supreme court and governors–as the Statehouse reporter for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. He’s also written on a wide variety of topics as a frequent contributor to Illinois Issues magazine and covered education policy for Catalyst-Chicago. Vock earned a master’s of arts in public affairs reporting from the University Of Illinois At Springfield in 2000. He majored in English and German as an undergraduate at the University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign in 1999.
Jane Breakell, Associate, Research
202.552.2061
Jane Breakell provides support to Project Director Kil Huh and to the Research and Information staff. She was most recently a research assistant for Political Risk Services and a teacher of English as a foreign language for Berlitz Language Center. Jane has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and policy studies from Syracuse University.
Ann Cloke, Associate, Research
202.552.2166
Ann Cloke provides support to the Pew Center on the States’ Research and Information team. She previously served as an administrative associate for PCS Operations. Before joining Pew, Ann served as an emergency assistance program case manager at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, working with evacuees of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.
Megan Cotten, Associate, Government Performance Project
202.552.2032
Megan Cotten is a research associate supporting the Government Performance Project. In her most recent position, Megan served as a researcher for the Voinovich Center in Athens, Ohio, where she was responsible for the coordination of Appalachian economic development projects. Prior to that, Megan was a reporter for the Cincinnati Post, the political editor at The Post in Athens, Ohio, and a reporter for United Press International in Washington, D.C. Megan began her career in Huntsville, Alabama, as a project coordinator at the AIDS Action Coalition. Megan holds a bachelor of arts in journalism and a master of arts degree in public administration from Ohio University.
Allison de la Torre, State Policy Associate, Pre-K Now
202.862.9868
As state policy associate, Allison de la Torre works with state advocates and policymakers to develop and implement advocacy and legislative strategies that will increase pre-k quality and availability for all three- and four-year-olds. Before joining Pre-K Now in August 2007, de la Torre served as legislative assistant to Oregon State Senator Vicki L. Walker, chair of the Senate Education and General Government Committee. Prior to her work for Senator Walker, she worked at the Children’s Institute, a leading pre-k advocacy organization in Oregon. De la Torre holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and Spanish from Willamette University.
Samuel Derheimer, Associate, Election Initiatives
202.552.2011
Samuel Derheimer assists in the management of pilot projects and case studies geared toward improving the accuracy, efficiency and security of U.S. elections for the Pew Center on the States Election Initiatives, Prior to joining Pew, Samuel was a field associate for Burnside & Associates Political Consultants where he managed political campaigns for state and federal elections across the country. He holds a law degree from Indiana University and a bachelor of arts from the University of Notre Dame.
Danny Dougherty, Associate and On-line Graphics Editor, Stateline
202.419.4480
Danny Dougherty has been the graphics reporter at Stateline.org since June 2006. Before coming to Stateline.org, Danny worked as a public safety reporter, a copy editor, a page designer, graphics reporter and graphics editor at publications such as U.S. News and World Report and the Columbia Missourian. Danny is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, majoring in newspaper journalism and receiving a minor in art history and archaeology.
David Draine, Associate, Research
202.552.2012
David Draine provides the Pew Center on the States with policy research and analysis in areas including state financial health, government performance and economic competitiveness. For PCS, he has helped develop Trends to Watch and has been involved in projects on state pensions and retiree health benefits and the foreclosure crisis. He also provides targeted support to a variety of center projects. He received a master of arts in public policy from Johns Hopkins University.
Joe Gavrilovich, Associate, Public Safety Performance Project
202.552.2083
Joe Gavrilovich provides support to the Public Safety Performance Project. His past experience includes work in the state of Michigan governor’s office, the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services and on multiple statewide campaigns. Joe received his bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Michigan, and holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
John Gramlich, Associate and Staff Writer, Stateline
202.419.4470
John Gramlich is a staff writer with Stateline.org, where he covers criminal justice and homeland security policy in the states. A graduate of Pennsylvania State University and American University, he has also worked as a journalist in Maryland, Pennsylvania and the Czech Republic.
Grace Lee, Research Associate, Children’s Policy Group
202.552.2163
Grace Lee assists in the management of the home visiting research portfolio. Previously, she investigated hundreds of foster care cases as a legal assistant with the Public Defender’s Office of Alameda County and as a child interventionist with the Children’s Hospital and Research Center in Oakland. She also worked with the California Medical Association Foundation for a state-wide public health campaign on tobacco use and cessation. Grace received her bachelor's degree in social welfare and rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley, and her master of science at Columbia University’s School of Social Work.
