About Leadership Alumni Advisory Board Alumni Advisory Board Foundation Board Sarah Alexander Vice Chair, Alumni Advisory Board and Associate at Mindset Sarah Alexander is the Energy and Coastal Policy Advisor to Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. of Louisiana. Previously, Sarah served as a Professional Staff Member for the House Energy and Commerce Committee supporting the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee and the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee. Prior to the Hill, Sarah worked as a Director at Mindset, a bipartisan advocacy and advisory firm in Washington, DC. Sarah joined the BAAB in 2021 to reengage with the Batten School and strengthen the connection between Batten alumni and current Batten students. She strongly believes in the importance of career support, alumni networking, and philanthropic endeavors and is thrilled to serve as Vice Chair this year. Sarah graduated from UVA in 2019 with a BA in Public Policy and Leadership from Batten and a minor in French. While at UVA, Sarah danced as a professional trainee with the Charlottesville Ballet, and she still takes ballet classes several days per week with the Washington Ballet. Read full bio Emily Barksdale Emily Barksdale is a 2021 MPP graduate, justice advocate, and former educator who currently resides in Richmond, Virginia. A native West Virginian, Barksdale spent 7 years teaching middle school in Dallas, TX after graduating with high honors from Furman University in 2012. She began working as a Budget and Policy Analyst for the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget in fall 2021. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, karaoke, and spending time outside. Read full bio Tyler Chandler Research Specialist at EdPolicyWorks Tyler Chandler is a Research Specialist at EdPolicyWorks, a joint collaboration between the School of Education and Human Development and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is currently involved in projects related to understanding the impacts teacher working conditions have on student outcomes, the impact of the pandemic on student achievement, and teacher retention trends. Before joining EdPolicyWorks, Tyler spent a year working for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy developing an educational workshop series designed to inform Eastern Shore residents about the impact’s climate change will have on their communities. During his master’s program, Tyler partnered with Richmond Public Schools on an applied policy project to canvas existing low-cost STEM programs and curricula that could be used to transform a city middle school into a STEM academy in an equitable manner. He earned his MPP from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia and his BA in Government from the University of Virginia. Read full bio Ned Flanagan Program Associate, National Democratic Institute (NDI) Ned Flanagan (BA ‘22) is currently a Program Associate with the Latin America and Caribbean team at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Washington D.C. Before starting at UVA, Ned spent a semester studying Spanish and traveling in Bolivia and Peru then went on to volunteer at an aid center for deported migrants and asylum seekers along the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, Mexico. With deep interests and experience in humane migration, citizen security, and sustainable development, Ned has also interned for organizations including the United Nations International Organization for Migration, InterAction, and Results for America. Ned graduated from UVA with highest distinction in 2022 with a B.A. in Leadership & Public Policy and Global Development Studies, along with a minor in Latin American Studies. Read full bio Matt Gillam Teacher, Miner Elementary School Matt Gillam is from Long Island, NY and a 2021 graduate of the BA program. He has since joined Teach For America and is teaching first grade at Miner Elementary School in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC. While teaching, he is pursuing a MSEd from Johns Hopkins University. While at UVA, he served as Batten Undergraduate Council President, co-Director of UVA's Camp Kesem chapter and Chair of UVA's Hillel Jewish Leadership Council. Read full bio Jahvonta Mason Law Clerk, United States District Court for the District of Columbia Jahvonta Mason (BA ‘17) is currently a Law Clerk for a Judge who sits on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Prior to clerking, Jahvonta served as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Jahvonta received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2021 where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Moot Court Board. Before law school, Jahvonta taught 9th grade English at the Casablanca American School in Casablanca, Morocco. Jahvonta graduated from UVA in 2017 with a B.A. in Leadership & Public Policy and a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. Read full bio Juliana McCormick Recruitment Manager, Teach