George Hadijski is the Senior Program Associate at the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL), a joint partnership between the Batten School and Vanderbilt University. He is responsible for increasing the use of CEL’s research by lawmakers, their staffs, and their influencers. 

Alec Davis is the Lab Manager for the Culture, History, Identity, and Policy Lab and the Social Motivation Lab in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

Originally from Southern California, Admissions Coordinator Estrella Burks-Parra is a 2023 graduate of Washington and Lee University. 

Mark Nelson is an advancement associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Jeffrey Whelchel holds the position of IT Coordinator at Batten, where he oversees information technology operations.

Dakota Workman is a dedicated professional serving as the Events and Operations Coordinator at the Batten School, leveraging his expertise in daily operations and event management.

Cat joined the Batten School in 2023 as assistant director of communications. She brings extensive experience in communications, storytelling, public service, and state and federal policy to the Batten School from her prior roles at the UVA Office for Sustainability and several environmental nonprofit advocacy organizations, and as a journalist.

As an HR leader with 20 years experience, Brian Ford currently is the Sr. HR Partner for the Batten School and McIntire School of Commerce. Prior to UVA, he led the Employee Experience function for the eastern US region at VMLY&R. In this capacity, he and his team drive culture, talent management and the overall employee experience for offices such as New York, Atlanta & Miami. Prior to VMLY&R, Brian was Chief People Officer at Fusion Media Group and had sr. leadership roles at Ogilvy, LG Electronics and Mercedes-Benz USA.

Andrea Henry is an experienced professional fulfilling the role as our Events Manager. A University of Virginia alumna, class of 2019, with a dual degree in Art History and Sociology, her educational and professional journey from UVA and post-graduation provided a solid foundation in strategic planning and effective communication, all of which contribute to her expertise in event management. In her spare time, she indulges in HBO shows or tries new restaurants and coffee shops around town.

Leah Daniel is Batten’s Salesforce Manager. Prior to joining Batten, Leah was Senior Financial Analyst and Salesforce Administrator at UVA School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. She brings years of database management experience to Batten from her role as database manager at both the Darden School Foundation (1997-2003) and the UVA Law School Foundation (2004-2017). Leah holds a B.S. from the University of South Carolina.