Anya Malkov, Associate, Government Relations
202.862.9860
Anya Malkov advances the federal agenda in support of state-funded pre-k and assists with federal policy initiatives across the Children’s Policy Group. She joined Pre-K Now in June 2008 as Federal Policy Fellow and transitioned to her new role after Pre-K Now came into the umbrella of PCS. Anya received a bachelor of arts in policy management from Dickinson College.
Melissa Maynard, Associate, Research
202.552.2010
Melissa Maynard works as an associate with the PCS Research and Information team. She was most recently a project reporter at Governing magazine. She earned a bachelor’s degree
and a master of arts, both in journalism, from the University of Missouri.
Aidan Russell, Associate, Research
202.540.6399
Aidan Russell works as an associate with the PCS Research and Information team, specifically on issues relating to fiscal sustainability within the states. She most recently worked as a research assistant for the George Washington Institute of Public Policy (GWIPP) on a joint project with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and as a research analyst with the District of Columbia OCFO, Office of Revenue Analysis. Aidan received her master’s degree in public policy from George Washington University and has her bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in political science from Kent State University.
Richard Silver, Associate, Government Performance Project
202.552.2175
Richard Silver provides support to the Government Performance Project. Before coming to PCS, he served as office manager/membership coordinator for the Bretton Woods Committee, an international development non-profit. Richard received his bachelor of arts in political science from George Washington University.
Denise Wilson, Associate, Research
202.540.6403
Denise Wilson is an associate with the PCS Research and Information team. Prior to coming to PCS, she worked for five years as a graduate research assistant while earning her master of arts in criminology and criminal justice at the University of Maryland, College Park. There she focused on topics including teen court and after-school programming. She also holds a bachelor of science in psychology from Ursinus College.
Katharine Zambon, Associate, Election Initiatives
202.552.2040
Kat Zambon is a researcher and writer for publications, including ElectionlineWeekly, issue briefings and reports. She was most recently a staff assistant for FieldWorks, a grassroots consulting firm. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Buffalo.
Julia Hoppock, Communications Administrative Associate, Web
202.540.6365
Julia Hoppock works on the Pew Center on the States Web site. Prior to joining Pew, Julia was a Web producer at POLITICO. Before POLITICO, she worked for ABC News where she wrote articles as well as produced video and multimedia for abcnews.com and “Nightline.” She received her bachelor’s degree in American Studies at Trinity College in Hartford, C.T.
Tanner Horton-Jones, Administrative Associate, Operations
202.552.2020
Tanner Horton-Jones provides administrative and project support to PCS. He most recently worked as an election data analyst at the Republican National Committee. Tanner holds a bachelor’s degree in French and political science from the University of the South
Rosalinda Ortega, Administrative Associate, Operations
202.862.9872
Rosalinda Ortega provides administrative and project support to PCS. She joined Pew as the program assistant with the Pre-K Now program in January 2008. Before coming to Pre-K Now, Rosalinda served as an insurance claims assistant at Miller and Long Co., Inc. She was an intern at the Texas Office of State and Federal Relations and worked as a fundraising assistant for a mayoral campaign in San Antonio, Texas. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Mary’s University.
Natasha Kallay, Administrative Assistant, Research
202.552.2181
Natasha Kallay provides support to the PCS Research and Information team. Natasha most recently worked as the coordinator for the Treatment Action Campaign’s humanitarian response to a crisis situation in South Africa. Previously, she worked as a campaign coordinator for Oxfam America. She holds a bachelor of arts in government and politics from the University of Maryland.
Molly Lyons, Administrative Assistant, Pew Children’s Dental Campaign
202.552.2085
Molly Lyon’s administrative responsibilities include providing executive and administrative support to the dental team, as well as the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign. Before joining the Dental and Pew Charitable Trusts team, Molly worked as a loan officer associate at Prosperity Mortgage. Molly holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from American University.
Scott Melamed, Administrative Assistant, Election Initiatives
202.540.6406
Scott Melamed provides administrative support for the PCS Election Initiatives team. Before coming to Pew, Scott served as an intern in the Washington, D.C. office of US Senator Amy Klobuchar. He was also a field organizer in the 2008 presidential primary and general election campaigns for Barack Obama in Nevada. Scott studied creative writing and politics at Oberlin College.
