NCSL Staff Directory

As a senior fellow in NCSL’s Health Program, Karmen Hanson specializes in behavioral health and cannabis policy topics and collaborates with programs across the organization. With more than 22 years at NCSL, Hanson has presented to dozens of legislative groups and organizations and dedicated her career to serving legislators and legislative staff across the country. She is also the North Dakota state liaison. Hanson earned a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Denver and bachelor's degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder.

As a policy specialist, Kate Bryan researches a variety of issues concerning criminal and civil justice. Bryan comes to NCSL with experience in the legal field as well as health care. Bryan holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Colorado as well as a Master of Science in Law from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

In her role as program principal in the Health Program, Kathryn Costanza serves state legislators, legislative staff and her colleagues as a nonpartisan Medicaid policy subject matter expert. Costanza is a licensed attorney who graduated with a health law and policy certificate from the University of Colorado Law School and has several years of experience practicing health law with an emphasis on issues related to the Medicaid program. Previously, Costanza was a practicing music therapist and predominately served Medicaid beneficiaries.

As a policy analyst in the Elections and Redistricting Program, Katie King researches election administration, statewide ballot measures, redistricting and campaign finance. Prior to her time at NCSL, King worked in U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s office as a constituent advocate. She attended the University of Colorado Boulder and received her bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology. 

Katy Owens Hubler is a project manager in the Elections and Redistricting Program, overseeing a team researching election administration policies. Owens Hubler got her start in elections in 2010, working for the Denver Elections Division, and developed expertise in state-level election policies at NCSL from 2013 to 2015. She has spent time coordinating international election observation teams for The Carter Center and as a consultant focused on the intersection of election administration and technology. She is happy to be back at NCSL supporting the nation's legislatures.

As an associate director in NCSL’s Health Program, Kelly Hughes oversees staff and projects related to health access, costs and coverage issues. Hughes brings nearly two decades of professional experience in federal and state government, nonprofit, research and health care settings. A graduate of the CDC’s Public Health Prevention Service fellowship, she earned her master’s degree in public health from Emory University and her bachelor’s from Virginia Tech. 

Kelsie George is a senior policy specialist with the NCSL Health Program, specializing in health workforce policy issues. Her work with state legislators, legislative staff and other partners includes conducting legislative research, writing policy publications, providing services to support state legislatures and planning and conducting meetings. George joined NCSL in 2020 and previously worked with academics, translating their research to a policymaking audience. She has a master’s degree in public policy from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and a bachelor’s degree in international studies from St. Norbert College in Green Bay, Wis.

As a policy specialist, Kendall Speer supports the Health Program’s maternal and child health, children’s oral health and women’s reproductive health portfolio. Prior to joining NCSL, Speer was a student at Boston University School of Law. She is dedicated to supporting NCSL’s mission of providing research, education, technical assistance and opportunities for cross-state sharing.

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 his role as a policy analyst, Landon Jacquinot researches state policy on minimum wage, occupational licensing, and workforce development. Jacquinot comes to NCSL with experience working with and around state legislatures as a policy and administrative manager for a hydrogen trade association. He is steadfast in his support for state-level institutions and is happy to be working for an organization with a similar mission.

Laura Carper supports NCSL’s Criminal and Civil Justice Program. Previously, Carper worked in administrative support roles for Xerox and RE/MAX Alliance. She earned a bachelor’s in technical journalism from Colorado State University. 

As senior program coordinator for the Fiscal Affairs Program, Laurel Stiegler coordinates invitations, follow up and logistics for invitational meetings sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts. She has 30-plus years of experience in the fields of business, customer service, finance and health care administrative support. She earned a master's degree in communications with a specialization in intercultural communication from Regis University in Denver.