NCSL Staff Directory

Wade Fickler directs NCSL’s Children and Families Program, which covers child welfare, child support, early care and education, economic security, family law, housing, homelessness and hunger. His previous experience includes policy and communications positions with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Children’s Institute and the City Club of Portland. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine, Fickler helped foster civic engagement and voter participation in the fledgling post-Soviet democracy.

As a policy associate in NCSL’s Children and Families Program, Walker Stevens focuses his research on policy topics related to child and family well-being, including child support and family law, economic security, food security, housing and homelessness. Walker received his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in May 2022. His previous experience includes internships at the Oklahoma Legislature, NCSL, the Colorado Senate, the Colorado Governor’s Office of Legal Counsel, the Denver Juvenile Court and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.

As director of Elections and Redistricting, Wendy Underhill leads a team of policy analysts focusing on all things related to voting, election administration and politics for NCSL. Underhill has been with the organization for 11 years, broadening her portfolio from an initial focus on elections to include campaign finance, redistricting, the census, ballot measures and election outcomes. She is sought after for her expertise by major media outlets, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. 

As a program principal in the Center for Legislative Strengthening, Will Clark works on issues related to legislative information technology and legislative oversight. Clark comes to NCSL with 10 years of experience working in state government, including two years with the Colorado General Assembly. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Oregon and a master's in public policy from Oregon State University.

As a policy associate in the Employment, Labor and Retirement Program, Zaakary Barnes researches state policies on collective bargaining, unemployment insurance and occupational licensing. Barnes comes to NCSL with experience working on state and federal labor issues, having previously served as a labor policy legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives. He studied political science at Iowa State University before earning a master’s degree in communication at Drake University.