For America National Team Juliana McCormick (BA ‘18) currently serves on the Teach For America National Team, where she works to mitigate the national teacher shortage as a Recruitment Manager. Her interest in education crystallized while in Batten, leading her to join the Teach For America Corps upon graduating. There, she taught 300+ DC middle schoolers English while earning her Master of Science in Education at Johns Hopkins. Following her tenure in U.S. classrooms, she had the privilege of teaching in Spain through the Fulbright Program. Read full bio Erin Melly Economist, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. Erin Melly (MPP ‘22) is an Economist at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. In this role, she utilizes data to identify potential manipulation, anti-competitive behavior, and other anomalous activities in electricity markets. Erin earned a Master of Public Policy from Batten. During her time at Batten, Erin was a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, and Federal Service Intern for USAID where she worked on an electrification project in the Philippines region. Prior to her time at Batten, Erin was a Research Associate at a think tank, studying tax policy, paid family leave, and labor mobility. Erin received her B.A. in Economics and Sustainable Development from Columbia University in 2018. At Columbia, Erin was a Division I Cross Country and Track and Field athlete, where she was a three-time Academic All-American and Ivy League Champion in Cross Country. Read full bio Sofya Olenicheva Policy Advisor at the Zero Emission Transportation Association Sofya Olenicheva currently serves as a Policy Advisor at the Zero Emission Transportation Association, a federal coalition advocating for transportation electrification, and Pioneer Public Affairs, a climate- and renewable energy-focused lobbying firm. Sofya’s professional policy experience began at Batten with an assignment to conduct research for the Virginia gubernatorial transition team. Later, she worked as a Program Assistant at the Community Climate Collaborative, a nonprofit committed to facilitating environmental policy development in local government and encouraging residents to integrate sustainable solutions into their lifestyle. At UVA, Sofya earned a Bachelor of Arts with Highest Distinction in Public Policy and Global Environments & Sustainability. Read full bio Katherine Pajewski Secretary, Alumni Advisory Board and Healthcare Analyst for Huron Consulting Group In her professional life, Katie is a Care Transformation Associate at Huron Consulting Group, playing a pivotal role in reshaping healthcare systems for improved efficiency and patient outcomes. She has implemented transformative care models, developing solutions alongside clients and training clinicians on new health technologies and care models to increase hospital capacity and achieve organizational goals. In her previous role as a Policy Analyst with Federal Health Policy Solutions and Lincoln Policy Group, Katie worked on a variety of healthcare policies, navigating federal regulations and legislation. She assessed policy needs, risks, and opportunities to inform long-term planning for clients across the healthcare sector. Katie has been a member of the Batten Alumni Advisory Board since Fall 2020, acting as Chair since Spring 2023, shaping the alumni initiatives and fostering a community dedicated to impact in the leadership and public policy arenas, and beyond. Read full bio Catalina Perez Catalina Perez has been an active member of the Batten community for the past 3 years. Originally part of the Class of 2020 Bachelor's of Public Policy, she decided to make the switch to the Master's of Public Policy Class of 2021 program party because of her great interest in public policy but also because of her love of the Batten School. Former Women in Policy President and Batten Pillar Project founder, she pursues her future career in Law as a W&L law student, she still hopes to give back to the Batten school through BAAB in serving current Batten students and alumni. Read full bio Donovan Rolle Executive Strategy and Project Management Analyst, Deloitte's Government and Public Service Donovan Rolle (BA ‘21) is an Executive Strategy and Project Management Analyst in Deloitte's Government and Public Service sector. His true passions are creating inclusive environments and any and everything sports. During his time at UVA, Donovan interned and worked with clubs to strategize on ways to make Batten, UVA, and Charlottesville more inclusive. He also played football, coached, and interned doing sports policy research for the NFL Players Association. As a Darden Future Years Scholar, Donovan plans to return to Charlottesville in a few years to attend UVA’s Darden School of Business. Read full bio Lauren Russell Secretary, Alumni Advisory Board and Health System Specialist for the Office of Health Equity at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Lauren Russell is currently a member