Corinne Mills, Administrative Assistant, Public Safety Performance Project
202.540.6388
Corinne Mills is the administrative assistant for the Public Safety Performance Project. Prior to coming to Pew, she was a membership assistant for the Jewish War Veterans of the USA. She received her B.A. from the University of Virginia in 2009.
Morgan Shaw, Administrative Assistant, Research
202.552.2119
Morgan Shaw provides support to the PCS Research and Information team. Morgan most recently worked as a publicity intern at Universal Music Group in Nashville, T.N. Previously, she worked as a special events intern at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, N.Y. She holds a bachelor of science in human & organizational development and art history from Vanderbilt University.
Lauren Simpson, Administrative Assistant, Communications
202.552.2039
Lauren Simpson provides support to the PCS communications director and the Pew Center on the States’ communications team. She has most recently worked as the program assistant for the International Women’s Democracy Center. She holds a bachelor of arts with honors in psychology from Baylor University and a master of arts in international affairs from Catholic University.
Ingrid Stegemoeller, Administrative Assistant, Pew Home Visiting Campaign
202.540.6414
Ingrid Stegemoeller provides administrative support for the Pew Home Visiting Campaign. She formerly worked as a business and agriculture journalist at the Tri-City Herald newspaper in Washington State. She received her bachelor’s degree in communications and mathematics from Pacific Lutheran University in 2007.
Cari Sutton, Administrative Assistant, Stateline
202.419.4476
Cari Sutton is the administrative assistant for Stateline.org. She provides office support for members of the Stateline.org staff and handles all administrative duties. She previously worked as a paralegal and assistant for the Law Office of Matthew C. Nichols. Cari is a graduate of the University of Texas and received a bachelor of arts in both political science and history with a minor in business foundations.
Stanford Turner, Administrative Assistant
202.552.2026
Stanford Turner provides administrative support to Deputy Director Michael Caudell-Feagan and other Pew Center on the States staff. He was most recently a research assistant with electionline.org. Stan received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University.
Tiffany Ward, Administrative Assistant, Children’s Policy Group
202.552.2120
Tiffany Ward supports the senior cross-project staff of the Children’s Policy Group. Prior to joining Pew, Tiffany worked in the office of U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke through the CBCF summer internship program. She also interned in the Government Relations department of the National Education Association and in the Washington, D.C. office of former U.S. Congresswoman Hilda Solis. Tiffany earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in education from the University of Southern California.
Jessica Williams, Administrative Assistant, Pew Center on the States
202.540.6370
Jessica Williams provides administrative support to Sue Urahn, Managing Director and the PCS Operations team. She was previously an international executive assistant for Teleflex Medical. She holds a bachelor of arts in international relations from James Madison College at Michigan State University.
Jeffrey Woolston, Administrative Assistant, Partnership for America’s Economic Success
202.552.2009
Jeffrey Woolston provides administrative support to the Partnership for America's Economic Success. Most recently he did data entry work for the HSC Foundation. Jeff holds a bachelor's degree in business economics from Grand Valley State University.
PRE-K Now Fellows
Amy Katzel, Pre-K Now Fellow
202.552.1874
Amy Katzel joined PCS and Pre-K Now as the Communications Fellow in June 2008. Prior to joining Pre-K Now, Amy interned at the American Cancer Society, where she assisted the media relations team, the federal affairs team, and legal counsel. She also interned at Environics Communication PR and worked on Ben Cardin's (D-MD) campaign for U.S. Senate. Amy received her bachelor’s degree in political communication from George Washington University.
Shad White, State Policy, Pre-K Now
202.552.1873
Shad White is a member of the state policy team at Pre-K Now. He was most recently a policy analyst in the Office of Postsecondary Education at the Department of Education and an employee at the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. Shad received his bachelor of arts in economics and political science from the University of Mississippi as a 2007 Truman Scholar and a 2009 Rhodes Scholar.
Consultants
Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene
212-684-5687
Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene are a writing team known nationally for their work on state and local government. They work with the Pew Center on the States on a variety of projects focusing on tax policy, pensions, post-employment health benefits, outsourcing and research and development funds. They are also involved with the Government Performance Project, which they helped to develop nearly 10 years ago.
