NCSL Staff Directory

As associate director for grants and contracts, Rory Regan is responsible for collaborating on and supporting fundraising through grants and contracts across NCSL. Prior to joining NCSL, Regan worked at the City and County of Denver as a federal grants manager, where he oversaw the city’s portfolio of federal, state and private grant programs, including the citywide coordination of FEMA public assistance funds and ARPA funding from the U.S. Treasury Department. He earned a master’s degree in international studies from the University of Denver and a bachelor's degree in communication studies from Northwestern University.

In her role, Samantha Scotti focuses on state policy issues relating to health care access, costs and coverage. She has over six years of experience working with state legislators, legislative staff and other partners on a variety of health topics, developing tools, publications and collaborative meetings. Prior to joining NCSL, she worked as legislative staff at the Colorado General Assembly and has a dual degree in political science and international studies from Colorado State University. 

In her role as revenue accountant, Samona Skidmore acts as the primary function liaison for Fonteva financial reporting, revenue collections and process improvements. Previously, Skidmore spent over 10 years in the financial and retirement services industry, providing leadership in regulatory, accounting and financial planning support. After obtaining her master’s degree in accounting from Regis University in 2020, she joined NCSL to engage in work that impacts the people in her community.

Sarah Altshuler is a program coordinator supporting the State Services Division, as well as the Leaders and International programs. Previously, Altshuler was lead intern with U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s Denver office, where she oversaw and trained new interns, supported Colorado constituents and supported full-time staff with constituent advocacy work. She studied political science, philosophy, and communication at the University of Colorado-Boulder and graduated summa cum laude. 

Sarah Brown is the director of the Criminal and Civil Justice Program (CCJ) at NCSL. As the director, she oversees all of NCSL’s criminal and civil justice work, with specific expertise in juvenile justice. Brown has been with NCSL for 20 years working on informing state legislatures on criminal and civil justice issues across the nation. Prior to joining NCSL, Brown worked for five years as a legislative assistant to a United States Senator in Washington, D.C. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado and earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver College of Law. Brown has been admitted to practice law in Colorado.

Sarah Chavez is a dedicated program coordinator with NCSL's Energy team. With more than a decade of experience in hospitality, event planning and administration support, she has honed her skills while working for esteemed law firms and nonprofit organizations in Denver and New York City. Chavez is deeply committed to NCSL's mission, finding fulfillment in contributing to an organization dedicated to enhancing the legislative institution through education and research.

As a policy associate in the Health Program, Sarah Jaromin focuses on access, cost and coverage issues with a particular focus on scope of practice, rural health and health care workforce. Jaromin has experience working with the policy division of the NYS Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers with a particular focus on legislation related to Medicaid and behavioral health workforce shortages. She earned her master’s degree in social work from the State University of New York at Albany after completing a bachelor’s in sociology at Brandeis University. 

As a senior policy specialist with the Center for Legislative Strengthening, Selena Saucedo focuses on legislative sessions, legislative staffing and structure, human resource management, compensation and classification, and personnel policies and practices, including harassment and DEI. Saucedo comes to NCSL with more than 10 years of experience in both the public and private sectors focusing on public relations, public affairs, policy and communication, and legislative experience in the Texas House of Representatives. Saucedo earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.

In her role as a senior policy specialist in the Health Program, Shannon Kolman serves as a subject matter expert on public health topics. She has more than 25 years of experience working in the fields of public health and community health. Kolman enjoys researching public health-related policies and supporting legislative excellence by informing NCSL members and partners on policy issues and strategies.

As associate director for design, Steve Miller leads design for NCSL, including reports, State Legislatures Magazine, graphics and marketing. Miller has 20 years of experience in journalism, where he earned numerous awards in editorial and advertising design. He also has led design efforts in the corporate world and academia. His varied experience has instilled an appreciation of, and dedication to, the importance of an informed society to democracy. He is proud to be part of working to strengthen state legislatures through the research, information and training that NCSL provides.

As software product coordinator in the information technology department, Steve Holz-Russell supports NCSL staff in the use of applications that help them do their work. Previously, Holz-Russell managed the district-wide student computer program for Denver Public Schools. He is passionate about providing excellent customer service to NCSL staff so they can effectively serve the needs of state legislatures.

Sunny Deye is an associate director in NCSL’s Education Program and serves as the liaison to her home state of Oregon. Deye leads the postsecondary education team in tracking and analyzing legislation in all 50 states, publishing state policy issue briefs and reports, creating professional development opportunities for state legislators and staff, and conducting NCSL’s annual Legislative Institute on Higher Education. Before joining NCSL in 2005, Deye served as legislative staff in the bill drafting office of the Colorado General Assembly. She holds a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in politics and public policy from the University of Colorado Denver.