of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Master of Public Health (MPH) class of 2022. In addition to her current role as a full-time student, Lauren serves on the Hopkins Student Outreach Resource Center (SOURCE) Student Governing Board, and she works part-time as a research assistant and teaching assistant at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to returning to school, Lauren worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) New England Healthcare System. She began her career as a Presidential Management Fellow, then co-developed and co-led a multi-site health-related social needs screening and referral program known as the Assessing Circumstances & Offering Resources for Needs (ACORN) initiative. Outside of work, Lauren enjoyed serving as the Sports Chair for the UVA Club of Boston and as a mentor for four years with Minds Matter – Boston, an organization which “connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world.” Her experiences at the VA and with Minds Matter – Boston fueled her interest in and commitment to developing programs and policies that promote health equity and led her to pursue an MPH. Lauren earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Linguistics and Philology and Interdisciplinary Global Studies – Public Health at the University of Virginia. Read full bio Daniel Sater Higher Education Policy Analyst, University of North Carolina System Office Daniel Sater (MPP ‘12) is a higher education policy analyst for the University of North Carolina System Office. He previously served as a senior fiscal analyst in the non-partisan Fiscal Research Division of the North Carolina General Assembly. As a board member he plans to focus on developing networks to provide job opportunities to current students and alumni. He was the first Batten alum hired by his current and previous employers and has helped multiple Batten alums launch their careers in North Carolina. Read full bio Hannah Semmes Consultant at Guidehouse State & Local Government Hannah Semmes is a consultant at Guidehouse State & Local Government. Prior to that, she was a consultant in the private sector for Salt Flats (née Optimity Advisors). She is an alumna of the State Department’s Critical Language Scholar in Indonesian, and previously worked as intern at the World Wildlife Fund, in the Office of Congressman Beyer (VA-08), and various political campaigns. At UVA, she served as Co-Captain of Women's Club Soccer. As a BAAB member, it is her goal to support and grow Batten’s entrepreneurial community. Read full bio
Sarah Alexander Vice Chair, Alumni Advisory Board and Associate at Mindset Sarah Alexander is the Energy and Coastal Policy Advisor to Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. of Louisiana. Previously, Sarah served as a Professional Staff Member for the House Energy and Commerce Committee supporting the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee and the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee. Prior to the Hill, Sarah worked as a Director at Mindset, a bipartisan advocacy and advisory firm in Washington, DC. Sarah joined the BAAB in 2021 to reengage with the Batten School and strengthen the connection between Batten alumni and current Batten students. She strongly believes in the importance of career support, alumni networking, and philanthropic endeavors and is thrilled to serve as Vice Chair this year. Sarah graduated from UVA in 2019 with a BA in Public Policy and Leadership from Batten and a minor in French. While at UVA, Sarah danced as a professional trainee with the Charlottesville Ballet, and she still takes ballet classes several days per week with the Washington Ballet. Read full bio
Emily Barksdale Emily Barksdale is a 2021 MPP graduate, justice advocate, and former educator who currently resides in Richmond, Virginia. A native West Virginian, Barksdale spent 7 years teaching middle school in Dallas, TX after graduating with high honors from Furman University in 2012. She began working as a Budget and Policy Analyst for the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget in fall 2021. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, karaoke, and spending time outside. Read full bio
Tyler Chandler Research Specialist at EdPolicyWorks Tyler Chandler is a Research Specialist at EdPolicyWorks, a joint collaboration between the School of Education and Human Development and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is currently involved in projects related to understanding the impacts teacher working conditions have on student outcomes, the impact of the pandemic on student achievement, and teacher retention trends. Before joining EdPolicyWorks, Tyler spent a year working for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy developing an educational workshop series designed to inform Eastern Shore residents about the impact’s climate change will have on their communities. During his master’s program, Tyler partnered with Richmond Public Schools on an applied policy project to canvas existing low-cost STEM programs and curricula that could be used to transform a city middle school into a STEM academy in an equitable manner. He earned his MPP from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia and his BA in Government from the University of Virginia. Read full bio
