About CTLCCenter for Technology & Civic LifeCTCL_b31e3200-da11-11e6-9a1b-67e90ebcdb3bLocal GovernmentsCTCL TeamCTCL is a small but mighty team. We bring together expertise in research, training, data analysis, software development, and election administration to tackle some of today’s most pressing civic problems. With our powers combined, and yours, we are modernizing engagement with local government for millions.Sarah BerlinResearch Manager -- Sarah Berlin is a Research Manager at the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Before joining CTCL, Sarah was a Civic Data Research Fellow at the New Organizing Institute, where she worked on the Reflective Democracy Campaign and the Ballot Information Project. She also has a background in digital journalism, having worked as a fact-checker at In These Times magazine and a reporter for Generation Progress. She likes coding, blogging, and finding the perfect search terms.Donny BridgesCo-founder, Director of Civic Data -- Donny Bridges is Co-founder and Director of Civic Data at the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Prior to joining CTCL, Donny was the Election Administration Research Director at the New Organizing Institute, where he developed his obsession with local government and its data. Donny holds BAs in Political Science and Philosophy from Stanford University. When he's not tracking down wayward pieces of civic information, you can find Donny running marathons, climbing mountains, and lying in his "about me" sections.Henry B. ChanElection Data Research Fellow -- Henry B. Chan is an Election Data Research Fellow at Center for Technology and Civic Life. Prior to joining CTCL, Henry worked as an accountant and analyst at a commercial real estate asset management firm. There, he developed a desire to do mission-oriented work; thus, he joined CTCL to help further the goal of furthering civic participation in the United States. He is currently working on a Master's in Real Estate at Georgetown University and hopes to pursue a career in affordable housing development and policy. He was born and raised on the beautiful island of Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. Tiana Epps-JohnsonFounder, Executive Director -- Tiana Epps-Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Prior to CTCL, she was the New Organizing Institute's Election Administration Director. She and her team provide resources and training to support local election administrators in modernizing the ways they communicate with voters. They also publish free, open-source civic datasets that have been accessed over 60 million times through some of the most powerful tools that drive civic participation. Tiana holds an MSc in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Science from Stanford University. Additionally, Tiana was a Technology and Democracy Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School for the 2015-2016 academic year. Ashley GorczycaElection Data Research Fellow -- Ashley Gorczyca is an Election Data Research Fellow at the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Prior to joining CTCL in their DC office, Ashley was living in Maine where she worked as a community organizer with people experiencing homelessness and poverty. In addition to advocating for changes to state and local policies, Ashley also led voter registration and engagement efforts at shelters and soup kitchens throughout the state. She holds a BA in Psychology from Keuka College and Masters of Social Work from the University of New England. When she isn’t working on campaigns, Ashley is likely camping in the Adirondacks or traveling to some post-communist Eastern European country.Whitney MayCo-founder, Director of Government Services -- Whitney May is Co-founder and Director of Government Services at the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Her primary focus is on ELECTricity, a learning community of local election officials who use technology to improve our democracy. Prior to CTCL, Whitney served the Durham County Board of Elections in North Carolina for four years. As a Certified North Carolina Election Administrator, she recruited and trained poll workers. Whitney holds a BBA from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Between college and election administration, she was out to pasture in the Piedmont of North Carolina, milking a herd of sixty-five goats and making cheese. Election work followed, naturally.Kurt SampselGovernment Services Associate -- Kurt Sampsel is Government Services Associate at the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Before coming to work for CTCL, Kurt earned a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, where his research focused on government regulation of media and communications. In addition to his research experience, he brings a background as a broadcast journalist and a teacher of college communications courses. At CTCL, his work focuses on helping election officials use tech to better engage their communities and make voting easier. At the center of his work, always, has been a desire to support participatory democracy.Richard SimõesSoftware Developer -- Richard Simões is a Software Developer at the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Prior to joining CTCL, he spent several years as a software and database developer in the web hosting industry. He has a BA in Philosophy from Texas State University, where he focused in logic and philosophy of science. Richard’s academic interest in logic and time spent in industry has led him to develop a strong affinity for Edgar Frank Codd’s relational model of data, and he is overjoyed at how much civic data there is to structure, store, and analyze at CTCL.Rasheed VarnerElection Data Research Fellow -- Rasheed Varner is an Election Data Research Fellow at the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Prior to joining CTCL, he was a Congressional Fellow at the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), where he assisted the chief of staff with the day-to-day operation of the office. Rasheed holds a BA in Political Science with a minor in Sociology from Howard University and is currently a Masters Candidate at Johns Hopkins University working on an MA in Government. Additionally, Rasheed sat on the International Baccalaureate Alumni Advisory Council, a body tasked with ensuring IB’s commitment to graduates, and is an ardent and dedicated member of the BeyHive.Megan WardCivic Data Research Fellow -- Megan Ward is a Civic Data Research Fellow at the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Prior to joining CTCL, she managed the programs and communications department of a criminal justice nonprofit. Her passion for civic engagement was fostered at The New Organizing Institute where she worked on the Voting Information Project during the 2014 election cycle. Megan enjoys "the weeds" of research and the data it produces. Ask her about state trivia! CTCL Board of DirectorsThe work of CTCL benefits from the expertise and support provided by a distinguished and diverse board of directors. With experience in the fields of technology, finance, political organizing, advocacy, civic data, and election administration, the