Developing Data Analytics Capabilities Conference Speakers

Donald P. Addison II
Senior Lecturer
Terry College of Business, University of Georgia

Donald P. Addison II is a senior lecturer in the Institute of Leadership Advancement at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. In this role, he focuses on leadership development and organizational effectiveness. Addison also serves as a managing partner with SC&E Partners. Prior to joining the University of Georgia, he was a senior vice president at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he worked in leadership development and previously served as a change management executive advising clients on organizational development and change initiatives.

In addition to his corporate experience, Addison has taught graduate and doctoral-level courses as an adjunct professor at Queens University of Charlotte and the University of South Florida, including executive leadership, negotiation and conflict resolution, and organizational development. He was recognized as Outstanding Faculty Member at Queens University of Charlotte. Addison has contributed research to organizations such as the Academy of Management, the American Marketing Association and the Association of Finance Professionals. He earned a doctorate in management from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and holds a master’s degree in management and a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Igor Alcantara
Director of Data Science and Education
IPC Global

Igor Alcantara is the director of data science and education at IPC Global, where he focuses on advancing data literacy and supporting organizations in the effective use of analytics for decision-making. He is a Qlik Community MVP and serves as a Qlik Partner Ambassador and social media ambassador, as well as a captain for multiple Qlik Meetups. Alcantara also co-hosts the Data Voyagers podcast and contributes regularly to the data analytics community through speaking and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

With more than 20 years of experience in data science and education, Alcantara has led the implementation of numerous data analytics projects across a range of organizations. His work centers on helping teams translate complex data into practical insights that drive organizational performance and long-term growth. He remains actively engaged in the analytics community through mentorship, collaboration and continued professional learning.

David Austin
Director of Data Quality and Analysis
Office of Health Indicators for Planning, Georgia Department of Public Health

David Austin is director of data quality and analysis with the Office of Health Indicators for Planning at the Georgia Department of Public Health. He manages the design and quality control of the department’s data warehouse, which supports the Online Analytical Statistical Information System and processes hundreds of data requests daily.

Austin joined the department in 2003 and has played a key role in developing data standards, business rules and quality measures. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Miranda Baumann
Analytics Research Fellow
Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Miranda Baumann earned a doctorate in criminal justice and criminology from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies in 2023 and has more than 10 years of experience in criminal justice and behavioral health research and evaluation. Her work focuses on the justice-related experiences of individuals with mental illness, with particular attention to how behavioral health intersects with violence, victimization and system responses.

Baumann’s research has examined risk and protective factors for violence among individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, the impact of mental illness on violence in the context of firearm access, and the role of victim disability in initial police actions. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals including the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, Annual Review of Criminology, American Journal of Criminal Justice and the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Her current research agenda centers on behavioral health policy analysis, and she has extensive experience conducting quantitative research using administrative data, as well as contributing to mixed-methods studies focused on criminal justice and behavioral health outcomes.

Rachana Bhatt
Director of Data Analytics and Research
University System of Georgia Board of Regents

Rachana Bhatt is the director of data analytics and research at the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, where she conducts analytical work and applies data science techniques to translate complex data into meaningful insights that support decision-making in higher education. She earned a doctorate in economics from the University of Rochester and holds an undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University.

Diane Bloodworth
Founder and CEO
Competitive Sports Analysis

Diane Bloodworth is the founder and CEO of Competitive Sports Analysis, a sports analytics company and creator of the scoutSMART platform. She is a serial entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in the technology industry, including leading a startup through launch and acquisition.

Bloodworth has extensive experience in analytics, machine learning, software development, IT operations and process improvement, including prior roles at IBM and as a consultant. She has spoken at national sports and technology conferences and contributed to publications such as Sports Business Daily, Ad Age and Fast Company. She is also an angel investor.

James Byars
Data Analytics and Visualization Unit Manager
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

James Byars is the data analytics and visualization unit manager in the Government Services and Research Division at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government. He specializes in the design and implementation of data solutions using data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence and data storytelling through visualizations and dashboards. Byars leads a team of data analysts and data scientists who provide technical support and training for internal and external partners across Georgia.

