LESN Ancillary Meeting Participant List

LESN Steering Committee ARKANSAS IOWA Julie Holt Kathy Hanlon Legislative Analyst, Arkansas Bureau Senior Research Analyst, Legislative CONNECTICUT of Legislative Research, Arkansas Services Agency, Iowa General Subira Gordon General Assembly Assembly Executive Director, Connecticut Commission on Equity and [email protected] [email protected] Opportunity subira.gordon.cga.ct.gov ARIZONA IDAHO Matt Beienburg Robyn Lockett Senior Fiscal Analyst, Education Principal Budget and Policy Analyst, GEORGIA Committee, Arizona Joint Legislative Idaho Legislative Services Office Cortney George Budget Committee, Arizona State Fiscal and Policy Analyst, House [email protected] Legislature Budget and Research Office, Georgia House of Representatives [email protected] IDAHO [email protected] Janet Jessup CALIFORNIA Budget and Policy Analyst, Idaho Legislative Services Office HAWAII Sawait Seyoum Senior Legislative Aide, Senior [email protected] Scott Fuji Legislative Aide Committee Clerk, Office of Sen. Michelle N. Kidani, Hawaii State [email protected] INDIANA Legislature Niki DaSilva [email protected] CALIFORNIA Legislative Assistant, Indiana State Tanya Lieberman Senate Deputy Chief Consultant, Education WEST VIRGINIA [email protected] Committee, California General Melissa White Assembly Chief Counsel, Education Committee, KANSAS West Virginia House of Delegates [email protected] John Hess [email protected] Fiscal Analyst, Kansas Legislative COLORADO Research Department Damion Pechota [email protected] LESN Members Senior Research Analyst, Colorado

Legislative Council, Colorado General ALASKA Assembly Philip Laffey Patricia Walker [email protected] Legal Counsel, Michigan Legislative Legislative Assistant, Alaska Service Bureau, Legal Division Legislature COLORADO [email protected] [email protected] Anna Gerstle Fiscal Analyst, Colorado Legislative MICHIGAN ALABAMA Council, Colorado General Assembly Nathan Leaman Dustin Jones [email protected] Legislative Analyst, Michigan Senate Legislative Fiscal Analyst, Alabama Fiscal Agency Legislative Services Agency, Alabama [email protected] State Legislature CONNECTICUT [email protected] Steven Hernández Executive Director, Connecticut Commission on Women, Children and Seniors [email protected]

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MARYLAND NEVADA SOUTH CAROLINA Sara Fidler Adam Drost Pierce McNair Principal Policy Analyst, Department Program Analyst, Nevada Legislative Director of Research, House of Legislative Services, Maryland Counsel Bureau Education and Public Works General Assembly [email protected] Committee, South Carolina House of [email protected] Representatives OHIO [email protected] MINNESOTA Jason Glover Tricia Elite Budget Analyst, Ohio Legislative TEXAS Committee Administrator, Education Service Commission Lesli Cathey Policy Committee, [email protected] Manager, School Performance [email protected] Review, Texas Legislative Budget Board OKLAHOMA [email protected] MONTANA Erin Kennedy Shauna Albrecht Staff Attorney, Oklahoma House of Fiscal Analyst, Montana Legislative Representatives TEXAS Services Division, Commissioner of [email protected] Cathy Eady Higher Education Staff Attorney, Texas Legislative [email protected] Council OREGON [email protected] Drew Cummins NEBRASKA Legislative Assistant, Oregon State W. LaMont Rainey Legislature UTAH Education Committee, Legal Counsel, [email protected] Nathan Brady Policy Analyst, Office of Legislative [email protected] Research and General Counsel, Utah OREGON Legislature Alethia Miller NEW MEXICO Legislative Analyst, Fiscal Review [email protected] Tim Bedeaux Committee, Oregon State Legislature Fiscal Analyst, New Mexico [email protected] WASHINGTON Legislative Education Study Mary Kenfield Committee Policy Director, Washington State TENNESSEE [email protected] House of Representatives Patrick Boggs Research Analyst, Tennessee General [email protected] NEW MEXICO Assembly Sunny Liu [email protected] WISCONSIN Fiscal Analyst, New Mexico Nathan Schwanz Legislative Finance Committee Chief of Staff, Office of Rep. John TENNESSEE [email protected] Nygren, Co-Chair, Joint Committee Adam Fye on Finance, Wisconsin State Fiscal Analyst, Fiscal Review Committee, Tennessee General Jen Sturm [email protected] Senior Policy Analyst, Legislative Counsel Bureau [email protected] [email protected] TENNESSEE Kasey Washburn Legislative Attorney, Tennessee General Assembly [email protected]

