When I started my career, I was certain I wanted to be a researcher. I had so many questions about why people, especially kids, are the way they are, and I wanted to help find answers. In an effort to understand how children’s brains work, I started working as a research coordinator studying differences in children’s brain activity and genetics. By monitoring subtle changes in brain activity, we could start to understand the relationship between mental processing mechanisms and experiences of anxiety, depression and other mental health symptoms.
But the longer I worked with kids and collected data on their symptoms, the more questions I had about the root causes of emotional struggle. I realized that despite all the time we spent talking to youth and their families, and all the data we collected on individual behaviors and brain activity, there was so much we didn’t know. What were their home and school environments like, and what kinds of resources were available to them? Did they have quality healthcare? Access to nutritious food? For all the important information we gathered about how kids were behaving, we had hardly any knowledge about how they were being supported in society, and very little way to do anything to increase that support when needed.
I shifted course and made a point to learn about social programs and the role of policy in access to opportunity. In pursuit of that goal, I got my master’s in social work with a focus on social policy and have spent the last few years working with various Michigan nonprofits on advocacy and policy work, including supporting justice system reform and LGBTQ+ rights. I’ve learned that if one person is up against a barrier, more than likely many others are in the same boat, striving toward the same changes in pursuit of collective prosperity. The more we continue to look upstream at the many factors that impact access to opportunity, including race, location and income level, the better poised we are to find solutions that enhance life for all of us.
I begin my chapter at the League in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, acutely aware that this past year has accentuated many longtime vulnerabilities in our social systems. The pandemic has shown us just how fragile the economic and emotional state is for so many Michigan families, and highlighted the racial inequities that continue to exist in access to care.
Still, I continue to witness stories of strength and resilience alongside struggle, and am encouraged by some of the steps Michigan is taking. Thanks to concerted efforts, Michigan responded quickly to increase access to food benefits for families early on, and after implementing a coronavirus taskforce on racial inequities, began to decrease the disparate impact of COVID-19 on Black Michiganders. Michigan has long been my home, and even in its darkest times I am invested in seeing its successes.
That’s why despite the challenges we face in 2021, I’m so excited to join a team working to understand and advance policies in Michigan that support opportunity for all. As an Early Childhood analyst on the Kids Count team, I’m in some ways returning to my career beginnings:
tracking data to learn about kids. While data alone still can’t provide answers to every question I may have, it is a crucial step toward understanding outcomes—especially through this pandemic—and supporting public policies that allow all of Michigan’s youngest residents to thrive.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Jacob Kaplan 
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Donald Stuckey 
Patrick Schaefer
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Amber Bellazaire joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a policy analyst in June of 2019. Her work primarily focuses on state policy and budgets affecting Michigan’s Medicaid programs. Previously, Amber worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures tracking legislation and research related to injury and violence prevention, adolescent health, and maternal and child health. She also brings with her two years of Americorps service. As a full time volunteer, Amber had the opportunity to tutor high school students in Chelsea, Massachusetts and address issues of healthcare access and food insecurity through in-person outreach in Seattle, Washington.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