Prior to joining the Institute of Government, Byars worked in the University of Georgia’s Office of Institutional Research, where he supported institutional reporting, program evaluation and data analysis related to institutional effectiveness. He regularly presents at conferences and workshops on topics including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and data-informed decision-making. Byars is a recipient of the 2023 Public Service and Outreach Staff Award for Excellence and is a graduate of PSO’s Leadership Academy.

Ann Carpenter
Chief Research & Innovation Officer
Atlanta Regional Commission

Ann Carpenter is the chief research and innovation officer at the Atlanta Regional Commission, where she leads the agency’s research and innovation team and guides efforts to embed data-driven insights into regional planning and strategic decision-making. She has more than 20 years of experience in applied research and public policy, with a focus on helping communities use data to address complex challenges.

Prior to joining the Atlanta Regional Commission, Carpenter served as assistant vice president and director of community development research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, where she led a team of analysts and subject matter experts working on issues such as affordable housing, workforce development, digital access and community resilience. She previously spent 12 years at the Georgia Tech Research Institute contributing to research on communities and regional development. Carpenter holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in city and regional planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Michigan.

Julia Clark
Analytics and Reporting Manager
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia

Julia Clark is the analytics and reporting manager for the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, where she leads collegewide data reporting for internal and external stakeholders at the college, university, state and federal levels. Her work supports the college’s instruction, Extension and research missions by integrating data across traditionally siloed systems, including finance, human resources, enrollment, faculty productivity and sponsored projects.

Since joining UGA, Clark has focused on streamlining data collection and reporting processes, leveraging tools such as Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, Tableau and SQL, and building cross-campus partnerships to improve data access, integration, analysis and visualization. Her work emphasizes reporting consistency, efficiency and connection to authoritative, real-time data sources.

Clark holds a bachelor’s degree in classics from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in library and information science from Florida State University. Prior to UGA, she worked in public libraries, nonprofits and technology startups, where she developed her interest in data and analytics through leadership on initiatives including the American Library Association and Google’s Libraries Ready to Code program.

Athena Chapekis
Computational Social Scientist
Pew Research Center

Athena Chapekis is a computational social scientist at Pew Research Center, where her work focuses on the analysis of metered behavioral data, the web and social media, and geographic patterns in digital behavior. Her research supports the Center’s efforts to better understand how people interact with technology and information in real-world contexts.

Chapekis holds a master’s degree in applied social data science from the London School of Economics, where she developed expertise in computational methods and data-driven social research.

Mike Chesterfield
Vice President, Weather Presentation & Data Visualization
The Weather Channel

Mike Chesterfield is vice president of weather presentation and data visualization at The Weather Channel, where he oversees the production of daily weather forecasts and storm coverage. An Emmy Award-winning media leader, he brings more than 25 years of experience in weather presentation, storytelling and broadcast production.

Chesterfield is known for advancing innovative approaches to weather communication and data visualization. He led the implementation of immersive mixed-reality technology using Unreal Engine to create real-time graphics and visual effects that enhance storytelling and help audiences better understand complex weather events. His work focuses on using data and visualization to improve the clarity, impact and effectiveness of weather messaging for the public.

Catherine Cronlund
GIS Manager
City of Johns Creek

Catherine “Cat” Cronlund is the GIS manager for the City of Johns Creek and a GIS professional with eight years of experience in local government. She has worked with the city for more than three years, collaborating across departments to implement and optimize GIS solutions that streamline workflows and improve operational efficiency.

Cronlund’s work focuses on practical, results-driven GIS applications, including asset management, life safety inspections and emerging technologies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in geography with a concentration in geographic information systems from Georgia College and State University and is a certified Geographic Information Systems Professional.

Alicia Diaz
Business Systems Analyst
Marietta City Schools

Alicia Diaz is a business systems analyst reporting to the chief financial officer at Marietta City Schools, where she leads Munis/ERP administration and conducts ad hoc financial data analysis. Her work focuses on supporting data-based decision-making through effective system management and analysis.

With experience in education data dating back to the early implementation of No Child Left Behind, Diaz has a strong track record of implementing and improving systems that help organizations use data more effectively. She enjoys learning new approaches to data wrangling that enable colleagues to access timely and actionable information.

