Rakesh has been the director of OPE since 2002. He is committed to promoting confidence and accountability in state government through evaluation. Under his direction, the office has received many awards, including the American Evaluation Association’s 2016 Outstanding Evaluation Award and 2011 Alva and Gunnar Myrdal Government Evaluation Award. He is also the recipient of 2016 Donald and Alice Stone Outstanding Practitioner Award from the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Rakesh contributes to the field of evaluation through service on (1) the editorial advisory board of the American Journal of Evaluation, (2) the board of the ASPA Center for Accountability and Performance, (3) the editorial board of State and Local Government Review, and (4) the advisory board of the Rucks Group, a research and evaluation firm based in Dayton, Ohio. Recently he wrote a chapter for the book Evaluation Failures, published by Sage (2019). His chapter was titled, “I Didn’t Know I Would Be a Tightrope Walker Someday: Balancing Evaluator Responsiveness and Independence.” In the past, he served on the American Evaluation Association’s board of directors, the editorial advisory board of New Directions for Evaluation, and the US Comptroller General’s Advisory Council on Government Auditing Standards. He has an MPA from the University of Kansas and is a recipient of the Council of State Governments’ Henry Toll Fellowship.

Lauren has always been interested in people and numbers. She enjoys interviewing stakeholders, developing surveys, and analyzing data. She appreciates that the field of evaluation allows her to use both qualitative and quantitative skills to provide useful information to decision makers. Experience: Lauren has worked on evaluations of the child welfare system, local governments, courts, and property and sales tax policy. Education: Lauren has a BS in political science and an MPA from Boise State University. Professional Affiliations: She is a member of the American Evaluation Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Amanda answers questions. Through her tenacious inquisitiveness, Amanda found her professional calling in the field of evaluation which seeks to provide accurate, reliable, and useful information to decision makers. Amanda is passionate about strengthening her community by supporting more effective government programs and policies. Experience: Amanda has worked as a researcher and program evaluator since 2002. She started with Ada County where she conducted evaluations for departments including Solid Waste Management, Juvenile Court Services, and Misdemeanor Probation. Since coming to OPE, Amanda has worked in multiple policy areas including contract management, employee compensation, due process hearing procedures, child welfare, and local government. Experience in a variety of state and local agencies has strengthened Amanda’s ability to extract useful data by using a variety of methods, successfully planning and executing projects, and facilitating productive communication among stakeholders. Education: Amanda is pursuing a JD at the University of Idaho. She has a BS in clinical psychology (2002) from Liberty University and an MPA (2009) from Boise State University. Professional Affiliations: She is a member of the American Evaluation Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Liz is a Boise native who returned home after spending part of her career in Canada. In her free time she enjoys hiking, skiing, and the Idaho outdoors. Experience: Liz developed a strong financial background working as a CPA in city government and the education sector before joining the Office of Performance Evaluations. Liz is currently working on an evaluation of the Criminal Justice system in Idaho. Education: Liz holds an MBA (2017) with a focus in business analytics from the University of South Dakota, a CPA designation (2014), and a BBA (2012) with a focus in accounting from Okanagan College.(2012). Professional Affiliations: She is a member of the American Evaluation Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and a member of CPA Canada.

Ryan came to the office from academia and has enjoyed learning about the diversity of Idaho and the many functions of state government. He is grateful that he gets to meet many of the diverse people from across Idaho as part of his job. He is a Boise native and lives on the bench with his wife, Anna, and two children. He was a long-suffering Cubs fan, whose suffering ended on November 2, 2016. Anyone who spends enough time with him will hear too much about Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments and about anything written by Jane Jacobs. Experience: Ryan’s recent projects include evaluations related to retirement savings, tax preferences, and Medicaid. Before coming to the office, Ryan taught economics and political science for a year at Emory University, where he was able to inflict both The Theory of Moral Sentiments and the work of Jane Jacobs on undergraduates. Education: Ryan has a PhD in economics (2013) from George Mason University, an MA in economics (2011) from George Mason University, and a BA in history and economics (2008) from Gonzaga University. Professional Affiliations: He is a member of the American Evaluation Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Mackenzie was born and raised here in Boise and loves it. She is happy to be surrounded by close family and friends. She has been searching for a professional environment in which to use and develop her passions for social systems, community, public speaking, and policy analysis and has found the perfect place at the Office of Performance Evaluations. In addition to her position as an Evaluator with the office, Mackenzie is an Assistant Coach for the Boise State University Talkin’ Broncos Speech and Debate Team. Experience: During her time as a graduate research assistant at the Idaho Policy Institute during her master’s program, Mackenzie worked on various projects for Boise State University’s School of Public Service and the City of Boise. Since beginning at OPE, Mackenzie has worked on evaluations related to criminal justice, volunteer providers of emergency medical services, and the state’s response to Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Education: Mackenzie has a BA in social work (2018) with a Spanish minor and an MPA (2021) from Boise State University. Professional Affiliations: She is a member of the American Evaluation Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Sasha is passionate about data and knows the essential role government accountability plays in our democracy. She is dedicated to improving the lives of those in her community by providing policymakers with information to support effective public services. Sasha has expertise in public health, tax policy, K–12 education, labor economics, and long-term family financial security. Experience: Sasha recently worked on evaluations related to volunteer providers of emergency medical services, supportive services for people with disabilities, and the state’s response to Alzheimer’s and related dementias. She developed a strong quantitative background in the private sector before deciding to use her skill set to support policymakers and nonprofit service providers. She served as an economic research assistant at DePaul University, focusing primarily on labor market policy. Sasha has diverse experience including work on education funding, access to domestic violence services, health care, and retirement savings. Education: Sasha is a PhD candidate in public policy and administration at Boise State University. She has an MS in economics and policy analysis (2017) from DePaul University, a BA in economics (2011) and a BA in sociology and French (2011) from the University of Washington. Professional Affiliations: She is a member of the American Evaluation Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the American Society for Public Administration.

Casey grew up in Pocatello and has spent most of his life split between Idaho and California. He is an avid fan of basketball and history and likes to spend his free time listening to podcasts. Casey enjoys the policy process and policy decision making and is grateful to work in an office that provides information and assistance to Idaho’s policymakers. Experience: Casey has worked on evaluations of Idaho’s prison system, driver’s license policy, and K-12 and higher education. Education: Casey has a BS in political science (2016) and an MPA (2019) from Boise State University. Professional Affiliations: He is a member of the American Evaluation Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.