Led and contributed to research, evaluation, strategic planning and technical assistance projects for federal, local, non-profit, and philanthropic funders focused on improving the design and implementation of programs aimed at improving the lives of families and individuals with low incomes.Supported operations during a period of transformation from a sole consultant model to a small business. Oversaw growth and worked to establish policies and procedures to set the company up for successful scale.

Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for a federal evaluation office with 70+ staff and $180M+ annual budget.Oversee 100+ research and evaluation projects annually on topics including child welfare, child care, Head Start, home visiting, human trafficking, welfare, and employment. Led development of ACF’s first ever Research and Evaluation Agenda. Serve as a quality assurance reviewer for research publications.Supervise budget team, responsible for up to $200M in annual spending.Supervise administrative staff; oversee all HR and operational functions. Oversaw growth from an office of 48 federal employees to an office of 74 federal employees. Supervise communications staff; oversee all web posting, social media, and newsletter content. Oversaw expansion of communications channels to include: a new blog, Instagram account, LinkedIn account, and website refresh. Oversaw dramatic growth in office’s social media impressions and engagements; for example, under my leadership OPRE’s twitter followership increased by 350%.Initiated and led special projects to improve operations and increase employee engagement. Solicited staff input via focus groups, surveys, and other feedback opportunities and launched initiatives to address staff feedback, including initiatives related to staff training and professional development; business processes and staffing; staff cohesion; communications and dissemination; and staff wellness. In the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, 96.7% of OPRE staff responded affirmatively to the statement, “I recommend my organization as a good place to work.”Office of Planning, Research, and EvaluationAdministration for Children and FamiliesU.S. Department of Health and Human Services

In increasingly senior positions, managed a portfolio of funded research related to human services and the well-being of low-income families as a federal Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). Major projects included a portfolio of research exploring the application of behavioral economics to human services; qualitative research on families disconnected from work and welfare; a systematic evidence review of employment and training programs for low-income adults; a series of research briefs on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); and a series of research briefs on homeless families. Initiated and led OPRE’s work on the application of behavioral economics to human services. Initiated and led the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project, the first major U.S. effort to design and test behavioral interventions for human services programs, and launched follow-on efforts. Regularly gave presentations and briefings on behavioral insights and human services at a wide range of venues; spoke with the media about ACF’s work in this area and was featured in The New York Times and Governing.Chaired working group on welfare and family self-sufficiency research, which regularly convened researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss and provide input on OPRE research.Co-led the Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference (now the Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency), overseeing all aspects of this biennial event for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share the latest in poverty and human services research.

Monitored and analyzed domestic policy proposals and prepared policy recommendations for the Congressman.Wrote policy statements, constituent correspondence, and media advisories.

Monitored and analyzed policies related to homelessness, domestic violence, and child welfare.Wrote congressional testimony, speeches, op-ed pieces, website content, and newsletter articles.Prepared briefing materials for the president.Generally assisted the president in her daily work.