Diaz holds a Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology from The Ohio State University.

Rex L. Facer II
Public Service Faculty
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Rex L. Facer II is public service faculty and manager of the Local Government Unit at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government. An internationally recognized expert in local public finance and human resource management, he has published extensively in leading public administration journals and authored numerous applied research reports.

Facer has more than a decade of experience consulting with local governments on feasibility studies and organizational issues. Before joining the Institute of Government, he spent 20 years teaching in the Master of Public Administration program at Brigham Young University. He previously worked with the Institute of Government as a research professional supporting applied local government technical assistance projects.

His public service experience also includes work at the federal and state levels. He served on the Federal Salary Council from 2010 to 2017 and was the inaugural chair of the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission in 2021.

Monica Flamini
Public Service Assistant
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Monica Flamini is a public service assistant in the Government Services and Research Division at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. She works on research projects that help state and local governments improve operations and management through data-informed decision-making and supports the institute’s Data Analysis and Decision Making for Government Certificate program. Flamini previously served as an education research and policy analyst at the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.

Emily Franklin
Fiscal Analyst
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Emily Franklin is a fiscal analyst at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government. In this role, she manages GeorgiaData.org, a public-facing resource that provides data and analysis to support informed decision-making across the state.

Franklin works with state and local governments and their stakeholders to answer policy-relevant questions through applied research and data analysis. Her work supports transparency, fiscal understanding and evidence-based policymaking for communities across Georgia.

Samuel Gonzales
Director, Georgia Statistical Analysis Center
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

Samuel Gonzales holds a Master of Arts in Economics from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. He joined the Georgia Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in 2015 and was appointed SAC director in July 2023 after more than seven years as research and evaluation program director.

In his current role, Gonzales leads a team of nine professionals conducting independent research on criminal justice and victimization across Georgia. His team also provides operational research support for CJCC and other state partners and manages the collection and submission of performance data for hundreds of victim service agencies statewide that receive federal and state grant funding.

Gonzales serves as the primary investigator for labor human trafficking research projects focused on understanding trafficking dynamics across industries, developing targeted resource strategies and strengthening intelligence networks for the Georgia Labor Trafficking Coalition. He has also partnered with community organizations to design violence intervention and prevention strategies aimed at reducing gun crime in Atlanta. This work contributed to the establishment of the Trauma Recovery Center at Grady Memorial Hospital and the implementation of the CURE Violence program in southwest Atlanta.

Leanna Greenwood
Data Team Manager
Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce

Leanna Greenwood is the data team manager at the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, where she has worked since 2019. In her role, she leads data efforts that support workforce analysis and planning across the state.

Greenwood holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in sociology from Georgia State University.

Taylor Hafley
Applied Demographer
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Taylor Hafley is an applied demographer at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, where his demographic research and data analysis support state agencies and local governments. He partners with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget on county-state population projections and regularly presents on demographic trends across Georgia. Hafley holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Georgia.

Breon Haskett
Demographic Research Analyst 
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Breon Haskett contributes to the public service mission of the Institute of Government as the demographic research Aanalyst. Breon conducts demographic research projects and rigorous data analysis to support state and local government agencies. Among these projects, Breon collaborates with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget to produce county-state population projections. He uses demographic expertise to bridge statistical modeling into data insights for decision makers throughout his home state of Georgia.

Prior to joining the Institute of Government, Breon worked as a statistical consultant for nonprofits in the Pacific Northwest.

Alyson Hill
Senior Process Improvement Specialist 
Kennesaw State University

Alyson Hill is a senior process improvement specialist at Kennesaw State University, where she leads business and technical process improvement initiatives focused on enhancing the student, staff and faculty experience. Her work emphasizes process documentation, reengineering and the delivery of automation solutions that improve efficiency and service outcomes across the institution.

At KSU, Hill partners with stakeholders across functional areas to identify opportunities for operational improvement and to implement sustainable, data-informed solutions. Her approach blends business analysis, change management and project leadership to support institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement.

