Experience

Arkansas Department of Information Systems (DIS)

• United States
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Chief Research Officer (CRO)

  • Jun 2022 - Present

  Little Rock, Arkansas, United States As Chief Research Officer I am responsible for working on various projects including various grants and state and federal reporting related to our state’s SLDS. I design research methodologies and perform analyses that connect data longitudinally across multiple administrative level data sets to answer complex questions related to PreK through postsecondary education, workforce, social services, criminal justice, and other areas. Assist in the design and dissemination of dashboards for display… Show more As Chief Research Officer I am responsible for working on various projects including various grants and state and federal reporting related to our state’s SLDS. I design research methodologies and perform analyses that connect data longitudinally across multiple administrative level data sets to answer complex questions related to PreK through postsecondary education, workforce, social services, criminal justice, and other areas. Assist in the design and dissemination of dashboards for display of output from the various projects; collaborate on the acquisition and ingestion of new sources of data to expand the breadth and depth of our state’s SLDS. Show less



Arkansas Research Center (ARC)

• United States
• Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Project Director

  • Nov 2010 - Jul 2022

  Conway, AR I have the responsibility of being a liaison between the state’s Workforce Longitudinal Data System (WLDS) and the Department of Career Education (ACE)and the Department of Workforce Services (DWS). I also work with the other state agencies that are involved with the WLDS concerning programs. I have conducted research that brings together data from those involved in the WLDS. For example, an examination of the likelihood of graduation from either a 2- or 4-year institution in Arkansas… Show more I have the responsibility of being a liaison between the state’s Workforce Longitudinal Data System (WLDS) and the Department of Career Education (ACE)and the Department of Workforce Services (DWS). I also work with the other state agencies that are involved with the WLDS concerning programs. I have conducted research that brings together data from those involved in the WLDS. For example, an examination of the likelihood of graduation from either a 2- or 4-year institution in Arkansas based on high school GPA and ACT score, the impact of participation in state sponsored preschool on elementary educational outcomes, the AR Education to Employment Report (AEER) for the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, and an analysis of the workforce from the Whirlpool closure for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). Recently I have assisted the Fordham Foundation with data to do a longitudinal analysis of educational and workforce outcomes of CTE students for the entire state of Arkansas showing the positive impact of CTE on all outcomes. Analysis of the Career Pathways Initiatives (CPI) program and the Career Readiness Certificate program were both conducted through consultation with external researchers providing them with data and relevant content knowledge. Both of the CPI and CRC program analyses showed significant improvements in educational and workforce outcomes of the participants. I was involved in the development and advancement of the Advanced Manufacturing curriculum that is currently being implemented in the North Little Rock school district that was a partnership between the school district, the chamber of commerce, business and industry, and the ARC. With the DWS, I have served on the writing team, as well as the Co-Project Manager and Data Analyst for their Workforce Data Quality Initiative grants for two different rounds of funding from DOL. With this system I have been able to assist with data for grants such as TAACCCT and H1B. Show less



Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research

• Legislative Research Analyst

  • Jul 2010 - Nov 2010

  As a research analysts I was responsible for research reporting and interacting with the legislature on a daily basis concerning various projects related to the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, K-12 education and data, higher education and data, funding models for 2-year and 4-year higher education institutions, using GIS to expand the K-12 transportation funding formula, and any other ad hoc issues the legislature wanted to investigate. All projects required strict confidentiality.



Mississippi State University-Research and Curriculum Unit for Career and Technical Educaiton