In addition to their work at Pew, Katherine and Richard are correspondents and management columnists for Governing magazine, and founding editors of the B&G Report, a monthly e-newsletter. They have advised the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, the Urban Institute, the National League of Cities, and a number of other organizations and governments.
Robert Carey, consultant, Make Voting Work
Bob Carey, who leads Empire-Capitol Strategies, is conducting an assessment of military voting problems and potential solutions for Make Voting Work. He has served as a senior policy development and strategic communications advisor to Senators George Allen (R-VA) and Spencer Abraham (R-MI), the secretaries of energy and interior, the admiral commanding the U.S. Navy’s Middle East fleet, and the deputy chief of naval operations for the navy’s entire budget. With 23 years of active and reserve naval service, Bob has returned to active duty four times since the 9/11 attacks, commanded six different units, completed two combat tours and been awarded four medals for personal valor. As a senior fellow for the National Defense Committee, a grass-roots military advocacy organization, Bob has also developed extensive relationships throughout the military advocacy community, and has testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Election Assistance Commission regarding military voter disenfranchisement.
Paul Gronke, consultant, Make Voting Work
Paul Gronke is serving as a consultant for Make Voting Work and electionline.org. Paul is a professor of political science at Reed College and has nearly three decades of experience in social and political research, including work at the National Opinion Research Center, the Center for Political Studies and Duke University. He directs the Early Voting Information Center, which, over the past two years has become the preeminent resource for non-precinct voting information and has been relied upon by the New York Times and other leading newspapers. Dr. Gronke’s research specialties include election reform (particularly early voting), campaigns and elections, social science methodology and legislative politics. Gronke holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago.
Conny McCormack, consultant, Make Voting Work
Conny McCormack is serving as a consultant for Make Voting Work and serves as the convener of MVW’s online poll worker training working group, which is supported in partnership with the JEHT Foundation. Conny has 26 years of experience as a local election official beginning with Dallas County, Texas, followed by San Diego County, California, and for the past 12 years, headed the largest election jurisdiction in the U.S., Los Angeles County. She retired from her Los Angeles post in December 2007. In Los Angeles, her position involved recruiting, training and evaluating more than 25,000 poll workers to serve four million registered voters at 5,000 voting precincts. She serves on the board of directors for the Poll worker Institute, was a member of the Election Center’s National Task Force on Election Reform in 2001 and 2005, and has consulted on international election reform issues with IFES in Russia, Indonesia and Nigeria.
Policy Advisors
Douglas Foy
Douglas Foy, a renowned environmental leader based in Massachusetts, assists the Pew Center on the States in its work on climate change and explorations of innovative transportation and housing policies. His work has resulted in the production of a series of climate change “101” issue briefs for state policy makers working with the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, and he delivered a keynote speech in late 2006 at a gathering of state policy makers hosted by the Center.
Before joining the Center, Douglas was the secretary of Commonwealth Development in Massachusetts under Governor Mitt Romney, a position which the governor specifically created for Foy. The position tasked Douglas with uniting the Massachusetts agencies responsible for environmental affairs, transportation and construction, housing and community development, and energy, in order to promote “sustainable development.” Given sweeping authority, Douglas hand-picked the heads of four key agencies and won adoption of sustainable development principles, including the implementation of a “fix-it-first” statewide road and bridge policy and adoption of a 20-year transportation plan, creation of a statewide climate action plan, adoption of limits on pollution from power plants, adoption of incentives for communities to build “smart” including near public transit, support for expanded public transit within urban Boston and further into surrounding suburbs, and $517 million for a statewide “smart growth” housing initiative.
Before serving in the Romney administration, Douglas was president of the prestigious Conservation Law Foundation (CLF). During his tenure at CLF, he spearheaded the lawsuit that forced the clean-up of the Boston Harbor, protected Georges Bank from oil and gas drilling, helped ban off-road vehicles from the Cape Cod National Seashore, and made strides in protecting fisheries, reducing power plant emissions, and cleaning up contaminated sites in the Commonwealth. His work and that of CLF was recognized by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 when CLF was awarded the nation’s highest conservation award, the President’s Environmental and Conservation Challenge Award. In 2005, Douglas was named the recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service. He studied engineering and physics at Princeton and geophysics at Cambridge University before graduating from Harvard Law School.