Hill is a graduate of Kennesaw State University’s MBA/MSIS dual-degree program and also holds degrees in information technology and international studies. A former consultant, she is a project management professional (PMP) and a certified change practitioner, bringing a strong background in structured problem-solving, organizational change and strategic execution.

Jennifer T. Hoyt
Executive Director of Organizational Effectiveness and Data Analytics
Kennesaw State University

Dr. Jennifer T. Hoyt serves as executive director of organizational effectiveness and data analytics in Kennesaw State University’s Division of Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership and Institutional Development (OLI). In this role, she promotes project management and process improvement support across the university and leads OLI’s data analytics efforts to assess and communicate the division’s impact.

Hoyt has worked at KSU since 2021, where she has leveraged her background in research and assessment to strengthen data-informed decision-making and institutional effectiveness. As part of OLI, she supports initiatives that enhance operational efficiency and helps teams and individuals improve how work is designed, measured and sustained.

Hoyt holds a Ph.D. in Latin American history from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining KSU, she served as a faculty member at Samford University and Berry College before transitioning into organizational effectiveness and analytics. Her professional focus centers on helping people find greater success and satisfaction in their work while supporting KSU’s pursuit of national prominence.

Rebecca M. Hunt
Public Service Faculty
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Rebecca M. Hunt is public service faculty in the Workforce and Economic Analysis Unit at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. She specializes in project management and labor market data analysis and assists organizations from small rural communities to large state agencies with workforce and economic development needs through technical assistance, applied research and meeting facilitation. Hunt joined the institute as a graduate research assistant in 2017 and has held several roles since.

Kristina Jaskyte
Professor
School of Social Work and Institute for Nonprofit Organizations, University of Georgia

Kristina Jaskyte, Ph.D., is a professor in the University of Georgia School of Social Work and a faculty affiliate with the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations. Her work focuses on innovation, organizational capacity and human-centered approaches to addressing complex social problems in nonprofit and community settings.

Jaskyte regularly teaches and trains students, nonprofit leaders and community practitioners in human-centered design and design thinking. Her instruction emphasizes empathy-driven problem definition, co-creation and practical prototyping to support effective and sustainable solutions.

Her research has appeared in leading nonprofit and management journals, and she frequently works with communities across Georgia on applied design and evaluation projects that strengthen organizational effectiveness and community impact.

Scott Johnson
County Manager
Columbia County, Georgia

Scott Johnson serves as county manager for Columbia County, Georgia. As the county’s chief administrative officer, he oversees all executive, administrative and fiduciary functions of the Board of Commissioners and provides leadership to approximately 1,450 employees. He is responsible for managing annual operating budgets exceeding $450 million and assets totaling nearly $1 billion. Columbia County is home to nearly 170,000 residents.

Johnson holds two undergraduate degrees with honors and a Master of Public Administration. He is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honor Society for Public Affairs, and the International City/County Management Association. He is also the first individual to concurrently serve as president of both the Georgia City-County Management Association and the Georgia Association of County Managers and Administrators.

Johnson serves on the executive boards of multiple professional, civic and charitable organizations and is a graduate of several leadership programs, including Leadership Columbia County, Leadership Augusta and Leadership Georgia.

Jacquan Jordan
Data Manager
KIDS COUNT

Jacquan Jordan brings more than 10 years of experience in nonprofit work to his role managing KIDS COUNT data and data tools for the Georgia Family Connection Partnership. In this position, he supports communities across Georgia by maintaining and expanding access to data that informs policy, planning and community decision-making.

Jordan regularly provides trainings on KIDS COUNT data tools, sharing practical insights drawn from his expertise in data management, data visualization, data storytelling and analysis. His work helps partners better understand and communicate data to address complex challenges affecting children and families.

In addition to his civilian career, Jordan proudly serves as a United States Navy corpsman, where he is affectionately known as “Doc” to the Marines he supports.

Scott King
Scientific Computing Specialist
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Scott King is a scientific computing specialist at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government. He joined the institute in 2019 as a scientific computing professional associate with the State Services and Decision Support Division, where he supports data-driven research and applied analytics work.

