NCSL Staff Directory

Heather Hanna serves as an associate director in the Children and Families Program. She leads work focused on child and family well-being including economic security and mobility, housing and homelessness, food security and child support and family law. Before joining NCSL, she served as deputy director for the Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance, the membership association for Colorado's Early Childhood Councils. Hanna earned her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Central Florida. 

Financial Services, Technology and Communications Program, Heather Morton leads a team of policy analysts focusing on broadband and telecommunications, internet and technology, consumer and financial services, civil liability and alcohol production and sales issues. Morton has more than 20 years of experience in legislative research and analysis. She earned her bachelor’s at the University of Colorado Boulder and her law degree at the University of Denver.

As a senior policy specialist, Heather Wilson focuses on policies that support child and family well-being. Wilson comes to NCSL with nearly 15 years of experience leading social and economic policy initiatives, program design and multi-stakeholder movements at the national, state and local levels. She is excited to contribute to NCSL's growing body of interdisciplinary work impacting children and families.

Helen Brewer works on statewide ballot measures and focuses on a wide array of elections and redistricting topics as part of the Elections and Redistricting Program. Prior to joining NCSL, she worked in policy and litigation capacities for nonpartisan voting rights and redistricting organizations. Brewer has appeared in The Washington Post, has a J.D. from William & Mary, a bachelor’s from the University of Northern Colorado and is a member of the Colorado Bar.

Jay Gideon is a policy analyst with the Civil and Criminal Justice team, and researches topics related to adult criminal justice such as law enforcement and sentencing.  Prior to joining the NCSL, Gideon spent time in Eswatini, Africa, for the Peace Corps. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Colorado Boulder and a master’s degree in criminology from Regis University.

Jenna Bannon serves as associate director in the Children and Families Program. She manages multiple grants in early childhood and child welfare and co-leads the interdisciplinary work on child and family policy. Bannon comes to NCSL with more than 25 years of experience in state legislative policy, working for a governor, state legislators, state agencies and nonprofits. She worked for NCSL from 1998-2000 and is excited to be back working at the national level to support the success of legislators and legislative staff. 

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 a policy analyst, Jessica Guarino supports the Civil and Criminal Justice Program by researching a variety of topics related to criminal records, human trafficking, firearms policy and questions relating to the Constitution. Prior to joining NCSL, Guarino earned her J.D. and LL.M. from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and worked as a postdoctoral legal research associate for the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She has published several law review and peer-reviewed articles and is dedicated to providing accurate and accessible policy data.

As a senior policy specialist for NCSL’s Children and Families Program, Jill Yordy researches public policy related to child and family well-being. Yordy comes to NCSL with more than eight years of experience in public policy research, practice and advocacy. She is currently working toward a Ph.D. in public affairs from the University of Colorado Denver.

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 a policy analyst, Johnny Valdez focuses on Medicaid and the intersection of housing and health policy. Valdez comes to NCSL with experience as a researcher in technology, digital finance, economic development and Indigenous governance. Valdez earned his master’s degree in global economic affairs from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver after completing a bachelor’s degree in economics at Willamette University.