Ned Flanagan Program Associate, National Democratic Institute (NDI) Ned Flanagan (BA ‘22) is currently a Program Associate with the Latin America and Caribbean team at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Washington D.C. Before starting at UVA, Ned spent a semester studying Spanish and traveling in Bolivia and Peru then went on to volunteer at an aid center for deported migrants and asylum seekers along the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, Mexico. With deep interests and experience in humane migration, citizen security, and sustainable development, Ned has also interned for organizations including the United Nations International Organization for Migration, InterAction, and Results for America. Ned graduated from UVA with highest distinction in 2022 with a B.A. in Leadership & Public Policy and Global Development Studies, along with a minor in Latin American Studies. Read full bio
Matt Gillam Teacher, Miner Elementary School Matt Gillam is from Long Island, NY and a 2021 graduate of the BA program. He has since joined Teach For America and is teaching first grade at Miner Elementary School in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC. While teaching, he is pursuing a MSEd from Johns Hopkins University. While at UVA, he served as Batten Undergraduate Council President, co-Director of UVA's Camp Kesem chapter and Chair of UVA's Hillel Jewish Leadership Council. Read full bio
Jahvonta Mason Law Clerk, United States District Court for the District of Columbia Jahvonta Mason (BA ‘17) is currently a Law Clerk for a Judge who sits on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Prior to clerking, Jahvonta served as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Jahvonta received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2021 where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Moot Court Board. Before law school, Jahvonta taught 9th grade English at the Casablanca American School in Casablanca, Morocco. Jahvonta graduated from UVA in 2017 with a B.A. in Leadership & Public Policy and a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. Read full bio
Juliana McCormick Recruitment Manager, Teach For America National Team Juliana McCormick (BA ‘18) currently serves on the Teach For America National Team, where she works to mitigate the national teacher shortage as a Recruitment Manager. Her interest in education crystallized while in Batten, leading her to join the Teach For America Corps upon graduating. There, she taught 300+ DC middle schoolers English while earning her Master of Science in Education at Johns Hopkins. Following her tenure in U.S. classrooms, she had the privilege of teaching in Spain through the Fulbright Program. Read full bio
Erin Melly Economist, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. Erin Melly (MPP ‘22) is an Economist at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. In this role, she utilizes data to identify potential manipulation, anti-competitive behavior, and other anomalous activities in electricity markets. Erin earned a Master of Public Policy from Batten. During her time at Batten, Erin was a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, and Federal Service Intern for USAID where she worked on an electrification project in the Philippines region. Prior to her time at Batten, Erin was a Research Associate at a think tank, studying tax policy, paid family leave, and labor mobility. Erin received her B.A. in Economics and Sustainable Development from Columbia University in 2018. At Columbia, Erin was a Division I Cross Country and Track and Field athlete, where she was a three-time Academic All-American and Ivy League Champion in Cross Country. Read full bio
Sofya Olenicheva Policy Advisor at the Zero Emission Transportation Association Sofya Olenicheva currently serves as a Policy Advisor at the Zero Emission Transportation Association, a federal coalition advocating for transportation electrification, and Pioneer Public Affairs, a climate- and renewable energy-focused lobbying firm. Sofya’s professional policy experience began at Batten with an assignment to conduct research for the Virginia gubernatorial transition team. Later, she worked as a Program Assistant at the Community Climate Collaborative, a nonprofit committed to facilitating environmental policy development in local government and encouraging residents to integrate sustainable solutions into their lifestyle. At UVA, Sofya earned a Bachelor of Arts with Highest Distinction in Public Policy and Global Environments & Sustainability. Read full bio