Prior to joining the Institute of Government, King worked as a data specialist with Nelnet and consulted as a data scientist with faculty at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His professional background includes applied data analysis and collaboration with academic and research partners to support decision-making and technical solutions.

Stefanie Lopez-Howard
Director of Data, Analytics and Research
Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Stefanie Lopez-Howard has served as director of data, analytics and research at the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities since July 2023. In this role, she focuses on data governance, analytics and research strategy, leading a team of eight staff members responsible for enterprise-wide analytics, implementation of data governance policies, internal research initiatives and external research partnerships.

Previously, Lopez-Howard served for 11 years as the statistical analysis center (SAC) director for the State of Georgia. During her tenure, the SAC expanded from a staff of two to nine and secured more than $6 million in funding for data-driven, data-sharing and innovative research and implementation projects. Prior to her appointment as SAC director, she served as planning and evaluation program coordinator, overseeing programmatic functions for 10 federal funding streams.

Lopez-Howard began her career in New York City at Legal Momentum, first as a legal assistant and later as program associate for the National Judicial Education Program. She holds a master of public administration with a concentration in survey research from the University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, with minors in French and legal studies.

Melika Massoumian
Data Analyst
Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Melika Massoumian is a data analyst in the Department of Analytics and Research at the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. She holds a master’s degree in data science and research from Georgia State University.

Massoumian’s work focuses on transforming data into actionable insights that support informed decision-making and impactful projects. She enjoys exploring data to uncover patterns, track outcomes and contribute to improvements in behavioral health and developmental disabilities through evidence-based analysis.

Liz Montoya
Fiscal and Economic Analyst
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Liz Montoya is a fiscal and economic analyst at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. She has experience working in the criminal justice field at both the nonprofit and government levels, with a focus on data analysis and visualization to support research, reporting and decision-making. Her work at the institute centers on criminal justice, mental health and diversion research. Montoya holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Georgia.

Matthew Narron 
Data Analyst
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia

Matthew Narron is a data analyst with the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. In this role, he designs and maintains reports and dashboards using Microsoft Fabric and Power BI to support data-informed decision-making across the college.

Narron uses Microsoft Fabric and SQL to organize, manage and transform data collected across CAES. His work often involves identifying data housed in silos across campus and shaping it into reliable, usable datasets that support reporting, analysis and operational insight.

He brings more than three years of experience working at the University of Georgia.

Chinar Patil
IT Project Manager I
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, University of Florida

Chinar Patil is an IT project manager in the Artificial Intelligence and Business Intelligence Department at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension. He brings more than five years of experience across all phases of the software development life cycle, leading data-, business intelligence– and technology-driven initiatives that support complex, statewide Extension systems.

Originally from India, Patil brings a global perspective to his work designing intuitive, scalable solutions that improve operations, enhance user experience and support data-informed decision-making. He specializes in applying artificial intelligence, enterprise platforms and advanced analytics to reduce administrative burden and better support educators and Extension leadership. Patil is a graduate of the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business.

Karen Payne
Project Manager
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Karen Payne is a project manager at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government. She currently works as part of a team supporting UGA’s new School of Medicine as it develops its business, clinical and research data systems.

Prior to her work with the School of Medicine, Payne served as the inaugural director of the World Data System’s International Technology Office, hosted at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. Before that, she led the Institute of Government’s work with the U.S. Agency for International Development, supporting the international disaster relief and recovery community.

Payne earned her Ph.D. from the Australian National University through a joint program in geography and engineering. Her doctoral research focused on the use of artificial intelligence techniques to interpret satellite imagery.

Christina Puckett
Business Data Analyst
Kennesaw State University

Christina Puckett is a business data analyst in the Division of Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership and Institutional Development at Kennesaw State University, where she primarily supports leadership and institutional development initiatives through program assessment and data analysis.

She brings more than a decade of experience in higher education, all at Kennesaw State University, with a strong focus on student success and organizational improvement. Prior to her current role, Puckett served as a data analyst for a college and as assistant director of KSU’s Science and Mathematics Academic Resources and Tutoring Center.

Puckett holds a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and a master’s degree in applied statistics, both from Kennesaw State University.

