About

I grew up in a small, rural part of Arkansas and learned early that opportunity has a geography. The people I grew up with were not short on ability. They were short on access, and access is something a system either builds or it doesn’t. So when I look at a problem I look at the system around it, at the things that decide what’s possible for people.

I’m a program manager at Jobs for the Future, where I work on projects ranging from a $10 million DOL IT training program to state level sector strategy to local apprenticeship policy. Before JFF I spent three years at the University of Central Arkansas working with 36 cities and counties on placemaking and economic strategy.

Most of what I work on is a version of the same question: are we designing systems and places that enable people to thrive. I don’t have a clean title for what I’m good at. The honest description is that I go into a community or an organization, figure out where the system is failing people, and try to design something that works better.

Outside of work, I write What Works Here, a newsletter on economic development and new urbanism in small towns, and serve on the City of Russellville Planning Commission and Long Range Planning Committee. I also like to build projects with data and AI that you can check out below.

Experience

Nov 2022 — Present

Program Manager

Jobs for the Future (JFF)

  • Project managed a $10M DOL grant across 5 national sites, delivering workforce credentials and training to 1,000+ learners.
  • Lead technical assistance for three national sites in the Verizon Community Forward initiative, diagnosing where delivery was breaking down, coaching site leads, and adapting the model to local conditions.
  • Run communities of practice for 8 organizations across two initiatives, facilitating peer learning and turning what worked into field-facing guidance other organizations could use.
  • Led labor market analysis for a Maryland state agency, conducting 30+ stakeholder interviews across 2 sectors to inform statewide workforce strategy.
  • Serve as an internal AI lead, developing enterprise AI agents, training staff on AI tools and the future of work, and facilitating AI workshops for career coaches building responsible AI tools.
Nov 2019 — Oct 2022

Assistant Director

Center for Community and Economic Development, University of Central Arkansas

  • Delivered technical assistance to 36 cities and counties a year: community assessments, stakeholder facilitation, and strategy recommendations for rural places with no planning staff of their own.
  • Ran engagements end to end, from the first council meeting to the final recommendation, including community surveys, focus groups, and public presentations to elected boards.
  • Co-managed the Community Development Institute, a leadership program serving 150+ professionals from 10+ states.
  • Launched the Arkansas Equity Summit, convening 200+ leaders annually and positioning the Center as a leader in equity-focused economic development.
  • Produced the CDI Podcast, publishing 48 episodes that drew 1,500+ downloads from listeners in 19 countries.
Jul — Oct 2019

Economic Analytics Consultant

Heifer International

  • Built economic models and standardized analysis frameworks across 19 countries, cutting project ROI evaluation time by 40%.

Education & Certifications

Education

  • Master of Public Service — Clinton School of Public Service, 2019
  • BSBA, Economics & Finance — Arkansas Tech University, 2016

Certifications

  • PMP Project Management Professional, 2023
View Full Résumé

Projects

Research Newsletter AI Tool

What Works Here

Original practitioner research on economic development, placemaking, and workforce issues in small towns. Written for local leaders and practitioners.

The What Works Here Research Hub is a public NotebookLM tool built on the underlying research. Ask questions, get cited answers directly from the source material.

Subscribe to the newsletter → Open the Research Hub →
Research Data Economics

Land of Opportunity

An Arkansas economic mobility data story built on Opportunity Atlas, County Health Rankings, and USDA ERS data. Maps life expectancy and upward mobility across all 75 Arkansas counties to surface where economic opportunity is and is not in Arkansas.

Built as a scrollytelling piece with original analysis and visualizations. Part of a broader research interest in applied economic mobility work at the county and regional level.

Read the data story →
Research Data Philanthropy

Three Cents on the Dollar

American philanthropy gives out about $116 billion a year. Rural communities, home to 46 million people across 71% of the country's land, receive roughly 3% of it. This scrollytelling piece lays out the gap and makes the case for closing it, built on the USDA's March 2026 data on rural grantmaking.

Part of an ongoing interest in where capital does and does not reach at the county and regional level, and why rural investment tends to go further per dollar.

Read the data story →
Research GIS Civic Data

Russellville Value Per Acre

A parcel-by-parcel look at what every piece of land in Russellville, AR contributes to the city's tax base per acre of infrastructure it requires. Built to bring fiscal data to life and show the power of density in economic output.

Check out the interactive 3D map of all 11,142 parcels, plus a case study covering the data, method, and what the numbers actually show about downtown, West Main, and the 22% of city land that generates no tax revenue.

Read the case study → Explore the interactive map →
Game Built with AI

The Gap: Economic Mobility Through Time

A Flappy Bird style game on economic opportunity. Select your difficulty by the era in American history to operate in. Play on Generational Wealth mode for an easier time.

The Gap: Economic Mobility Through Time →

Writing

Published in City and Town Magazine, the official publication of the Arkansas Municipal League.

Downtown Revitalization

Tourism and Outdoor Recreation

Apr 2022

Following the trail of outdoor recreation

Russellville turned new mountain biking trails at Mount Nebo into the River Valley Bike Fest, helping push A&P tax revenue to its highest level on record.

Workforce Development

Community Strategy and Policy