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Other Speakers and Session Leads

Stephanie Aragon Joellen Kralik Policy Analyst and LESN Coordinator, Policy Specialist and LESN Coordinator, Education Commission of the States National Conference of State Legislatures [email protected] [email protected] 303.299.3614 303.856.1376 Stephanie joined Education Commission of the States in Joellen joined the National Conference of State Legislatures January 2015. She works on various topics related to K-12 in 2015. Joellen serves as the education program’s career education, focusing most of her efforts on issues related pathways expert, covering the continuum of K-12 education, to teacher recruitment and retention. Prior, Stephanie postsecondary education and workforce systems. Prior, held various positions at the University of Denver Sturm Joellen worked as a science teacher in Mississippi and College of Law and at a private law firm. Stephanie holds Colorado. Joellen holds a bachelor’s of science in journalism a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University from Ohio University and a master’s in social work from the of Colorado at Boulder, as well as a master’s degree in University of Denver. public policy/education policy from the University of Denver’s Institute for Public Policy Studies. Outside the Emily Parker office, Stephanie enjoys tri training, dreaming alongside her Policy Analyst, Education Commission husband, David, and keeping pace with her always curious, of the States always active son, Elijah. [email protected] 303.299.3662 Neal Holly Assistant Director, Postsecondary and Emily joined Education Commission of the States in Workforce Development, Education December 2015. In this role, she supports states on issues Commission of the States of school finance across the entire P-20 continuum. Prior, [email protected] Emily worked at the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary 303.299.3604 Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., Neal joined Education Commission of the States in February where she helped launch Ben Bernanke’s Blog. While in grad 2017. He provides project management, staff supervision school, she worked at the Colorado Department of Higher and development, and budget oversight to large-scale Education and on the Emmy Award-winning Truth Test Team projects. He stays current on states’ political and governance at 9NEWS/KUSA in Denver. A proud Pioneer, Emily earned structures, as well as policy climates, to better serve their her bachelor’s degree and her master’s of public policy from postsecondary and workforce needs. Prior, Neal served as the University of Denver. Outside of the office, Emily enjoys vice chancellor for policy and planning for the West Virginia board games, show tunes and trivia. Higher Education Policy Commission and the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical Education. He has Alyssa Rafa also served multiple staff roles at public and private colleges Policy Analyst, Education Commission and universities throughout North Carolina, South Carolina of the States and Virginia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from [email protected] Wingate University, a master’s degree in higher education 303.299.3691 administration from Appalachian State University and a Alyssa joined Education Commission of the States in doctorate of philosophy in higher education administration November 2015. As a policy analyst, she focuses on various from the College of William and Mary. He enjoys fishing, topics related to K-12 education, including school climate, camping and spending time with his wife and two beagles. accountability, assessments and school improvement.

