Austin Igleheart Austin Igleheart serves as a project manager with NCSL’s Energy, Environment, and Transportation Program. He conducts policy research relating to electric and alternative fuel vehicles, energy security and resilience and energy... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Environment, Energy & Transportation
Betsy Smith Betsy Smith’s research focuses on energy and environmental policy issues. She comes to NCSL with experience in research examining policy topics involving natural disasters, public lands and environmental justice. Prior to NCSL,... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Environment, Energy & Transportation
Flora Fouladi As a policy associate, Flora Fouladi works on public health issues with a focus on children and youth with special health care needs, adolescent health and child nutrition. Prior to joining NCSL, Fouladi worked as a legislative assistant for the... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Health
Heather Hanna 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... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Children & Families
Cameron Rifkin Cameron Rifkin is a policy specialist covering topics related to housing and homelessness, economic mobility, child support and family law. Prior to joining NCSL in July 2021, he earned a master’s degree in social work and worked in diverse... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Children & Families
Annie Miller As a policy associate, Annie Miller supports the Employment, Labor and Retirement Program by contributing to research on workforce development and occupational licensing policy. Prior to joining NCSL, Miller served the City and County of... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Employment, Labor & Retirement
Michelle Exstrom As director of NCSL’s Education Program, Michelle Exstrom oversees the organization’s work on state education policy. Exstrom has over 25 years of experience working with state legislators at NCSL and in Colorado’s Office of... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Education
Kelly Hughes 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,... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Health
Laura Carper 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... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Civil and Criminal Justice
Ashley Wallace As an associate director in the Education Program, Ashley Wallace leads NCSL’s work on afterschool, summer learning, student mental health, social and emotional learning, and other whole child education policy topics. Before joining NCSL in... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Education
Wade Fickler 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... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Children & Families
Wendy Underhill 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... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Elections & Redistricting
Douglas Shinkle Douglas Shinkle oversees NCSL’s Transportation Program. Shinkle has 16 years of experience at NCSL, as well as several years’ experience working for state legislatures. He has testified before a U.S. Senate committee and numerous... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Environment, Energy & Transportation
Daniel Thatcher As a senior fellow in NCSL’s Education Program, Daniel Thatcher researches K-12 education finance systems. Thatcher is a trusted, bipartisan resource on education finance and has worked with legislators in all 50 states. He has been cited... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Education
Autumn Rivera As a policy specialist in NCSL’s Education Program, Autumn Rivera focuses on policy issues related to afterschool, summer learning, LGBTQ+ students, whole child learning and school climate. Rivera comes to NCSL with experience working in... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Education
Carrington Skinner As a senior policy specialist, Carrington Skinner supports the Center for Results-Driven Governing’s work of helping states use data and evidence to inform decision making. Skinner comes to NCSL with experience as an assistant attorney... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Center for Results-Driven Governing
Sarah Jaromin As a policy specialist in the Health Program, Sarah Jaromin focuses on access, cost and coverage issues with a particular emphasis on health technology, health care costs and health care facilities. She has considerable experience in health... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Health
Darci Cherry As a director in the Center for Results-Driven Governing, Darci Cherry supports the work of state leaders as they use data and evidence to make policy and budget decisions. Previously, Cherry spent 20 years collecting, analyzing and interpreting... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Center for Results-Driven Governing
Brooke Oleen Tieperman Brooke Oleen Tieperman supports NCSL’s Environment, Energy and Transportation Program and NCSL’s Task Force on Military and Veterans Affairs. She has 15 years of experience at NCSL and works in partnership with the U.S. Defense and... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Environment, Energy & Transportation
Glenn Jacoby As a policy associate with the Employment, Labor and Retirement Program, Glenn Jacoby focuses on disability employment policy and workplace harassment and discrimination. Previously, she worked as a youth vote coordinator for New Era Colorado... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Employment, Labor & Retirement
Zaakary Barnes As a senior policy specialist 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... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Employment, Labor & Retirement
Tammy Jo Hill As a project manager on the Health team, Tammy Jo Hill supports work related to behavioral health, public health and maternal and child health. Previously, Hill spent years supporting Colorado’s Medicaid program as a program manager... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Health
Kate Bryan 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... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Civil and Criminal Justice
Charlie Severance-Medaris Charlie Severance-Medaris supports NCSL’s public health work as a project manager for the Health Program. He has previous experience in health policy through work at many Colorado nonprofits. Severance-Medaris is an expert in state... Staff Directory, Research & Policy, Health