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Hailu Zelelew is an economist with 30 years of experience in health financing/economics, health insurance, health policy processes, health systems strengthening and economic development. He has worked on development planning and economic cooperation; policy analysis and development; rural development; program design and management; maternal, newborn and child health; family planning and reproductive health; HIV/AIDS; and capacity building. His financial expertise includes health program costing, resource tracking, health financing policy, health insurance, public financial management, and governance. He also has extensive experience with monitoring, evaluation and research.

Dr. Jennifer Bronson is a medical sociologist with 16 years of experience conducting complex quantitative, qualitative, and evaluation studies designed to improve the health and safety  of individuals and communities. She focuses on criminal justice and behavioral health research. Her research findings have provided support for correctional and community-based health programming and policy change. Her research also helps reimagine law enforcement and behavioral health crisis responses. Bronson has worked closely with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); the  Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP); and various state government agencies and community groups. She helps them develop, manage, and implement tailored surveys, research studies, and program evaluations.

Leisa Gibson, the Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) senior advisor and practice lead for Abt in Britain, has more than 20 years of international experience working for governments, the United Nations, and civil society organisations. Her expertise includes strategic and operational planning, program formulation and delivery, change management, coordination and partnerships, quality assurance, and targeted interventions. She works on such issues as disability, development, inclusive leadership, gender and gender-based violence (GBV) in humanitarian action, child marriage, women’s economic empowerment, and organisational capacity development.

Brooke Abrams is a trained political scientist and health equity expert with seven years of experience leading and contributing to equitable and anti-racist research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects. Her work innovates the fields of housing, criminal justice reform, and health equity across BIPOC populations. Abrams has worked closely with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, American Civil Liberties Union, and the Casey Family Foundation to advance health and well-being across marginalized populations. Her technical assistance expertise focuses on meaningfully and equitably engaging persons with lived expertise to investigate pervasive inequities in communities’ coordinated entry housing systems. Brooke’s research has advanced prison reform in New Mexico, housing systems transformation in Minneapolis, and Abt’s Racial Equity Standardization.

Researcher and policy analyst Karin Martinson has extensive knowledge of workforce development and income security policies affecting low-income populations.  With more than 30 years of experience, her research focuses on identifying effective strategies to assist disadvantaged groups seeking to gain a foothold in the labor market. The groups include low-skilled adults, cash-assistance recipients, the long-term unemployed, and those with disabilities or substance use disorders. She oversees Abt’s large portfolio of work at the U.S. Department of Labor and has worked with a wide range of federal and state agencies and philanthropic organizations.  She has led numerous research and evaluation projects, primarily in workforce and income support arena, as a project director, principal investigator, task leader, and content expert. She co-authored more than 50 research reports and briefs and contributed to published volumes on workforce policy. 

Dr. Sebastian Lemire is an evaluation expert with decades of experience designing and managing evaluations of education and workforce development programs. He has extensive experience with a broad range of evaluation approaches, quasi- and non-experimental designs, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods, as well as systematic evidence reviews.

Dr. Jessica Thornton Walker is an accomplished researcher and the leader of Abt’s quantitative methods team who brings 20 years of experience designing and implementing policy-relevant research. She is a recognized expert in large-scale, multi-site evaluations to assess the impacts of social policies and programs in housing and homelessness, child welfare, adolescent risk-taking behaviors, and substance use.In her role as the Quantitative Methods Lead, Dr. Walker is responsible for the management, staffing, budgeting, solutioning, and strategy that guides the work of 120 quantitative research staff and ensures Abt provides high-quality technical delivery and innovative solutions tailored to clients.

Dr. Caroline Logan is a senior associate and health services researcher with over 15 years of experience in policy-focused mixed methods evaluation design, rigorous data collection and analysis, and development of integrated mixed methods reports and deliverables. Her expertise in federal and state health policy includes Medicare and Medicaid financing and delivery systems, care transformation and system integration, social determinants of health, maternal health, the health and well-being of children, and the intersection of health and housing.

Debra Cammer Hines brings nearly three decades of executive experience to her role as chief solutions officer. She has had leadership roles at major consulting firms such as Ernst & Young and PwC and at IBM. She also has U.S. federal government experience from her stint at the Office of Management and Budget early in her career.  Debra has provided consulting services across the public sector – federal, state and local governments, healthcare organizations, and all levels of education (pre-k-12 and higher education). Her work has ranged from global technology services, finance, and housing to cybersecurity transformations, mentoring minority leaders, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) assessments.

Arun Asok is a seasoned impact investor with 15 years of experience investing in and managing a portfolio of impact enterprises across Asia and Africa, particularly those focused on healthcare, financial services, and energy access.  As a senior advisor in Abt’s International Development Division, Arun leads mobilizing private capital and structuring impact investments for various client projects. More broadly, he leads Abt’s private capital and impact investment strategy and execution, and convenes thought leadership activities to champion private capital as a tool for inclusive growth and social and economic wellbeing. Arun’s expertise spans fund structuring, investment management, portfolio management, and business operations while forging public-private partnerships between UN organizations, ministries, developmental institutions, and commercial investors.