NCSL Staff Directory

As a policy specialist, Alex McWard supports the Environment, Energy and Transportation Program by conducting legislative research. His research is primarily focused on renewable energy, emissions, energy efficiency, building electrification and tribal energy. McWard studied public policy at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies. 

As a senior policy specialist, Annie Kitch focuses on traffic safety and 911-related policy at NCSL. She comes to NCSL with experience in transportation policy, developing and facilitating process improvement trainings and connecting constituents with public services at all levels of government. As a promoter of informed governance, Kitch is dedicated to supporting all of NCSL’s members throughout their legislative journeys. 

Austin Igleheart serves as a project manager with NCSL’s Energy, Environment, and Transportation Program. He conducts policy research relating to electric and alternative fuel vehicles, energy security and resilience and energy storage, providing quality, unbiased information to state legislators and legislative staff across the United States. He also serves as NCSL’s staff liaison for the Legislative Energy Horizon Institute. With NCSL since 2021, Igleheart has spent most of his career in state and local policy, and prior to NCSL worked for a nonpartisan organization advocating for county governments. He holds bachelor’s degrees in political science and sociology and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in environmental policy and management at the University of Denver.

As a policy specialist, Beatrice O’Connor supports the Environment, Energy and Transportation Program by conducting environmental and water policy research. Prior to joining NCSL, O’Connor worked as a research assistant, legal assistant and legislative aide. She holds a bachelor’s degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, and a Master of Studies in environmental, natural resources and energy law from Lewis and Clark Law School.

Betsy Smith’s research focuses on energy and environmental policy issues. She comes to NCSL with experience in research examining policy topics involving natural disasters, public lands and environmental justice. Prior to NCSL, Smith attended the University of Michigan and Montana State University and is currently a doctoral student at the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs.

Brooke Oleen Tieperman supports NCSL’s Environment, Energy and Transportation Program and NCSL’s Task Force on Military and Veterans Affairs. She has 15 years of experience at NCSL and works in partnership with the U.S. Defense and Energy departments, bringing expertise in state-tribal policy. She staffs the DOE’s Indian Country Energy and Infrastructure Working Group, whose delegates include tribal leaders and technical staff from across the country. 

Douglas Shinkle oversees NCSL’s Transportation Program. Shinkle has 16 years of experience at NCSL, as well as several years’ experience working for state legislatures. He has testified before a U.S. Senate committee and numerous state legislative committees on transportation and traffic safety topics. He is passionate about transportation policy and serving NCSL’s constituents. 

In her role, Jennifer Kraft supports the Environment, Energy and Transportation Program as a program coordinator. She comes to NCSL with more than 20 years of experience as an administrative assistant and program manager. She attended Colorado State University and holds a Bachelor of Science in natural resources management.

As a program principal in NCSL’s Environment, Energy and Transportation Program, Jennifer Schultz covers a wide range of policy topics including waste and recycling, wildlife, land use, environmental health, disaster resilience, and military and veterans affairs. Schultz coordinates the work of an NCSL standing committee, task force and public-private partnership and serves as liaison to the Delaware General Assembly. Previously, Schultz clerked for the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Department of the Interior, Massachusetts General Court and environmental organizations in Vermont and Alaska. Schultz earned bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and geography from George Washington University and a law degree from Suffolk University in Boston.

As director of the Environment, Energy and Transportation program at NCSL, Jim Reed oversees the collaborative efforts of 15 outstanding colleagues in state legislative bill tracking and analysis, policy research and writing, grant project oversight, staffing task forces and working groups, fundraising and responding to constituent inquiries. Reed has 40 years of experience in state public policy analysis and project management, serving 33 of those years with NCSL. Through legislative testimony, presentations, and an extensive collection of published documents, he regularly shares his national policy expertise in military and veterans’ affairs, transportation, Native American tribal issues, daylight saving time, nuclear issues and intergovernmental relations.

As an associate director in NCSL’s Environment, Energy and Transportation Program, Kim Tyrrell leads a team of environmental policy experts and uses her expertise to support research and policy insight on air and water quality, climate resilience, waste management and other issues. Tyrrell also manages a Department of Energy program that facilitates cooperation among federal, state and tribal governments on a number of energy and environmental issues. She served two terms on Colorado’s Pollution Prevention Advisory Board, worked at the state and national levels on a variety of environmental policy issues and played a key role in the development of the Colorado Electric Vehicle and Infrastructure Readiness Plan. She has her MBA from the University of Denver and is a LEED Accredited Professional. 

In her role as senior program coordinator, Melanie Horton supports NCSL's Environment Program as well as several state and tribal working groups, which NCSL supports through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy. Horton has nearly 15 years of experience providing administrative and program support to mission-driven organizations in both the public and private sectors. She earned her bachelor’s degree in media studies from the University of Southern Maine in 2006 and her master’s degree in environmental leadership from Naropa University in 2011.