Katherine Pajewski Secretary, Alumni Advisory Board and Healthcare Analyst for Huron Consulting Group In her professional life, Katie is a Care Transformation Associate at Huron Consulting Group, playing a pivotal role in reshaping healthcare systems for improved efficiency and patient outcomes. She has implemented transformative care models, developing solutions alongside clients and training clinicians on new health technologies and care models to increase hospital capacity and achieve organizational goals. In her previous role as a Policy Analyst with Federal Health Policy Solutions and Lincoln Policy Group, Katie worked on a variety of healthcare policies, navigating federal regulations and legislation. She assessed policy needs, risks, and opportunities to inform long-term planning for clients across the healthcare sector. Katie has been a member of the Batten Alumni Advisory Board since Fall 2020, acting as Chair since Spring 2023, shaping the alumni initiatives and fostering a community dedicated to impact in the leadership and public policy arenas, and beyond. Read full bio
Catalina Perez Catalina Perez has been an active member of the Batten community for the past 3 years. Originally part of the Class of 2020 Bachelor's of Public Policy, she decided to make the switch to the Master's of Public Policy Class of 2021 program party because of her great interest in public policy but also because of her love of the Batten School. Former Women in Policy President and Batten Pillar Project founder, she pursues her future career in Law as a W&L law student, she still hopes to give back to the Batten school through BAAB in serving current Batten students and alumni. Read full bio
Donovan Rolle Executive Strategy and Project Management Analyst, Deloitte's Government and Public Service Donovan Rolle (BA ‘21) is an Executive Strategy and Project Management Analyst in Deloitte's Government and Public Service sector. His true passions are creating inclusive environments and any and everything sports. During his time at UVA, Donovan interned and worked with clubs to strategize on ways to make Batten, UVA, and Charlottesville more inclusive. He also played football, coached, and interned doing sports policy research for the NFL Players Association. As a Darden Future Years Scholar, Donovan plans to return to Charlottesville in a few years to attend UVA’s Darden School of Business. Read full bio
Lauren Russell Secretary, Alumni Advisory Board and Health System Specialist for the Office of Health Equity at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Lauren Russell is currently a member of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Master of Public Health (MPH) class of 2022. In addition to her current role as a full-time student, Lauren serves on the Hopkins Student Outreach Resource Center (SOURCE) Student Governing Board, and she works part-time as a research assistant and teaching assistant at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to returning to school, Lauren worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) New England Healthcare System. She began her career as a Presidential Management Fellow, then co-developed and co-led a multi-site health-related social needs screening and referral program known as the Assessing Circumstances & Offering Resources for Needs (ACORN) initiative. Outside of work, Lauren enjoyed serving as the Sports Chair for the UVA Club of Boston and as a mentor for four years with Minds Matter – Boston, an organization which “connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world.” Her experiences at the VA and with Minds Matter – Boston fueled her interest in and commitment to developing programs and policies that promote health equity and led her to pursue an MPH. Lauren earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Linguistics and Philology and Interdisciplinary Global Studies – Public Health at the University of Virginia. Read full bio
Daniel Sater Higher Education Policy Analyst, University of North Carolina System Office Daniel Sater (MPP ‘12) is a higher education policy analyst for the University of North Carolina System Office. He previously served as a senior fiscal analyst in the non-partisan Fiscal Research Division of the North Carolina General Assembly. As a board member he plans to focus on developing networks to provide job opportunities to current students and alumni. He was the first Batten alum hired by his current and previous employers and has helped multiple Batten alums launch their careers in North Carolina. Read full bio
Hannah Semmes Consultant at Guidehouse State & Local Government Hannah Semmes is a consultant at Guidehouse State & Local Government. Prior to that, she was a consultant in the private sector for Salt Flats (née Optimity Advisors). She is an alumna of the State Department’s Critical Language Scholar in Indonesian, and previously worked as intern at the World Wildlife Fund, in the Office of Congressman Beyer (VA-08), and various political campaigns. At UVA, she served as Co-Captain of Women's Club Soccer. As a BAAB member, it is her goal to support and grow Batten’s entrepreneurial community. Read full bio