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Prior, Alyssa worked and interned for several nonprofit Colorado State University–Pueblo and a master’s degree in organizations, holding positions in policy, development and education and human resource studies from Colorado State administration. Alyssa holds a bachelor’s degree in political University. Lauren is a Colorado native, and enjoys spending science from California State University, San Bernardino time with her husband and two children exploring the and a master’s degree in international relations from the outdoors of Colorado. University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys spending time with John Turcotte her family, coaching youth volleyball and traveling with her Director, Program Evaluation Division, North husband. Carolina General Assembly [email protected] 919.301.1399 Sara Shelton Director of State Relations, Education John is a career legislative program evaluator, who has now Commission of the States headed legislative program evaluation staffs in three states [email protected] over a 40-year period. The Legislative Services Commission 303.299.3667 appointed John as the first director of the Program Sara joined Education Commission of the States in February Evaluation Division in June 2007, following his services as 2016. As a member of the state relations team, Sara strives project manager of the North Carolina General Assembly’s to serve all stakeholders of Education Commission of the Government Performance Audit Committee in 2006. John States by cultivating relationships and building partnerships. was CEO of Turcotte Public Administration Consulting and Prior, Sara directed civic engagement initiatives at The Training, LLC from 2003–07. TPACT provided training and Civic Canopy, a local nonprofit, where she helped build and consulting for audit and other knowledge-based staffs support a statewide Civic Health Network. Sara also spent at all levels of government. From 1996–2003, John was 10 years at the National Conference of State Legislatures, director of the ’s Office of Program Policy working on state education policy. Sara holds a bachelor’s Analysis and Government Accountability. From 1977–95, degree in forestry from the University of Montana and a John served as director of Mississippi’s Joint Legislative master’s degree in public administration from the University Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure of Colorado at Denver. Sara enjoys spending her free time Review. In Mississippi, Florida and North Carolina, John and exploring the rugged Rocky Mountains with her adventurous his staffs produced over 907 technical reports and program kids and husband. evaluations. He was the national staff chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in 1994. John has also been an adjunct professor of political science at Lauren Sisneros Mississippi College and Millsaps College and an instructor State Relations Strategist, Education Commission of the States of American Government at Hinds Community College in [email protected] Jackson, Miss. He began his career as a math and science 303.299.3629 teacher in Mississippi. He received a bachelor’s degree in Lauren joined Education Commission of the States in political science with highest honors and a master’s degree August 2015 and is currently a member of the state relations in political science and American government from the team. Prior, she was a policy analyst, primarily focused on University of Southern Mississippi. He completed additional postsecondary issues. Lauren has also held positions at study at Millsaps College, the Federal Executive Institute, the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Colorado Mississippi State Executive Development Institute and the Legislative Council Staff and Adams State University. She NCSL Legislative Staff Management Institute. In 1986, the earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Council of State Governments selected John as one of the first group of Henry Toll Fellows.

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Jennifer Zinth Principal, High School and STEM, Julie Woods Senior Policy Analyst, Education Education Commission of the States Commission of the States [email protected] 303.299.3689 [email protected] 303.299.3672 Jennifer first joined Education Commission of the States in Julie is a senior policy analyst. In her role, she researches and 1997. In her current role, she conducts research and analysis analyzes K-12 education policies and provides support to and counsels states on numerous issues related to high policymakers on education issues, with a focus on standards, school, college readiness and transitions to postsecondary, assessments, accountability and federal law. Julie earned in addition to STEM topics from early learning through her law degree and master’s degree in education policy postsecondary. Previously, Jennifer served as the co- from the Pennsylvania State University, and is a Colorado- director of Education Commission of the States’ Information licensed attorney. She has taught legal research and writing Clearinghouse, where she honed her expertise on high to attorneys from around the world and taught English as school issues while performing, coordinating and overseeing a second language to immigrants. Julie is a proud Texan, research, analysis and technical assistance across issues from married a Midwesterner and is raising a Colorado-native early learning through postsecondary. Jennifer’s education daughter. experience also includes teaching adult English as a second language in Slovakia and Denver. When not bent on saving the world through better education policy, she loves travel, yoga, cooking (including inflicting new recipes on her reluctant husband), watching documentaries and spending time with her family.

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