• Senior Research Associate/Interim Coordinator of Research and Evaluation

  • May 2007 - Jul 2010

  Mississippi State, MS As a research associate my duties involved the collection and analysis of data and literature as it related to the projects that I was working on at any given time. Projects included working with MDOT-RIDES program, creation of a dropout prediction model for MDE using multilevel advanced statistical methods, evaluation of the Mississippi Redesign of Education for the 21st Century Workforce, connecting secondary career and technical student data to post secondary and workforce data, electronic… Show more As a research associate my duties involved the collection and analysis of data and literature as it related to the projects that I was working on at any given time. Projects included working with MDOT-RIDES program, creation of a dropout prediction model for MDE using multilevel advanced statistical methods, evaluation of the Mississippi Redesign of Education for the 21st Century Workforce, connecting secondary career and technical student data to post secondary and workforce data, electronic survey management, and work with the Mississippi Assessment Center on testing technical attainment for Perkins IV. In this position I was responsible for managing four other research associates, three graduate research assistants, and one undergraduate research assistant as evaluators of various state and federal grants and conducting various studies for the Mississippi Department of Education, Institute of Higher Learning, and State Board of Junior and Community Colleges. I was also a member of the State Board of Junior and Community Colleges Statewide Articulation Committee to establish a standardized approach to allow high school students in career and technical programs to earn college credit while in high school that would be accepted at any of the state’s 2-year colleges. In addition to my regular research and staff management activities, I had the responsibility of planning, implementing, and managing a statewide portfolio assessment system for special education students classified as severely cognitively delayed that were not capable of participating in the state standardized test system. I converted the existing state alternate assessment into a completely online system through the integration of a bar-code tracking system for evidence collection and online system for entering assessment data related to the evidence. Next steps include modification of the system to actually accept electronic evidence to completely digitize the process. Show less



National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Intitiatives

• Research Assistant

  • Jul 2004 - May 2007

  Mississippi State University As a research assistant my duties involved collecting and writing literature reviews of early childhood issues, grant writing, data analysis, and construction of community action plans to improve early childhood preparation for school, and graphic design work for various programs. While working for NCRECLI I have developed an understanding of many of the problems that children in rural environments experience and how these problems can affect outcomes. I have also been able to develop the… Show more As a research assistant my duties involved collecting and writing literature reviews of early childhood issues, grant writing, data analysis, and construction of community action plans to improve early childhood preparation for school, and graphic design work for various programs. While working for NCRECLI I have developed an understanding of many of the problems that children in rural environments experience and how these problems can affect outcomes. I have also been able to develop the skills needed to work in the areas of demography, geographic information systems, and technology education. Show less



Mississippi State University

• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Research Assistant

  • May 2004 - Aug 2004

  Mississippi State University



Arkansas Department of Human Services-Division of Children and Family Services

• Family Service Worker

  • Jan 2002 - Dec 2003

  Carroll and Benton County As a family service worker I worked with foster care, protective services, and child abuse investigations. Duties included case management of children and their families to ensure that services were provided to help maintain children in their home or to reunite their family if the children were removed from the home. In the investigative area of my position I had to make contact with the families and contact collateral witnesses to collect evidence to determine if the allegations are true or… Show more As a family service worker I worked with foster care, protective services, and child abuse investigations. Duties included case management of children and their families to ensure that services were provided to help maintain children in their home or to reunite their family if the children were removed from the home. In the investigative area of my position I had to make contact with the families and contact collateral witnesses to collect evidence to determine if the allegations are true or unsubstantiated. Show less



Multiple Locations

• Certified Nursing Assistant

  • May 1999 - May 2002

  Multiple locations including travel nuring As a CNA I worked the majority of my time in a long term care setting, after some time I began working as a traveling contract CNA traveling to various places to work. I have spent time working as a contract CNA I worked in hospitals, emergency rooms, traumatic brain injury units, veterans’ rehab units, and TB units.



Multiple restaurants

• Server/Line Cook

  • Jan 1997 - May 1999

  Eureka Springs and Conway, AR



Tyson Foods

• United States
• Food and Beverage Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Line Worker/Utility/Clean-up Crew

  • Jan 1995 - Aug 1998

  Berryville, AR While working at Tyson’s Foods I worked primarily in breast debone as a hanger or shoulder cutter. However, in the nearly three years spent working at the Berryville plant, I worked in almost all non-supervisory positions in the plant from live hang through further processing and pack-out to the consumers. I worked all three shifts at different times including third shift cleanup. In my time at Tyson’s Foods, I became very knowledgeable of the meat processing industry and the world of work in… Show more While working at Tyson’s Foods I worked primarily in breast debone as a hanger or shoulder cutter. However, in the nearly three years spent working at the Berryville plant, I worked in almost all non-supervisory positions in the plant from live hang through further processing and pack-out to the consumers. I worked all three shifts at different times including third shift cleanup. In my time at Tyson’s Foods, I became very knowledgeable of the meat processing industry and the world of work in a factory setting. Show less