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Francesca Lawe-Davies is a senior development specialist with more than 18 years of experience in government, non-government, private sector, and multilateral development organisations. She has broad experience leading teams in complex development programs across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Francesca has worked with government and civil society leaders at all levels, providing strategic and technical advice and guiding programmatic support on education policy and delivery, decentralisation, village governance, peacebuilding, and gender-based violence prevention and response services.

Niko Dietsch has 20 years of experience working on domestic and international government initiatives to support the clean energy transition and improve air quality. Dietsch has expertise in clean energy policy evaluation, federal voluntary program delivery, and international capacity building. He spent 16 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) State and Local Branch working to advance clean energy as a strategy to help states meet their clean air and climate change requirements. This included playing a lead role in developing the energy efficiency provisions of EPA’s Clean Power Plan and establishing regulations that allow states and cities to include renewables and energy efficiency in their Clean Air Act (CAA) plans.

Dr. Lianne Fisman is an experienced researcher and a recognized expert in qualitative and mixed method research design, and analysis. She specializes in evaluating and strengthening programs that support economically disadvantaged individuals and communities. Dr. Fisman currently leads Abt’s Qualitative and Mixed Methods sub-capability. During her tenure at Abt, Dr. Fisman has served as project director and task leader on projects related to a variety of policy areas, including housing, youth and community development, education, and financial wellness.

Nichole Fiore is a Principal Associate with over 15 years of experience evaluating housing and homelessness programs across the country, developing deep expertise on homeless service systems, organizational capacity, political and community will, unsheltered homelessness, and permanent supportive housing. Recognizing the critical link between stable, safe housing and overall well-being, Fiore is proven leader bringing together stakeholders who work across many jurisdictions and sectors to address the needs and improve the lives of people experiencing homelessness. She is a regular source for media outlets, often on the topic of homelessness in California.

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, maternal health, the health and well-being of children, and the intersection of health and housing.

Dr. Satyendra Prasad is the Principal Technical Lead for Abt’s climate initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. Dr. Prasad is a diplomat and governance expert with over two decades of governance experience across international organizations, including the United Nations (UN), World Bank, and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) – now known as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Jennifer S. Riggs, Ph.D., brings her extensive research, policy, and nursing experience to improve care for patients, especially older adults. Her clinical area of expertise is Medicare-certified home health and home and community-based care for adults and older adults with multiple co-occurring chronic conditions and complex care coordination needs.

Teresa Mota, BSN, RN is an Associate/Nurse Researcher and a sought-after clinical researcher on federal and state projects emphasizing aging, long-term care, and improving the care experience. Mota has an extensive clinical and health services research background in geriatric nursing, and she specializes in post-acute care, quality improvement (QI) and supporting community-based providers and stakeholders to assist them in the identification of best-practices, develop resources and tools, communications, and implementation of QI initiatives. Mota also participates in data collection, measurement, analysis, and reporting related to these programs.

Matthew Sweeney leads business development and account management for Abt’s portfolio of work at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). With more than 20 years of healthcare experience partnering with federal agencies, small businesses, and the private sector, Sweeney has led large research and operational projects focused on various dimensions of alternative payment models, including:  implementing and validating quality measures, program support for hospital pay-for-performance programs, and advising clients on the design and refinement of their value-based purchasing arrangements.

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.