Experience

Florida Department of Education

• Dairy Product Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Assistant Deputy Commissioner

  • May 2018 - Present

  I lead three teams with highly specialized skill sets serving the accountability, reporting, data visualization and policy needs of the department. The Bureau of Accountability Reporting is responsible for school and teacher accountability metrics at both the state and federal level. The Bureau of PreK-20 Education Reporting and Accessibility supports recurring and on-demand reporting needs throughout the entire department. The Business Intelligence team developed and maintains the data visualizations required under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) as well as self-service datamarts containing related information. Show less

• Bureau Chief, Accountability Reporting

  • Apr 2016 - May 2018

  I managed the team responsible for the production of Florida's school grades and a number of other accountability systems including ratings for alternative schools, juvenile justice education programs and teacher preparation programs.

• Policy, Research and Accountability Coordinator

  • Dec 2013 - Apr 2016

  I managed a team of analyst-programmers responsible for policy research and analysis related to teacher evaluation and related accountability reporting. I also manage the contract for Florida's value-added model (VAM) calculation and supervise the production and distribution of model results for use in annual teacher evaluations as required by state law. I have led and participated in the development of a number of state board rules, serve on the department's external research review committee, and prepare legislative budget requests and bill analyses for the agency. I am responsible for the recruitment and retention of highly sought-after staff with very technical skill sets and expertise. I am regularly asked to explain, both via formal presentation and impromptu conversation, highly complex data-driven methodological and policy implications related to our work to agency leadership, department staff, contracted service providers, the media, teachers, parents, the public and other interested stakeholders. Because of my background with data management and analysis in a variety of agency settings, I also routinely assist other units in interpreting business requirements based on input from non-technical stakeholders in other areas, particularly when they relate to the development of new performance measures or accountability systems. I provide technical assistance related to teacher evaluation policy and statistical methodology to other offices within the department including Educator Quality, Communications, and the General Counsel, as well as a wide variety of external stakeholders. Show less



Florida Department of Children and Families

• United States
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Bureau Chief, Data Reporting Unit, Office of Child Welfare

  • May 2010 - Nov 2013

  I managed a staff of five direct reports and supervised the production of over 80 regular reports with frequencies varying from daily to annually, as well as approximately 10 to 15 unique ad hoc reports or queries per week related to foster care, adoptions, independent living and child protective investigations. I was regularly asked to explain, both via formal presentation and impromptu conversation, highly complex data-driven methodological and child welfare policy implications to agency leadership, the Governor’s Office, legislative staff and members, the federal government, department staff, contracted service providers, the media and the public. I served as the liaison for the Office of Child Welfare to IT staff providing business analysis for development, modification and improvement of Florida Safe Families Network (FSFN) Florida’s Statewide Integrated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS). I procured services from and managed contracts with vendors hired to support the operational, business and reporting needs for DCF. Show less



Florida Legislature, Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA)

• Senior Legislative Policy Analyst

  • Aug 2007 - May 2010

  I designed evaluations to help the Florida Legislature make informed policy decisions in the criminal justice, education and health and human services policy areas. I was responsible for scope development, fieldwork, data analysis, message development and writing of reports and memos. I was also responsible for briefing legislative staff and members on findings and, when requested, associated recommendations. I made several presentations to substantive and appropriations staff, members and committees during formal interim and session legislative committee meetings. I was also expected to answer questions that required generalized subject matter expertise that went beyond the content of the report or memo itself. I conducted statistical analyses using SPSS and reviewed the work of other programmer-analysts to ensure their code worked correctly. Show less

• Legislative Policy Analyst

  • Jan 2005 - Aug 2007

  I was responsible for scoping, fieldwork, data analysis and message development for ad hoc memos and assigned reports in a fast-paced legislative environment. I reported findings to legislative committee staff and members. I briefed staff directors and members on substantive content of work products and consulted with other staff who required technical expertise in areas of juvenile justice, advanced statistical analyses or SPSS computer programming.



Florida Network of Youth and Family Services

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Data and Research Manager

  • Apr 2004 - Jan 2005

  At the Network I supervised a junior programmer and was responsible for ad hoc, monthly, quarterly and annual data reporting and analysis from the Network Management Information System (NetMIS) as requested by funding sources, Board of Directors, and member agencies. I was also responsible for coordinating and supervising enhancements and corrections, system testing and user support and training for the online NetMIS system. The position required independent problem solving, technical assistance, and computer support training to member agencies as well as collaborating with funding sources for the purpose of data transportation and integration into other systems. I analyzed data on a regular basis to assure quality data entry and reporting, and produced reports on outcome measures, individual agency performance, and evaluation. The Network has a contract with the Department of Juvenile Justice that at the time exceeded $20 million, and payment of invoices to all of its member agencies was contingent on the timely and accurate production of these reports. After automating this process, I accepted a policy analyst position at OPPAGA, and the Network hired a permanent data manager. Show less



Florida State University, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, JJEEP Program

• Assistant Coordinator of Research

  • Mar 2002 - Apr 2004

  I developed programs designed to allow student-level data from the Florida Department of Education to be matched with data on teacher quality gathered by the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program's (JJEEP) in-house quality assurance reviewers, as well as information from the Department of Juvenile Justice so that JJEEP could track educational outcomes of students released from juvenile justice programs and facilities. I supervised and trained 4 graduate and 4 undergraduate students in the areas of data collection, data management, SPSS syntax programming, data analysis, research methods, professional report writing, and editing. I analyzed all data for JJEEP's annual report to the Legislature, as well as various time-sensitive ad hoc studies. I electronically unduplicated, matched and analyzed data from multiple state agencies, as needed. I served as the liaison to the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Justice Research Center. Show less

• Research Associate

  • Nov 2001 - Mar 2002

  I was responsible for analyzing all data for the program's annual report. I used SPSS to electronically unduplicate, match and analyze data from multiple state agencies, as needed, and was the liaison to the Department of Juvenile Justice and Justice Research Center. I assisted and consulted with other state and private agencies on research design and methodology.



Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Office of Prevention and Victim Services

• Tallahassee, Florida

• Statewide Evaluator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Grants

  • May 1999 - Nov 2001

  This position required me to acquire, verify, clean and analyze JJDP Grant data. I imported data of a variety of different formats into SPSS for cleaning and analysis. I responded to Ad Hoc information requests from all areas of Prevention & Victim Services. I was responsible for training, technical assistance and ensuring connectivity of JJDP grant recipient program providers on use of new Prevention JJISWeb application. I wrote technical reports, made presentations to the State Advisory Group (which is appointed by the governor) and providers. I was responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of all federal delinquency prevention grants to the State of Florida. Show less



Florida Legislature

• Legislative Research Assistant

  • Oct 1997 - Apr 1999

  Writing and editing documents for publication; analyzing data for inclusion in annual and periodical reports to the legislature; and obtaining data from various contracted prevention service providers and importing it from of a variety of different formats into SPSS for cleaning and analysis. I also had lead responsibility for the producing the Board's annual Prevention Outcome Evaluation Report, as well as sections of the JJAB Annual Report and Factbook. Provided staff support to an appointed board charged with evaluating juvenile justice issues and making recommendations to the Florida Legislature. Show less

• Leislative Research Assistant (OPS)

  • Jul 1997 - Oct 1997

  Writing and editing documents for publication. Analyzing data for inclusion in annual and periodical reports to the legislature. Contacting, and obtaining data from, various contracted prevention service providers. Lead responsibility for annual Prevention Outcome Evaluation Report.