NCSL Staff Directory

As a tribal working group specialist, Tansey Moore provides staff lead support to the Nuclear Energy Tribal Working Group by planning and facilitating meetings to address nuclear energy issues as it relates to tribal nations. Moore has more than 20 years of experience working with tribal nations on a variety of issues such as environmental impacts and tribal-state relations. Moore is dedicated to bridging communication between tribes, federal agencies and states.

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 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.