J. Marshall Shepherd
Regents Professor and Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences
University of Georgia

J. Marshall Shepherd is a Regents Professor and Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia, where he also serves as director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program and associate dean for research, scholarship and partnerships in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

Shepherd is an internationally recognized expert in weather and climate science. In 2022, he was named SEC Professor of the Year. In 2021, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Shepherd is the host of The Weather Channel’s podcast Weather Geeks and a senior contributor to Forbes. He routinely advises Congress, the White House and other national stakeholders and has authored more than 100 scholarly publications. His research has attracted millions of dollars in funding from agencies including the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, the National Science Foundation, NOAA, the U.S. Forest Service and the Ray C. Anderson Foundation.

Brian Simmons
Public Service Faculty
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Brian Simmons is a public service assistant in the Survey Research and Evaluation Unit at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government, where he has supported organizations across Georgia since 2013.

His work focuses on helping partners use evaluation and data more effectively to strengthen programs, improve services and inform decision-making. Simmons specializes in developing practical, improvement-focused evaluation strategies, working closely with clients to clarify key questions, design meaningful instruments and select methods that generate actionable insights.

Matt Sitkowski
Science Editor-in-Chief
The Weather Channel

Matthew Sitkowski is the science editor-in-chief at The Weather Channel, where he oversees scientific content across the network and its digital platforms, including Pattrn, The Weather Channel’s climate unit. He manages a team of on-camera meteorologists and helps guide the network’s approach to weather, climate and risk communication.

Sitkowski is an Emmy Award–winning member of The Weather Channel’s Immersive Mixed Reality production team and a producer for Weather Geeks, a weekly podcast focused on weather, climate and policy. His research background emphasizes hurricane intensity and structural change, and he has published multiple peer-reviewed articles in atmospheric science.

He earned a Ph.D. in atmospheric science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Florida State University and a master’s degree in meteorology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Earlier in his career, Sitkowski worked at the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. In 2019, he was a finalist for National Weatherperson of the Year.

Chantelle Swaren
Information Analyst and Visualization Librarian
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Chantelle Swaren is an information analyst and visualization librarian at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In this role, she prepares, analyzes and shares data to support the campus library’s planning and operations, as well as accreditation and reporting requirements for external agencies.

Her work focuses on translating data into clear, usable information that supports institutional decision-making and accountability across the university.

David Tanner
Associate Director
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

David Tanner is the associate director of the Government Services and Research Division at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government. As part of the university’s public service and outreach mission, he focuses on helping state and local governments plan and implement strategies that improve operations and organizational effectiveness.

At the Institute of Government, Tanner leads teams with expertise in human resource management, organizational and process improvement, local government operations, strategic planning, and data analytics and visualization.

Prior to joining the Institute of Government in 2012, Tanner served as deputy director at the Georgia Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, where he worked with three governors on key budget and policy issues for more than 12 years.

Christopher Weaver
Data Analytics Coordinator
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Christopher Weaver manages the data analytics and visualization team within the University of Georgia’s Information Technology Outreach Services, where his team delivers project support to local, state and federal agencies.

Weaver’s career with ITOS spans more than two decades. He first interned with the unit as a student in 1998, contributing to the development of a statewide transportation layer, and returned to Athens and ITOS in 2001. Since then, he has worked on a wide range of projects, including parcel mapping, hydrography dataset creation, transportation routing, school rezoning and GPS-based field data collection.

In addition to his project work, Weaver has held several leadership roles at UGA. He was elected to the University of Georgia Staff Council executive committee in 2005 and served as chair of the Public Service and Outreach Staff Representative Group in 2006, where he helped establish the Staff Award for Excellence.

Jason Woolums
IT Director
City of Johns Creek

Jason Woolums is the IT director for the City of Johns Creek and a veteran information technology leader with nearly three decades of experience building and managing mission-critical infrastructure. He began his career in the U.S. Navy, serving as a network and systems manager during two Gulf deployments. Following his military service, Woolums worked as a municipal consultant, helping establish IT departments for newly incorporated cities across the country. As a founding member of the City of Johns Creek staff in 2006, he has led major technology implementations and advances in open data to support transparency and public engagement.