members of the CTCL board play a fundamental role in guiding our efforts to enhance civic engagement and strengthen the connections between public leaders and citizens.Pam AndersonDirector -- Pam Anderson is a Director for the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Pam is the owner of Consilium Colorado, LLC, a firm specializing in nonprofit management consultation, and serves as the Executive Director of the Colorado County Clerks Association (CCCA). Prior to this work, Pam was the Republican Clerk and Recorder for Jefferson County, Colorado and has held positions with the Advisory Board for Pew's Election Performance Index, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Best Practices and Vision Commission, and other prominent civic organizations. Rounding out her experience with a Master’s in Public Administration and accreditation as a Certified Election Voter Registration Administrator, Pam adds management acumen and an appreciation for political diversity to the CTCL board. Tiana Epps-JohnsonExecutive Director, President -- Tiana Epps-Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Prior to CTCL, she was the New Organizing Institute's Election Administration Director. She and her team provide resources and training to support local election administrators in modernizing the ways they communicate with voters. They also publish free, open-source civic datasets that have been accessed over 60 million times through some of the most powerful tools that drive civic participation. Tiana holds an MSc in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University. Additionally, Tiana is Technology and Democracy Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School for the 2015-2016 academic year. Tammy PatrickDirector -- Tammy Patrick is a Director for the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Presently with the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., Tammy holds the position of Senior Advisor for the organization’s Democracy Project. To this role, she has brought the considerable expertise on elections that she cultivated as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Election Administration (PCEA) and as a Federal Compliance Officer for the Maricopa County (AZ) Elections Department. Tammy earned a B.A. in American Studies from Purdue University as well as a certification as an Election/Registration Administrator from Auburn University. As a CTCL board member, she provides oversight informed by years of experience at the forefront of American election administration.Sureel ShethDirector, Treasurer -- Sureel Sheth is a Director as well as Treasurer for the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Sureel is currently Vice President at JMI Equity in San Diego, where he focuses on assessing investment opportunities in the software and health care technology fields. Prior to working with JMI, Sureel held positions with DoubleDutch, McKinsey & Company, and Reputation.com. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Human Biology from Stanford University and a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. On the CTCL board, Sureel contributes his outstanding experience with business, finance, and investment analysis.Cristina SinclaireDirector, Secretary -- Cristina Sinclaire is a Director as well as Secretary for the Center for Technology and Civic Life. In her current position as Director of Client Services at Washington, D.C.-based Catalist, Cristina works with organizations whose work depends on access to reliable civic data. Before her work with Catalist, she held a number of positions in the arenas of organizing and social justice, including tenures with the New Organizing Institute, San Quentin T.R.U.S.T., and Obama for America. Cristina is a graduate of the University of San Francisco, where she studied Sociology and Criminology. She brings a diverse and extensive background in political organizing, advocacy, and nonprofit management to the CTCL board._b31e33e0-da11-11e6-9a1b-67e90ebcdb3bTo modernize engagement between local governments and the people they serve_b31e34d0-da11-11e6-9a1b-67e90ebcdb3bElectionsLeverage data to optimize election resources._b31e35b6-da11-11e6-9a1b-67e90ebcdb3b1ELECTricityELECTricity is a learning community of election officials who believe that technology can improve our democracy.Local OfficialsOur program trains people working in local government to use the internet to provide critical information by means that modern communities expect -- on the web, on mobile phones, via social media. Election OfficialsWe help election officials leverage data to gain new insights into their operations and optimize election resources.NewsletterSpotlight local election officials who are using technology to run great elections._b31e369c-da11-11e6-9a1b-67e90ebcdb3b1.1ELECTricity Newsletter --
A monthly newsletter that spotlights local election officials who are using technology to run great elections.Technology TutorialsProvide guides on technology to better serve voters, candidates, and poll workers._82ca23da-da7e-11e6-96ab-f2c78999ac471.2VotersCandidatesPoll WorkersTech Tutorials --
Step-by-step guides on simple technology to better serve voters, candidates, and poll workers.Election AdministrationProvide a clearinghouse of election administration tools and resources._82ca2682-da7e-11e6-96ab-f2c78999ac471.3Election Administration Survival Guide --
A clearinghouse of tools and resources developed by technology companies and non-profits.StoriesReport stories of resourceful election officials who are exploring new technologies._82ca27a4-da7e-11e6-96ab-f2c78999ac471.4Election OfficialsSpotlights on Election Offices --
Stories of resourceful election officials who are exploring new technologies.Civic DataTurn answers to important civic questions into standardized data._b31e3778-da11-11e6-9a1b-67e90ebcdb3b2We collect the answers to important civic questions. Then we turn that information into standardized, usable data. Since 2012 CTCL data has been accessed over 60 million times.Ballot InformationAggregate and standardize candidate & referenda information._b31e384a-da11-11e6-9a1b-67e90ebcdb3b2.1Who is on my ballot?
This is the number one question that voters look for answers to online. The Ballot Information Project aggregates and standardizes candidate & referenda information for federal, state, and local offices nationwide for major elections...RepresentationFacilitate connections with representatives in government._82ca2894-da7e-11e6-96ab-f2c78999ac472.2Who represents me?
We make it easy to connect communities with the people who represent them in government. The Governance Project provides a standardized dataset of federal, state, and local elected officials nationwide...Local Office FunctionsProvide information on what local elected officials' offices do._82ca29b6-da7e-11e6-96ab-f2c78999ac472.3Local Governmental OfficesLocal Elected OfficialsWhat do my elected officials do?
Knowing what local government does is the first step to becoming more civically engaged. Coming soon, the Local Office Function Index will answer this question for elected offices across the country...2017-01-14OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net